Supervisory Skills for Business

and Industry
Course Description
The successful supervisor needs a solid knowledge base, a wide
range of specialized skills and the capacity to keep current. The
various roles you are called upon to play require clear
understanding of the organization and clear thinking about the
tasks.
You must communicate effectively, handle customer relations,
measure and report work appropriately and ensure compliance
with complex government legislation. This course will help you
develop these skills and give you an awareness of the multifaceted approach to leadership demanded in the modern business
environment.
Module #1 Roles of the Supervisor within Management
Provide answers to questions about this program and course
related to professional development.
Discuss the nature of the manufacturing industry.
Compare various roles within the industry.
Explore supervisory relationships within an organization.
List those areas of supervision where development
opportunities exist in order to identify the knowledge and
skills to be developed for each opportunity.
Module #2 The Design of your Organization
Explore what businesses and markets exist in order to
determine how companies are positioned.

 Describe the various stakeholders and the ways that an

organization relates and communicates with each
stakeholder.
Describe the levels in a well structured organization and the
difference between the type of work done at each level.
Explain the flow of information (decisions, actions, results
and feedback) that create communication loops in any
system.
Describe the nature of the terms authority, responsibility
and accountability.
Module #3 Continuous Tasks of the Supervisor
Assess what tasks form the routine of my work and what
skills and personal characteristics are necessary to be most
effective.
Explain the nature of internal and external customers in
order to examine the flow of products and/or services
horizontally through a department in order to identify who
are internal customers and whosees the unit as their
internal customer, i.e. who are the internal suppliers.
Describe the supervisors role in maintaining records and
reporting results on different process variables in a
department.
Explain the supervisors role in the development of budgets,
effecting cost controls and the reporting of results.
Module #4 Recruitment and Retention
Explain the importance of successful Recruitment and
Retention programs.

 Describe the elements of a valid recruitment program and

the potential roles that supervisors may play in the program.
Explain the key elements of employee job satisfaction
/dissatisfaction in order to explore the influences that a
supervisor can have on these elements.
List those areas of supervision where I want to develop
better knowledge and stronger skills to support retention of
valuable employees.
Module #5 Problem Solving
Describe the value and need for a structured problem
solving approach when thinking through a complex problem
or considering a complex opportunity.
Use the steps in a problem solving methodology that
employs divergent and convergent thinking in order to
progress through a series of steps in a systematic manner.
Apply problem solving skills and opportunity identification
through the practice of a systematic approach, applied to a
real situation.
Module #6 Working as a Productive Unit
Describe the components that make up a sustainable
system.
Evaluate how productivity is related to the system model
and how to monitor and measure productivity.
Explain the key concepts, and the terms used, when doing
an analysis of a process flow.
Evaluate the different types and levels of Planning, in theory
and in an organization, including the role and function of
Production Control.

Module #7 The Lines of Communication #1 Verbal

Examine the nature of the flow of communications in an
organization.
Practice the basic skills of active listening.
Demonstrate effective presentation skills.
Module #8 The Lines of Communication #2 Written
Writing a well crafted, sample message for a specific
communication piece.
Explain the requirements and expectations in an
organization regarding appropriate e-mail behaviour and
management.
Module #9 Critical Legislation for the Supervisor
Describe the range of Provincial and Federal legislation that
impacts the manufacturing business.
Assess the key Federal and Provincial legislation that
directly impacts the responsibilities of a supervisor.
Access useful reference material with respect to key
legislation.
Module #10 Finding the Facts
Explain the interrelationships between legislative
requirements, collective agreements and company policies.
Access useful reference material and resources with respect
to key legislation and company-specific policy that directly
affects my job.