Cadmop – 1

There is a saying -‘as you sow, so you reap’. Instead of allowing the employees to move on with fixed mindset like a saddled horse, one can mould the employees career with development programs so that their mindset will broaden thus indirectly increasing their efficiency level which in turn will bring better results in theend results in your organization. 

Few years back the now defunct Security Printing Services, a consultancy firm in Bangalore headed by me  worked out a Career Development Program to provide guidance to certain set of cadres working in the industries, especially the Supervisory group who are the vital link between the Management and the Workmen chain as many supervisors are not aware of their vital role. 

Many Supervisors do not know how to work in an industry to increase productivity, how to create quality added services, do not know the behavioral pattern either of their own or that of the workmen working under them or how to reactivate the duds. They lack communication skill, do not know how to report the matters both technical and on humans, how to be self disciplined and how to motivate the subordinates to create and maintain a serene working atmosphere  which will have long bearing in improving the work culture in the work areas. Those supervisors working in the Organizations have to first understand  what they can do and what they cannot. 

The excellence of any organization depends on the willingness of their employees providing quality added services as well as maintain workable culture. Human resource development and training are intimately inter linked. One should remember that the entire career development program of the organization need to be re-engineered in tune to the changing environment in the upcoming industries. The revamped career development program would improve the human resources in  the organization and help lower the attrition rate. Keeping all those factors  in mind, Security Printing Services shaped the program in such a manner that the Supervisors and the Senior level workers  understand their responsibilities  for self improvement to meet the end goals of the Organization or the targets. 

In every industry by way of  methodical working, the workers or supervisors may have developed skills in a particular work culture beyond which they may not know and in the monotonous work culture they  fail  to notice the fast developing changes in the work culture taking shape in other industries where manual labor is gradually modified to increase productivity with different work culture using more machineries and equipments. Therefore at some point of time they have to be made to realize that they too need to swim in that direction for survival. 

From the ‘Career development and mind re orientation (Cadmop)’ program file of  Security Printing Services, I have reproduced  below briefs on the role and responsibilities of Supervisors and Supervision for the benefit of those who desire to learn and understand Supervision.

• Good supervision paves way to achieve desired end results smoothly and contribute to good working environment. Good supervision is based on clearly defining and understanding the role of supervisors.
• A strong supervisory team contribute to positive work environment.

Every Supervisor perform dual role  

• to function as group leader
• in urgent need put in their own physical energy ( like that of a worker)  to complete the cycle of process he is engaged in.
• Every Supervisor’s role is dual because portion of supervisor’s time is spent on supervisory activities such as managing workers under them, guiding them, admonishing and correcting  them wherever necessary and activate them towards better efficiency for  higher productive activities .
• The other small percentage of their time is  spent on performing technical activities along with co workers to achieve intended results. 

Once crucial question that arise before us is, instead of simply guiding the workers who are required to perform certain functions during process activities, is it necessary for a Supervisor to engage himself in the same technical activities in person along with the worker?  Will it be viewed as good supervision? Will the act then not lower their status? These notions are orthodox views. The changed environment in work culture around global industries view it differently. 

 

Always it is not necessary for the Supervisor to perform the activities in person. Working alongside with the worker at time of extreme need when the worker is unable to perform the correct function  will enhance their stature and  give them respect. Such an act will also instill fear in their mind when they realise that the person supervising them is practical, is capable of carrying out his work in their absence and therefore they cannot fool him. 

The Supervisor however will not perform the work of a worker continuously. It will be done on rare occasions. In many of the organizations the expertise of employees being supervised is very low as they have been trained to do only a particular job in a methodological fashion and any deviation will confuse them. Therefore on such occasions the Supervisor acts as a practical teacher guiding the worker for completing the process activity. Such occasions arise when a new worker join an organization or the existing workers are required to perform function in a different area or machines. 

The other situation which may call for the effective intervention of the Supervisor is when greater complexity of the goals and responsibilities within the function are required to complete the task in time.