(operations and maintenance)

Below is supporting information developed, used, and shared by advisory members of the advisory group when discussing and planning the webinar series. Please note, this information is not the definitive list of core competencies for new supervisors, but it did provide guidance and direction for group members. You will find information addressing other core competency areas not addressed in the webinar series.

Communication

Definition:

The ability to express ideas effectively – both oral and written – in individual and group situations

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Presents thoughts clearly, logically, appropriately and persuasively.
  • Adjusts to the audience – frames messages in line with audience experience, background, and expectations; use terms, examples, and analogies that are meaningful to the audience.
  • Ensures understanding – seeks input from audience; checks understanding; presents message in different ways to enhance understanding.
  • Listens closely to messages and strives to grasp the meaning and importance behind them.
  • Develop and use effective communication skills (verbal and written); develop interpersonal relationships: Focus on the basics of verbal and written communication skills. Develop good habits and practices. Respond to various communication styles and preferences. Be sure your staff knows your style. Deliver timely responses.

Developing Others

Definition:

Plans and supports the development of individuals’ skills and abilities so that they can fulfill current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Collaboratively establishes developmental goals.
  • Identifies options for meeting developmental goals; explores environmental supports and barriers to goals.
  • Secures resources required to support development efforts; ensures that opportunities for development are available; offers assistance to help individuals overcome obstacles to learning.
  • Monitors progress by giving specific feedback on performance related to established goals; highlights key positive and negative performance issues; adjusts plans to ensure development.
  • Mentor, motivate, and develop your team/staff. Engage in regular dialogues with your team. Be the coach/mentor. Focus on the positives, recognized accomplishments. Know who to go to when you need support and advice. Recognize generational differences and styles. Learn, know policies, procedures, documentation when corrective and disciplinary actions are needed.

Interpersonal Skills

Definition:

The ability to effectively build cooperative relationships with people, manage differences and resolve conflicts.

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Establishes rapport and trust.
  • Works effectively as part of a team.
  • Is able to relate effectively at all organizational levels.
  • Treats others with respect and values differences.
  • Works toward consensus when dealing with others.
  • Cooperates across organizational boundaries.
  • Be a team player/develop professional relationships: Collaborate, respect and partner with your organization’s leadership, your supervisors, colleagues and subordinates. Develop strategic perspectives. Become a critical thinker. Share resources and assist co-workers.
  • Understanding and supervising through diversity and generational differences: How diverse groups and generations respond to supervisory styles. Baby boomer supervisors, for example, need to understand new and different behaviors. Need for acknowledgements for diverse groups, younger and older generations.
  • Exercise sound judgment, dependability, and good decision making: Exhibit sound judgment, high ethics, and integrity, demonstrate ability to make good decisions, show current strengths, be willing to fill the gaps of known self weaknesses, break from past bad habits.

Managing Work

Definition:

The ability to establish a systematic course of action for self or others to ensure consistent accomplishment of specific objectives

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Prioritizes and identifies more critical and less critical activities and tasks.
  • Leverages resources by taking advantage of available resources (individuals, processes, departments, and tools) to complete work efficiently.
  • Allocates appropriate amounts of time for completing work; avoids scheduling conflicts; develops timelines and milestones.
  • Stays focused by using time effectively and prevents irrelevant issues or distractions from interfering with work completion.
  • Know, learn, and demonstrate the basics: Know the organization’s policies and know how to enforce them. Know what is expected of you and what you are accountable for doing and achieving. Learn how to solve problems. Treat your employees with respect. Walk your talk. Outcome: The basics of supervision need to become second nature.
  • Management 101: project, meeting, performance. Develop strategic perspectives to connect your group to the larger picture and direction of the organization. Set stretch team goals to achieve, communicate benefits. Be the coach for your team and individuals.

Safety Awareness

Definition:

The ability to identify and correct conditions that affect employee and customer safety; upholding safety standards.

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Identifies safety issues and problems by detecting hazardous working conditions and safety problems; checks equipment and/or work area regularly.
  • Takes corrective action by reporting or correcting unsafe working conditions; make recommendations and/or improves safety and security procedures; enforces safety regulations and procedures.
  • Monitors safety or security issues after taking corrective action and ensures continued compliance.

Problem solving & managing conflict

Definition:

The ability to resolve conflicts collaboratively, building consensus and keeping the best interest of the organization in mind while balancing the need for resolution in a timely manner.

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Finds area of agreement when working with conflicting individuals, groups or situations.
  • Maintains others’ self-esteem by confronting the issue, not the person.
  • Stays focused on the business issues, rather than personalities and temperaments.
  • Displays professional demeanor when in a stressful situation.
  • Values and draws on talents and abilities of people.
  • Ensures resolution of conflicts in a timely manner.

Adaptability

Definition:

The ability to maintain effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusting effectively to work with new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Tries to understand changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as well as the logic or basis for change; actively seeks information about new work situations.
  • Approaches change or newness positively – treats change and new situations as opportunities for learning and growth; focuses on the beneficial aspects of change; speaks positively about the change to others.
  • Adjusts behavior – quickly modifies behavior to deal effectively with changes in the work environment; readily tries new approaches appropriate for new or changed situations; does not persist with ineffective behaviors.

Decision Making

Definition:

Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities by comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.

Behavioral
Indicators:
  • Looks at issues from several angles and searches for practical and workable solutions, not the first solution.
  • Surfaces business issues to appropriate levels and, where possible, goes to manager with a suggested solution.
  • Thinks independently and acts accordingly to the needs of the circumstance.
  • Asks appropriate questions and gathers relevant informa-tion before making decisions.
  • Anticipates consequences of actions.
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