UK Professional Development

Academy

Level 2 Certificate in Supervisor Training

Module 1 – Scope and Nature of Supervisory Position

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What is supervision?
Numerous definitions of supervision have been found. Some of the more pertinent
definitions include:

Co-ordination by someone taking responsibility for the work of others includes

planning, scheduling, allocating, instructing and monitoring actions.

The supervisor usually organises or directs the work of others by giving direct
instructions, although subordinate supervisors may be involved as an additional layer
between supervisor and worker.

‘The supervisor will;

• Supervise work in the workplace, inspect it and maintain discipline in order

that the company objectives are being preserved,
• Allocate tasks for his/her team and in turn be held accountable for work done.

‘The supervisor is the shop-floor face of the organisation, the filter or lens through
which management messages and attitudes are transmitted to the workforce and
views and feedback from the shop-floor passed back up to line management.

Taken together, the definitions advocate that supervision involves; directing the
work of others, allocating workload, planning and scheduling, instructing and
monitoring actions, maintaining discipline, taking responsibility and ultimately being
held accountable for the work done. The supervisor also generally ‘acts as the
interface between management and the workforce’. Supervision is considered to be
a function that can be delivered by one or more individuals within and/or external to
a team.

Supervision and leadership what is the difference?

Leadership represents a system of guiding influences that may be embodied in
people at different levels of the organisation or in the cultures and support systems
of the organisation. In practice a number of people may have leadership roles,
including managers, supervisors, team leaders, or even some or all team members.

Pearce and Thie, presented two models of leadership:

• Traditional model of leadership: vertical leadership, i.e. a downward influence

projected by leader on followers; and
• Emerging models of leadership: shared leadership, i.e. mutual influence
projected between all team members.

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 ‘Supervisors, as team leaders, share information, trust others, surrender authority,
and understand when to intervene. They participate in setting objectives, defining
roles, and managing processes, such as time, disagreements, and change’.

The role of the supervisor was moving towards a leadership role, which may reflect
the general trend away from traditional styles of management. It is therefore
concluded that leadership has less direct control than supervision, and is more
focused on setting direction and providing support. Hence leaders will give more
autonomy to team members than supervisors.

Difference between Manager and Supervisor

Managers are stakeholders higher than the supervisor and the regular employees
who are in control and have the authority to administer the whole organisation. He
or she is the one deal with the majority of the company’s resources including the
workers, finances, supplies and inventory, standard operating procedures and the
system.

There are different managerial titles based on the departments they manage such as
the Operations Manager, Human Resource Manager, Marketing Manager, Finance
Manager, and General Manager and so on and so forth. These managers do not
necessarily do the work done, rather, they let their subordinates do the nitty-gritty
tasks while they plan, organise, lead, control and coordinate which are actually their
main responsibilities towards the success of the organization.

Overall, a manager represents his or her entire division. He or she is in the power to
make final decisions on the recruitment and termination of employees. A manager’s
major role is to make sure that all the resources of the company are utilised
efficiently and effectively in order to decrease production costs and general
expenditures in contrast to the revenue. Just like the supervisor, a managerial
position can also be through promotion but some companies also offer this to
external parties.

A supervisor heads the frontline management which includes monitoring the

activities and performances of the employees placed under his or her supervision. He
or she is authorised to designate work assignments to each employee, with the main
duty of overseeing their tasks to reach the target at a certain timeline; and examining
how they do it and if they have become productive in doing it. Take a look at the
following for a more comprehensive list of supervisory task:

• Implementing the plans of action produced by the higher management

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 • Delegating work assignments to the employees
• Improving the skills of the employees and motivating them to do better
• Creating resolutions to the complaints of the employees regarding their jobs
• Coordinating with different key departments to get the work done
• Preparing metrics and reports for the performance of the employees
• Settling the payroll issues of the employees

Most of the time, supervisors are the ones who started as rank-and-file employees
and eventually got promoted to supervise the department where they came from.
Prior to the promotion, they are the ones who have completely understood what
they are tasked to do. They deliver well on their jobs at hand and have usually done
things more than what is expected of them, thus making them deserve the
advancement.

Role of Supervisor in Management

What is management?

Management is the process of obtaining, deploying, and utilising a variety of

essential resources to contribute to an organization’s success both effectively and
efficiently. Managers are deemed effective if they achieve their goals and efficient if
they do so with a minimal amount of resources for the amount of outputs produced.
One of the most important resources of an organisation is its employees. Managers
devote a large proportion of their efforts to planning, organising, staffing, leading,
and controlling the work of human and other resources. One clear distinction
between managers and other employees, however, is that managers direct the work
of others rather than perform the work themselves.

Where do supervisors fit in the management process?

Supervisors are an essential part of management. They perform exactly the same
functions, to a greater or lesser degree, as all other managers in their organisation up
to and including the chief executive. Each specific task, every responsibility, all the
various roles that supervisors are called on to perform are carried out by the
management process. This process is repeated over and over, daily, weekly, and
yearly, and consists of five broad functions. From a supervisor’s standpoint, each
function has a particular significance:

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Planning: This is the function of setting goals and objectives and converting them
into specific plans. For a supervisor, the outcomes of planning include operating
schedules, quality specifications, expense budgets, timetables, and deadlines. The
planning process also establishes policies, standard operating procedures,
regulations, and rules.

Organising: In performing this function, a supervisor lines up all available resources,

including departmental tools, equipment, materials, and especially the workforce. It
is at this stage that the organizational structure of a department is designed and its
work is divided up into jobs.

Staffing: This is the function by which supervisors figuratively put flesh on the
organisational structure. Supervisor’s first figure out exactly how many and what
kinds of employees a department will need to carry out its work. They interview,
select, and train those people who appear to be most suitable to fill the open jobs.

Leading: This function gets the blood flowing in an organization. Supervisors energize
the vital human resources of their department by providing motivation,
communication, and leadership.

Controlling: Once departmental plans are set in motion, supervisors must

periodically keep score on how well the plans are working out. To do so, supervisors
measure results, compare them with what was expected, judge how important the
differences may be, and then take whatever action is needed to bring results into
line. Controlling is closely linked to planning, because control actions are guided by
the goals established during the planning process.

In theory, supervisors perform the five functions of the management process in the
order listed above. In practice, however, supervisors perform all the management
functions in one way or another each time action is in order. They may find

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themselves shortcutting the management process sequence or turning back on it,
inasmuch as each problem situation is unique and calls for its own solution.

Site Supervision

Site supervision means the general direction, coordination and oversight of the
onsite work processes. In particular, supervision on sites involves:

• Deciding when particular contractors or phases of the construction process

can commence, and when it is necessary to suspend a process,
• Providing the necessary coordination and general instruction for work
associated with one process so as not to endanger persons engaged in other
processes,
• Upon becoming aware of a dangerous work practice or situation, issuing
prompt directions necessary to safeguard site personnel and/or the general
public from harm, and
• Monitoring the general conduct of work for compliance with the builder’s
and/or contractors’ OH&S procedures and safe work method statements

Roles and Responsibilities of a Supervisor

Site Supervisors must perform diverse tasks to ensure that construction projects are
meeting deadlines and being completed in a safe and timely manner. They also
ensure that all equipment is working properly. Following are the core duties and
responsibilities of a Construction Supervisor.

Manage Construction Teams: From on-site visits to project scheduling and team
building, a Construction Supervisor is a hands-on manager of various labourers
working on a particular construction project. The Site Supervisor makes sure that
teams are working together with the sole objective of completing a project while
adhering to deadlines, specifications and codes. They are likely to be involved in
selecting specific contractors and sub-contractors and ensuring that these individuals
are working well together.

Adhere to Safety and Building Practices and Codes: It is up to the Site Supervisor to
keep track of the progress of each project to ensure that it is not only meeting the
specifications of the architect, but that personnel are maintaining safe work practices
and following state and local guidelines concerning building projects. They may hold
regular meetings with workers to review worksite safety. They would also

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communicate with inspectors about compliance with building codes and assist with
on-site inspections.

Create Project Plans and Reports: A Construction Site Supervisor could be involved
in developing contracts, such as those with contractors and sub-contractors, as well
as creating budget and cost estimation statements, preparing project bids and
submitting progress reports. In addition, they may work closely with architects in
creating original project specifications and in making any changes to these
specifications during the construction process.

Site Supervisor Skills

Site Supervisors should be detail-oriented problem-solvers with the ability to meet
deadlines and work with various personality types. Strong oral and written
communication skills are important for Site Supervisors. They should be able to work
outside in all elements and be in good physical condition, as bending, lifting and
walking are all activities they will likely participate in while visiting a construction
site. In addition to these general skills, a Site Supervisor could be expected by
potential employers to possess the following skills.

Core skills: Based on job listings employers want Site Supervisors with following core
skills.

• Using organisational skills to build successful teams for completion of project

tasks
• Understanding building codes, safety guidelines and regulations addressing
construction projects
• Supervising construction crews
• Addressing safety and other worksite concerns and issues with labourers and
foremen
• Understanding how construction equipment works for inspection, operation
and maintenance of this equipment

Advanced skills: While most employers did not require the following skills, multiple
job listings included them as preferred.

• Negotiating contracts with vendors, contractors and sub-contractors

• Advanced Knowledge of construction trades
• Creating budgets

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Different types of Supervision
Delegated supervision

For supervision to be effective, the supervisor should have the clearly delegated
authority of the builder to:

• Make prompt decisions on behalf of the builder

• Issue directions on matters that could adversely affect the health or safety of
on-site personnel or the general public, and
• In all other respects, act on the builder’s behalf in discharging the builder’s
onsite OH&S responsibilities.

Competent supervision

Supervision is competent when the supervisor has:

• A general knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of the builder, and of

those engaged on site, or providing goods or services to the site,
• A general understanding of the construction sequences, processes and work
practices associated with the type of construction being undertaken at the
site, and
• A general awareness of the hazards and risks associated with the types of
materials, chemicals, plant and equipment used at the site, and an
understanding of the minimum controls necessary to safeguard site personnel
and the general public from harm.

Timely supervision

Supervision is timely when:

• The supervisor monitors on-site work practices, processes and procedures,

and
• Delivery drivers, contractors and workers can seek and obtain the supervisor’s
direction in the event of uncertainty on what is required to safeguard health
and safety. Whilst the supervisor’s physical presence on-site is the optimum
way of ensuring timely supervision, full-time on-site supervision may not
always be necessary.

Between site visits, supervisors can continue to exercise timely supervision by phone,
fax, internet, and/or two-way radio communication. If the usual supervisor knows
they will be un-contactable for a short period, arrangements should be made with

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key site personnel to effectively delegate urgent decision-making responsibility
pending the supervisor’s return to availability.

Records of supervision (Documentation)

To avoid doubt, it is recommended that supervisors keep brief but clear records,
such as:

• Diary notes of site visits and verbal OH&S instructions, and

• Copies of any written OH&S and site directions issued.

Using the diary, calendar and planner

Proper documentation of scheduling, work progress, resource use etc. are all key
factors in a projects success. Calendars and planners help us keep in mind the big
picture of the project. It is possible when dealing constantly with day to day issues
on-site to lose track of longer term scheduling and planning issues. This reduces the
ability to forward plan which is very important in effective supervision of
contractors/workers.

The site diary is an extension of the planner in that it provides the day to day
planning tool for supervision. As important as its planning role, is the recording of
activities occurring on a daily basis. It is important not to leave to memory factors
affecting the construction process. These need to be included in the site diary. A
well-kept diary will include information on:

• Activities to be completed
• Information on workforce numbers and activities
• Meeting schedules and meeting notes
• Information on materials usage
• Information on plant and equipment usage
• Union matters
• Suppliers/deliveries
• Many other aspects of recording work related information
• Twice daily weather conditions
• Changes to inclement weather

Site instructions

A site instruction is merely written confirmation of an instruction given to you by the

client that is not clear in, or contradicts, the contract documents. For example,
although the colour of fencing specified on the drawings and in the specifications is

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black, the client has changed their mind and wants the fence to be green. They have
advised you verbally but as it is considered a small change that has no monetary
impact (not a variation) the documents have not been changed. In this case, you
need to confirm the request in writing and ask the client to sign it. Keep a copy and
distribute one to the client and to any subcontractors impacted upon by the
instruction. When you receive an instruction from the client of the client’s
representative that is not considered a variation, and not confirmed in writing, you
leave yourself open to dispute. It is vital that any instructions given to you by a client
is confirmed in writing and signed by them.

Site Reports

There is a fundamental need for the supervisor to have a good understanding of

basic report writing techniques and their application. They will be frequently
involved in activities such as performance appraisals, job instructions, job
specifications, recruitment, site diaries, progress reports and many other relevant
areas. The communication between senior management and the supervisor requires
a daily flow of correspondence which must be quickly and effectively addressed by
the supervisor. Performance appraisal is one task frequently assigned to the
supervisor and as such they must closely follow company policies affecting the
performance of subordinates; this appraisal is considered one of the most important
on-site reports. Any written formal or informal communication is important. Many of
these are in short report form and should be recorded electronically or copies filed
accordingly.

Documentation to control material, plant and equipment

Together with the role of managing the project workforce is the equally important
role of keeping track of incoming materials and the movement of necessary plant
and equipment. A supervisor’s effectiveness is influenced by the control exercised by
higher level management. This control could take the form of documentation
associated with, deliveries, maintenance records and other site works using
appropriate housekeeping procedures such as a diary. Other ways to document
materials is through keeping delivery dockets and checking them against what was
ordered.

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References and Further Reading

Duffy, J.F., 2018. Being a Supervisor 1.0: A Handbook For The New, Aspiring, And
Experienced Supervisor. John Hunt Publishing.
Jones, J. and Chen, C., 2006. New supervisor training. Routledge.

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