A Powerful Yet Simple Framework for Employee Development - Part-2

Supervisor - A supervisor is someone who is capable of managing a small group (1-7 people) with a specific skill set (i.e. Telemarketing, physical jobs). Generally, they have done the job before and understand all of its requirements. Although many of the skills of a manager would be beneficial, this is a much less demanding position. It requires the expertise to hire, train, and fire people and to plan one week to one month in advance for workload variations. A supervisor may be working on becoming a manager, or alternatively, could be a career supervisor, who has reached their limits, or desire, for professional growth.

Additional Expectations of Managers: (Includes all of the above PLUS:)

Employees at this level can be “managed by objective” (MBO) and left to “take a small hill” by themselves. They do not require "micromanagement". A weekly meeting with their superior is generally all that is needed. (See article on Management Methods) Typically, a company needs one manager for each 5-8 employees, although this can vary greatly. A good manager can effectively manage this number of people well and still complete the work necessary for their own projects (scope). A manager must have the following skills and traits:

1. Good working relationship with people and is considered "fair" and consistent. Has the ability to manage 1 to 25 people effectively with 3 to 7 direct reports.
    
2. Can communicate effectively with subordinates, peers, and other functional areas in writing and orally.
    
3. Documents well, so that everyone above and below them knows what happened or is going to happen, in advance when appropriate, and can leverage their work product, not repeat it.
    
4. Can evaluate, hire, fire, and train people to perform all tasks in their department (understands each area well).
    
5. Can develop written short-term (1 month) and long-term (1 year) plans, set priorities, and allocate resources.
    
6. Can anticipate all the needs of their department for at least one year in advance (both people and other resources) and prepares in advance of the need (i.e. Find people in advance of need so they arrive just-in-time).
    
7. Measures performance (quality and quantity) in their area and aggressively fine-tunes it (quality and quantity). Is constantly improving the efficiency of their department and its people as well as developing the skills of those people.
    
8. Delivers promised projects on time and within budget. If a project will be late they always give plenty of advanced notice of this to their superior and all others to whom the project may impact.
    
9. Always keeps their people highly utilized.
    
10. Does whatever it takes to deliver output on time, including being proactive enough to find out what they need to know to achieve their goals and make quality decisions. Unfortunately, this is a skill possessed by less than five percent of all people. It is “self-actualization” or an inherent drive to improve themselves. This is someone who is aware of what they don't know, and seeks to learn it in advance of the need. They are not only thinking ahead but also always improving themselves to be prepared for those future requirements. Without this skill an employee is not likely to make it to the executive level on merit and will not keep up with a fast-growing company.
     
11. Has good overall judgment and knows the limits of their knowledge and that of others so as to avoid making decisions that should be brought before their superiors. (A fallback to the previous requirement when there is not enough time to learn everything needed).
     
12. Can budget for a department and manage within those financial limitations at all times.
     
13. Can negotiate with outside vendors to get a good deal in the business.
     
14. Needs direction from their superior on a weekly to monthly basis.
     
15. Manages their superiors (managing up) and keeps them informed of all successes and failures with advance notice on important issues.
     
16. Works 50 hours minimum and 60 to 70 hour weeks when and as needed (not all the time or even on-site, but as needed) to achieve promised goals.
     
17. Sets an example of professionalism, quality, effort, and a positive attitude.
     
18. Works at developing a greater level of understanding of the other functional areas of the business.
     
19. Understands who is responsible for everything done in the organization and confers with other managers and executives as needed.
     
20. Expected to ignore, not create, bureaucracy except as absolutely needed and circumvents it when needed to perform quickly.
     
21. Anxious to take on new responsibilities, but they know when to avoid this because of resource constraints, among other things.
     
22. Responsible for representing the company in a positive way to all employees and the outside world
     
23. Should develop their abilities to "sell" their ideas and the company both internally and to the outside world.
    Additional Expectations of Executives: (Directors and Vice Presidents)
    (Includes all of the above PLUS:)

	Learn more about our Growth and Scaling (GSP) Certification program for Managers
	For a free video consultation call on what your company and team need to scale better

Additional Expectations of Executives: (Directors and Vice Presidents) 
(Includes all of the above PLUS:)

Employees at this level can run a business, or division thereof, and be “managed by exception” (MBE), which requires infrequent intervention to test and calibrate goals with the company's CEO, Board of Directors, or shareholders on major strategic goals and decisions. (See article on Management Methods) Although only one executive may be needed in smaller companies or those that do not seek high growth or more than 20 employees, for a company to be truly successful on a large scale it will need one "executive" level person in each key discipline that is required for the company to deliver its product or service to customers (i.e. sales, operations, customer service, product development). Sometimes this is called the "3 legged stool", as they look for experts who have "done it all before" in sales, operations, and product development (or whichever areas are the critical success factors for that business).

1. Can oversee 1 to 10 managers and leverage their skills and knowledge with 50+ people.
   
   
2. Never lets others prevent their personal and department goals from being achieved (proactive).
   
   
3. Proactive self-starter who identifies problems and implements solutions for those problems (in any area of the company) before they are a real issue for their area of responsibility.
   
   
4. Views the business broadly and understands the constraints placed on it by financial, personnel, management, industry, sales, and other factors both inside and outside the organization.
   
   
5. Seeks to learn everything they need to know without someone else suggesting it. Always on a self-improvement program.
   
   
6. Manages their superiors by keeping them well informed in advance of needs.
   
   
7. Responsible for the protection of all the company's interests within their scope.
   
   
8. Explores each and every option before making any major decision.
   
   
9. Tests new items and ideas on a smaller scale and take reasonable risks which could improve the business.
   
   
10. Comes up with larger-scale ideas for the executive team to evaluate.
    
    
11. Is thinking 2-3 years in advance of the company’s needs, and develops and revises these plans as necessary by maintaining a 1 to 3-year plan for their functional area.
    
    
12. Creates their own development by helping to grow the company and creating new responsibilities and new business opportunities.
    
    
13. Does what it takes to help others deliver on time.
    
    
14. Helps managers grow and develop their executive skills.
    
    
15. Averages 50-60 hour weeks with 70 and 80 hours as needed (not all the time or even on-site, but if and when necessary) to accomplish their goals and remove any growth restrictions for the business.
    
    
16. Looks for ways to save costs and improve productivity throughout the entire company.
    
    
17. Needs little direction other than the vision of the company and long-term strategic goals from the CEO and Board of Directors.
    
    
18. Proactive, not reactive. Manages risks through a regular plan to seek out and identify both risks and opportunities.
    
    
19. Has a strong legal, fiduciary responsibility and understands that, as an officer, they may bear some personal liability for their individual actions and those of the corporation.
    
    
20. Demonstrates ethics that put businesses' interests before personal benefits in decisions that may result in personal impact or conflict of interest.