Training Supervisors to Become Leaders

Front-line Crew Chiefs Ultimately Make or Break the Team

Oct 12, 2009

Proper supervisor training isn't a luxury; it's a basic, critical component in developing the leadership needed to ensure a company's long-term survival.

Veteran supervisors understand that leading their crews to where they have the experience of succeeding can be as fulfilling to workers as other experiences of achievement in life. In fact, an worker's sense of fulfillment and contribution has been cited as being the most important element in employee retention, based on studies going back to 1946.

The same sense of accomplishment holds true for employees at all levels, supervisors included. But a supervisor's sense of fulfillment largely depends on what crew members accomplish under the supervisor's guidance. It's good sense, then, to help supervisors attain the training and experience necessary to succeed and grow in their positions.

Supervisor Training Benefits the Entire Crew

The objective of supervisor training is to produce team leaders who foster cooperation amongst employees, get them to participate in finding ways to improve methods and procedures, and in general to lead everyone in the same direction at an efficient pace toward the accomplishment of a common goal.

Good supervisor training effectively hones the following characteristics of productive, cohesive teams:

Training for supervisors in these areas needs to include a strong emphasis on encouraging and supporting workers toward collaboration, in order to take effective action to achieve a common goal. These areas of training help the supervisor – and by extension, the company – to go well beyond the purpose of simply "getting the job done" into developing resources (teams) that not only meet, but exceed company goals with enthusiasm.

Reciprocating Advantages

A word that describes a team working at high efficiency is "synergy." A well-trained and enthusiastic supervisor understands how to guide not only on the strengths, but the weaknesses of each crew member to result in greater contribution towards the common goal.

Being on the front lines, it's the supervisor's responsibility to identify crew members' strengths and weaknesses, and help develop their skills through individual training. Throughout the process, the supervisor determines the tasks to which each crew member needs to be assigned so that their work can make the greatest contribution, while at the same time helping each crew member to develop new skills.

All of which leads to a greater sense of individual fulfillment, and increases the value of the each member of the team – as well as the team as a collective whole – to the company.

The copyright of the article Training Supervisors to Become Leaders in Human Resources Management is owned by Michael Riley. Permission to republish Training Supervisors to Become Leaders in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.