Direction and Coordination

Elements of Direction – Supervision

Directing is that part of the managerial function that allows the organization’s methods to work efficiently to help achieve the organization’s purposes. It has four elements supervision, motivation, leadership, and communication. In this article, we will talk about supervision and factors for effective supervision.

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Supervision

Supervision is all about immediate and direct guidance and control of subordinates while performing their work. It involves closely observing the subordinates at work and ensuring that they work according to the policies and plans of the organization. George R. Terry and Stephen G. Franklin define it as follows:

Supervision is guiding and directing efforts of employees and other resources to accomplish stated work outputs.

Further, effective supervising has many factors as described below:

Abilities and Skills

Regardless of the situation, the range of duties expected from a supervisor calls for specific skills. The skills required are of three types – technical, conceptual, and human relations.

A Leadership Position

A leader can influence the subordinates. This influence can help the manager direct the work of his subordinates for achieving the organization’s goals. However, for effectiveness, the organization must give the manager a proper place and status in the organization. He should also have the requisite authority to exercise leadership over the group and motivate the employees to do better.

The Nature of Supervision

A manager can adopt different types of supervision methods. He must use his intelligence to decide if he wants to opt for let’s say ‘general supervising’ or ‘close supervising’. In most organizations, general supervising tends to have a favorable impact on the productivity and overall morale of the employees.

The Cohesiveness of the Group

Group cohesiveness is all about the degree of attraction that each member has for the group. Groups with high cohesiveness tend to produce better results. This is because each member of the group works hard to achieve the common goals of the organization and are willing to share responsibility for the group work. Therefore, the manager must take the group cohesiveness into consideration for optimum supervisory efficiency.

supervision

Better Relations with the Superiors

Usually, problems with supervising arise due to omissions, errors or negligence from the superior managers. Therefore, for better supervisory efficiency, the manager needs to have better relations with his superiors.

Further, a manager must have cordial relations with the senior management allowing him to express his suggestions and views freely. This will allow him to put across the performance of his subordinates across better.

Solved Question on Supervision

Q1. What are the three important skills for supervisory efficiency?

Answer:

The three most important skills for supervisory efficiency are of three types – technical, human relations, and conceptual.

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