This month marked the inaugural offering of a new University-wide leadership training component aimed at providing supervisors with the necessary skills to manage people.
"Mastering SuperVision," is one of five programs planned as part of Penn State's recently initiated Excellence in Leadership and Management curriculum. The programs were developed in response to the 1996 Faculty/Staff Survey, which indicated the importance of good leadership and effective management at all levels.
Mastering SuperVision, which was offered for the first time in early May and is expected to be repeated several times each semester, is designed to equip supervisors with key skills for managing people effectively and translating the University's mission into day-to-day work. The first offering attracted 28 faculty and staff members from various areas throughout the University.
"This program systematically builds management skills that are critical in today's workplace," said Lenny Pollack, who led design efforts for the program and is manager of the Human Resource Development Center. "Because of rapidly changing conditions and the growing demand for quality service, it is now critical for front-line employees to be effective planners, decision makers, and problem-solvers."
Pollack said, increasingly, supervision is about providing others with the skills, resources and guidance they need to be successful. Mastering SuperVision is designed to help supervisors effectively coach, enable and empower those who report to them.
"The program encourages supervisors to build a work environment on a foundation of mutual trust in which people feel safe to grow and work together to achieve their goals," he said about the program that is taught by a team of 20 instructors. Mastering SuperVision is delivered in half-day segments over a a 10-week period.
James L. Rosenberger, professor and head of the Department of Statistics, participated in the program's initial offering. He said the course provided some "excellent advice" for him on how to handle the many difficult situations which arise when supervising staff and providing collegial leadership for faculty.
For Kim Keller, staff assistant VI in the College of the Liberal Arts, the program's value was not only the amount and type of information presented, but the interaction with instructors and other participants.
"Being a new supervisor, I have been introduced to the skills and tools that will be essential in my role," she said. "I would encourage all new and experienced supervisors to attend this class."
Plans for delivering Mastering SuperVision during the upcoming academic year are under way. Susan Cromwell with the Human Resources Development Center is leading the effort to expand access to the program. HRDC is currently seeking nominations for the fall program from deans and executives at University Park. In addition, supervisors have been given the opportunity to nominate themselves. Plans also are in the works to offer Mastering SuperVision as a pilot program within a particular unit and to deliver the program to locations away from University Park.
For more information about Mastering SuperVision, call Cromwell at (814) 865-2753; or e-mail sec137@psu.edu.