Dynamics of control

D. C. Sharma

Effective supervision simply means the ability to enhance the productivity of your company. The problem with many managers is that they try to over supervise or under supervise and this affects output and productivity negatively. Here are a few tips which can enable any manager to supervise his subordinates’ work effectively:

1. Always rehearse your action in your mind before you go for supervision at your workplace. The visualisation that you do before going for inspection will allow you to maintain a calculated and focussed approach. 

2. Set aside time for supervision each day of the week. This, however, doesn’t mean that you have to carryo uot supervision at the same time always, there has to be flexibility as well as surprise element. It has two benefits. One, your subordinates won’t try to pose and pretend as if working as they won’t know when you would turn up for inspection, and your making a round would prove fruitful and effective. Second, this would not make your routine monotonous and you would be free to carry out other works as per the schedule and planning that you make from time to time.

3. A common mistake that most managers make is that they always find faults with the supervisor when some of his workers are found lacking. The best way to inspect is to ask the employee directly why he has been lagging behind. May be his supervisor has been unduly interfering. Once the subordinates know that you are ready to listen to their side of the story they would be more focussed in their work and more open in sharing their problems with you. 

4. If something is found amiss, it is better to reinspect and give another chance to the subordinate to explain his failure rather than make a snap judgement. The deeper you analyse the case the better it would be for effective supervision.

5. As you inspect, and find faults with a worker, instead of discouraging him try to praise his other plus points. This not only encourages the worker to do his best but also to correct his mistake so that he can prove to be a perfect partner in the advancement of the department of that company where he has been working.

— The writer is Kangra- based psychologist & educationist