The employees are generally careless, shirkers and trouble makers, so it becomes necessary that their energies must be controlled and channelised towards achieving the desired objectives. The control, direction and channelisation of employees efforts is termed as Supervision.
Elements of Supervision
The following three are the important elements of supervision :
Issuing necessary instruction to employees
The supervisor issues instruction to workers under his command regarding the work, method and technique of doing it. He may also issue instructions regarding handling of machines, tools and equipments. The worker must know, what, when and how the work is to be performed, before they actually take up the work. In order to achieve the business objectives workers should be issued timely necessary instruction and also provided with requisite facilities to perform the job honestly. Supervision is the intermediate chain between the management and the worker, as such he is required to get the management orders carried out.
Guiding
It is the important duty of the supervisor to foresee the hurdles before the work and try to remove them, so that the work could be performed smoothly. If necessary, he should bring to the notice of the management, the barriers before the smooth functioning. The removal of these hurdles is a must, through explanation, teaching and if necessary by the arrangement of training and refresher courses.
Controlling
Controlling, as an important element of supervision requires comparison of the actual performance with that of the targeted performance. If any deviation is discovered between the two, effective remedial measures are to be applied.
Functions of supervisor
Planning the work
The supervisor is a low level manager. He is required to study and analyse the work of his department and decide what, where, which, why and by whom the work is to be performed. He has to chalk out daily and weekly programme. He has also to make arrangement for the raw materials, machines, tools and equipments. The successful supervisor is an effective planner.
Organising work
The supervisor has to deal with specially human element. He is required to distribute the work of his department and also regroup identical functions. He entrusts every piece of work to the right worker. He also grants appropriate authority and responsibility to workers. Last but not the least, he was to seek the effective co-operation and co-ordination of employees, therefore his important work is organising.
Achieving the target
It is the most important duty of the supervisor to achieve the target prescribed for his department by the management. This can be achieved, if the supervisor enables the best possible use of the available resources of the department towards desired goal.
Providing Departmental Information
The supervisor has to keep records of the work, output and other related information of his department. These information and facts indicate the performance and progress of the department. These are also taken as the basis for deciding future line of action. The supervisor is also required to report the information to his superior.
Output through instruction and guidance
It is the supervisor, who ensure that the actual performance corresponds to the norms and standards laid by the management. The supervisor must satisfy himself as to the quality of the output. He should concentrate on both the quality and quantity of goods.
Controlling the departmental affairs
The supervisor has full control over the work and workers of his department. He has to compare the actual performance with that of the planned standardised quantity and quality of output. He is also responsible to discover the deviation between the two and also to employ corrective measures himself or if required to draw the attention of his superiors.
Liaison between workers and management
Supervision is the indispensable link between the workers and management. He has to carry out the orders and instructions of the management and fulfil their aspirations. On the other hand, he is also the friend, and guide of the workers. It is his duty to establish effective and harmonious relationship between workers and management. He has to listen, understand and enquire into the complaints of workers and to do his best to remove these complaints and if necessary bring to the notice of his superiors.
Motivation
Supervisor has to inspire and enthuse workers under his command to contribute their best efforts in achieving the desired objective of the business. He motivates workers and creates team spirit.
Importance of supervision
The supervision makes the best possible utilisation of physical resources and also directs human efforts to desired goals. The effective supervision achieves the maximum objectives of the enterprise at the minimum cost. The efficient supervisor reduce the misuse and wastage of raw material, machines, tools and equipment. He engages the right worker on the right job.
Supervisor, being the low level manger has direct touch with workers. He is an indispensable link between higher level management and the workers. His importance lies in achieving the results expected by his superior and also to work as true friend and guide of workers. The important place of supervision can be justified on the following grounds.
Maintaining harmonious relations: The supervisor is helpful in maintaining harmonious relationship between workers and management.
Solution of labour problems : The supervisor is closely and intimately related to workers. He works in the real situations of the business. He listens to the complaints and grievances of the workers. He has the knowledge of prevailing dissatisfactions, if any, among them. This is why, an intelligent supervisor resolves these problems himself and if necessary, through the co-operation of his superiors.
Motivation and encouragement to workers : The efficient supervisor accords humane treatment to workers. He pays due respect to the views and emotions of workers. He also rewards workers for their efficient performance of their food work. He is a constant sources of inspiration to workers.
Effective communication : The supervisor, is an effective link between management and workers. He conveys the orders, instructions, views and incentives of management to workers and in return communicates employees reactions, complaints and requirements to the management.
Effective supervision of employees and their work : The supervisor is the teacher, producer, trainer and leader of workers. He competently and efficiently supervises their work and successfully leads them to desired business objectives.
Maintaining discipline : There cannot be smooth flow of production work unless proper discipline is maintained in the factory. Production is a team work, therefore, disciplined efforts of all the individual under the command of the supervisor in necessary.
Achieving goal of the enterprise : The supervisor seeks the best efforts and energies of the workers. He integrates, co-ordinates and channelises these energies towards the achievement of business objectives.
Qualities of a Good Supervisor
Supervision is the secret of the business success. It is the supervisor who enables the maximum production at minimum cost. He is responsible for the effective and intelligent utilisation of resources with the minimum wastage. The supervisor is responsible for the management to achieve their aspirations. The important position of the supervisor requires that he must possess the following qualities:
Technical knowledge : The supervisor has to look after the work of his subordinate workers. There may occur defects in the machines, tools, equipments, methods and even technique at any time, as such the supervisor must be technically competent and proficient to deal with such circumstances and remove the hurdles before the work, so that the work may be done smoothly.
Good administrator : Supervisor at lower level works like an administrator. He plans, organises, directs and controls the activities of his subordinates, so he must have the qualities of a good administrator. He should be capable of creating congenial atmosphere of work also.
Group spirit : Business activity is group activity and a team work, so the supervisor should be capable of creating and maintaining co-operation and co-ordination among employees. Every worker should sacrifice his personal interest before the interest of the enterprise.
Impartiality : The supervisor has to deal with the human element in the business. Human factor, being very sensitive the supervisor, should accord respectable and equitable treatment to workers without any favour and prejudice.
Other organisational qualities : Some of the qualities have been mentioned as under :
- Self-confidence and patience.
- Ability to have control over anger.
- Ability to accept responsibility.
- Ability to express his views clearly and to listen others’ views points patiently.
- Ability to sit with the employees and to win over their confidence.
- Honesty and discipline.
- He should be a man of principle and foresightedness.
- He should be intelligent and ambitious.
- He should have sharp memory.
- The supervisor must be clever and cautious.
- The supervisor must be a man of high moral character.
