Hundred Tips for a Better Management (Aga Khan Foundation, 1993, 70 p.) Supervising (introduction...) 74. Be flexible in the way you supervise individuals60 75. Please your clients61 76. Avoid unnecessary steps and actions62

Hundred Tips for a Better Management (Aga Khan Foundation, 1993, 70 p.)

Supervising

The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work. Agha Hasan Abedi, "Leaders, July, 1984

74. Be flexible in the way you supervise individuals60

Good supervision requires a selective approach. As a supervisor, you should recognise that some people may require more guidance or follow-up than others, and that particular tasks or situations may require closer supervision. Conversely, treating highly competent staff in a too heavy-handed way may provoke resentment or create tensions that will lower your staff's performance.

What you should try to do, is to tailor your management "style" to fit the type of people you supervise. For example, when particular tasks demand more creativity, such as designing a survey or conducting research, and when decision-making requires more individual input or consensus, you may need only to provide minimal supervision.

You can use a more authoritative approach when co-ordinating the efforts of large groups of people, when dealing with an emergency situation requiring timely decision-making, e.g., controlling an epidemic, or when your staff possess limited skills and experience.

So, adapt the way you supervise to fit the different needs in your workers and you will see the results in their performance.

75. Please your clients61

Clients who are confident with your service and comfortable in your hands will spread the word about the quality of your organisation. Don't just focus on achievement of targets. Help your staff to understand the importance of client satisfaction and to work to provide services that please your clients.

76. Avoid unnecessary steps and actions62

Below is a list of hints that will help you do a better job of supervising, and make life a lot less complicated for management and staff.

• Don't waste time by having to find and undo errors. Standardise processes and notice the time you will save.

• Don't blame your staff for the organisation's problems. Get to the source of the matter. A health worker can't lead an effective seminar in primary health care if management has not provided appropriate training, nor can a surgical nurse do an optimal job if managers have provided gloves that don't fit.

• Don't be a martyr by carrying the weight of the workforce.

• Allow for teamwork among staff, suppliers, regulating agencies, and local communities. Incentives for team commitment go beyond salaries and plaques. People are also driven by their pride in producing excellence.

• Don't let learning stop. Encourage staff members to continually heighten their levels of expertise.