Regular Supervision Meetings

Performance management is not an episodic event that happens at the beginning and end of a performance cycle. It is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and thoughtfulness. Supervisors are responsible for scheduling supervision meetings regularly with each of their direct reports. Supervision meetings have numerous purposes:

Monitor and measure performance against expectations and work plan progress:

• Discuss work load
• Discuss timelines and deadlines
• Identify any training needs, challenges, barriers, or obstacles
• Provide performance coaching when needed
• Problem-solve when required
• Provide feedback
• Provide documentation for legal purposes

Establish your supervision agendas in the following three categories:

Performance: Specific to individual’s performance. This generally includes performance reviews and addressing problems with performance or providing positive feedback on specific performance.

Work Updates and Progress Check-ins: Generally checking in on upcoming tasks / deadlines or status of tasks.

Support / Coaching / Mentorship: Less about performance or tasks, but more about the individual’s “well-being” as a staff member or personal / professional development.

One supervision meeting can encompass more than one of these agenda types, but understanding what you’re focusing on will make it easier for you to come up with clearer meeting objectives.

Guide for More Effective Supervision Meetings:

Prerequisites for increased success:

1. Mutual respect between supervisor and employee:

• See each other as competent
• Be interested in each other’s success
• Commit to the meeting (don’t cancel unless it’s for something extremely urgent)

2. Supervisor should:

Encourage and support the employee

Demonstrate confidence in the employee’s ability to progress

Ask for feedback

 

3. Employee should:

• Be receptive to suggestions for improving performance
• Take ownership of success
• Ask for feedback

 

Assumptions:

• People are an organisation’s most important resource
• Everyone has talents and strengths to nurture, and challenge areas to further develop
• Performance reviews and training are central to a supervisor’s success
• Managers have tremendous influence over an employee’s ability to grow, or they can impede progress
• Skills in appraising people and in developing their capabilities can be learned
• A combination of giving employees the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making process of setting goals and providing feedback are major factors in employee motivation

 

Preparation:

 

Supervisor:

Consider the environment:

• Meet in private
• Eliminate disruptions or interruptions
• Schedule a time in advance and allow adequate time
• Provide a copy of any written agreements
• Prepare for the meeting by:
  • reviewing outcomes of prior meetings
  • collecting data in preparation for the meeting
  • preparing an agenda for the meeting, including topics to be covered and outcomes for the meeting
  • considering expectations for the employee
  • preparing talking points about what you wish to discuss

 

For the Employee:

Prepare for the meeting by:

• reviewing outcomes of any written agreement
• collecting data in preparation for the meeting, including reviewing job description and work plan
• considering own development (training) needs, and possible objectives for the next period
• preparing talking points about what you wish to discuss
• thinking of ways that the supervisor can support / assist you in achieving your goals

 

Sample Supervision Agenda

Discussions:	Notes/Action Needed:
Project Updates: ·         After school programme enrolment status ·         Recruitment status ·         Review monthly reports
Performance: ·         Progress on annual plan ·         Professional development activities ·         Feedback regarding last week’s team meeting
Coaching / Problem Solving: ·         What’s working well? ·         What’s challenging, barriers for you? ·         How is your work-life balance? ·         What do you need more / less of from me?