Increased supervision is the most effective business strategy to improve financial performance. Yet supervision performance standards seldom exist and people responsible for supervision rarely receive training. As a result, managers lack the confidence needed to have a dialogue with employees about performance or behaviors.


RainmakerThinking, Inc. conducted a survey of more than 1,000 managers to discover effective business strategies used during the economic crisis. The strongest financial results were seen with cost-cutting, innovations and increased supervision. Increased supervision resulted in the top financial results when only one strategy was used.


Supervision takes time which is frequently wasted complaining about the employee’s performance to others. Managers who lack the ability to clarify expectations and describe a performance gap often rely on I’ll know it when I see it, I know what I don’t want and other forms of telepathic supervision.


Untrained managers often believe the responsibility of the task or performance gap is passed to the employee once it’s introduced. Instructing or leveling with the employee is the beginning. The next steps include monitoring, evaluating, offering support, coaching and going back to document the counseling or moving toward discipline. Telepathic supervision doesn’t work.


The best result of hands-on supervision is the employee improves and maintains a satisfactory performance level. This still requires continued honest feedback.


When performance fails to improve, and coaching and counseling move to disciplinary action, the employee may choose to resign. This allows the employee to leave on her terms and allows the employer to escape paying a severance, unemployment compensation and possible legal fees.


Another natural consequence is the manager moves the employee through the disciplinary action process, resulting in termination. The manager feels justified in the termination because every effort was made to help the employee succeed.


The employee is not surprised by the termination since the performance gap was defined, the manager made an effort to support the employee and the disciplinary process was clear. The co-workers of the employee will see that the manager followed through and has the courage to lead the department to success.

Support Your Supervisors

• “Working supervisors” need time away from production to supervise.
• Review supervisors’ job descriptions and performance appraisals for management standards.
• Consider evaluating supervisors based on negative voluntary terminations, and positive promotions out of the department.
• Supervisors are required to follow the laws, rules and policies. Provide training to inform them of their legal and ethical obligations.
• Establish a supervisory training process for all new and potential supervisors. This training includes how to clarify, communicate and inspect expectations.
• Coach supervisors through difficult management conversations.

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