Essay Sample on Philosophy of Supervision

Introduction

Supervision is an integral part of a job, and its presence is more than wanted for employees to complete work successfully. As such, it is crucial for a company, an institution or an establishment to setup a supervisory body not only to ensure that work is completed but also accomplish other necessary roles. Thus, supervisors need to have an implementable plan to use while at work. This allows them to plan their way around their job, and succeed in overseeing everything that matters. Moreover, supervisors work to provide the expected results to the stakeholders or management body they are working for in a clinic, for example.

How and When to Implement Multiple Roles in Supervision

In a clinic, the management or stakeholders employ supervisors who are in charge of other subordinate staff members. In this job position, it is expected that the supervisor checks whether the other workers are accomplishing their work as per the management’s expectations. Thus, the supervisor checks on various factors related to the work being done in the establishment. For instance, the supervisor is responsible for checking the time other staff members report for work. This ensures that all members of the workforce deliver their services within the expected period. Hence, for one to gain that position as a supervisor they have to possess various commendable qualities, for example, being diligent workers who are always on time to deliver their services as expected. When other staff members are reporting, the supervisors have to reach the place of work before everybody. This gives provides them with the opportunity to note the time when other members reported (Sarnat, 2012).

Supervisors have the overall duty to check the quality of other members’ jobs. Hence, the supervisors must have the appropriate knowledge and skills to determine whether a subordinate’s work is up to standard or not. If a subordinate’s work is substandard, for example, the supervisor needs to know exactly what to adjust or ask the staff member to change. As mentioned earlier, it is essential that supervisors possess various characteristics, in this case, vast knowledge about the field they are overseeing.

Such are examples of cases that prompt supervisors to exhibit multiple roles in their work. This is yet another unique feature that supervisors need to have to perform their work as expected. Moments at work change according to current conditions that may need the supervisor to implement different skills. Supervisors, for instance, need to exhibit authority in situations where confusion is thriving among the subordinates. In such times, the supervisors need to take charge of the situation and guide their subordinates accordingly. Some members of the staff may be overwhelmed by work, and a customer is dissatisfied with the services. In such a situation, a supervisor can swoop in to take care of the matter. Therefore, a supervisor needs to display flexibility at work by implementing multiple roles in their work at any time. Management also expects the same from the supervisors (Watkins, 2012).

How to Build a Supervisory Alliance

Supervisors need to deliver their work successfully as per the expectations of the superiors. One of the significant factors that impact the quality of the supervisors’ work is their environment. They need to work in a proper environment for them to complete and execute their plans successfully. Other members of the staff are a part of the supervisor’s environment, and it is necessary for one to know the most preferred way to deal with them. It is at this point that supervisory alliances are deemed necessary in maintaining an appropriate working environment. Supervisory alliances are forms of groupings that supervisors coin with their supervisees. The supervisees are placed in the care of their supervisors for various reasons. For example, it is important to have a leader who is ready to take control of things, in this case, the supervisor. Indeed, the supervisor has authority over other members of staff, but alliances are a preferable way for both parties to work together.

Alliances between supervisors and supervisees work best when there are mutual agreements between the two parties. These agreements can be reached when forming the alliances. The most probable way of coming up with the alliances is the supervisor or management floating the idea to the members of staff. This is followed by collecting data and information in regards to the members’ response. When most of the members agree to create an alliance with their supervisors, the concerned parties sit for meetings. It is during such meetings that all members, including supervisors, come up with the required regulations purported to guide the way things are to be executed (Watkins, 2012). In addition, it is at this point that the two parties come to terms with the reasons behind the formation of the alliance. Taking these steps at the commencement of the alliance binds both the supervisors and supervisees to follow the rules. In case any party breaks the rules they are eligible for punishment without objection since they are all aware of the regulations. For example, if a subordinate staff member delivers substandard work, the supervisor has the mandate to request for an explanation from the supervisee. As such, the subordinate member is obliged to provide reasons for submitting substandard work.

How to Assess and Enhance Supervisee Development

Supervisors have different roles in their jobs, and guiding their supervisees is among their primary jobs. Acting as guides to their supervisees is an elaborate way of helping a clinic gain diligent workers and eventually help the establishment gain success. In addition, supervisors help supervisees know where they have made mistakes in their work. This is necessary as not all employees would work as per the company’s expectations. It is crucial for supervisors to assess their subordinates’ work, which they can do using different means. One of the common means is making direct and physical supervision of the work as it is being done. Consequently, they view the workers’ job in person. Ultimately, they can request them to make amendments or repeat the work. This is to ensure that work is completed within the company’s standards (Scott, Ingram, Vitanza, & Smith, 2000).

In other areas, the work done may be too large for the supervisor to make a physical visit to check whether the work done is standard or not. Such a case calls for efficient measures to keep track of the employees’ works. The supervisor may choose to scrutinize an employee’s products, but only a few samples. This way, the supervisor attains a general picture of the rest of the products. In other situations, a supervisor requests reports from the workers in concern to the work already done. Consequently, supervisors are furnished with the full details of the completed work (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 2012).

In all these cases, not all the employees present commendable jobs. Such jobs need corrections and the supervisees require development. The most appropriate way to make these changes is exposing the employees to the preferred training session. Training provides employees with the necessary skills required by the clinic. Employees are taken in for a job position because they have the required skills, but these may fall short of what the employers expect. Instead of firing such employees, the employers find it preferable to take the subordinates through training. In turn, the employees hone their skills appropriately and in accordance to the employers’ expectations. Caring for employees is a sure way that employers can advance supervisee development. This is because the employees feel cared for and important to the establishment. Additionally, with such a mentality, it is clear that employees will work diligently and for the benefit of the whole institution (Milne, Aylott, Fitzpatrick & Ellis, 2008).

How to Monitor Ethical and Legal Compliance

Clinics and other establishments often have Codes of Ethics to act as guidelines that determine how all employees function while at work. Ethical and legal compliances at work are two important factors that employees need to observe and practice. It is for the interest of the clinic and the clients that compliance of ethics must be observed. Therefore, the management has the ultimate duty of enforcing these practices and finding ways to ensure that all employees follow them. It is not easy to follow laws, but the consequences are too serious to ignore. Hence, employees at time abide by the rules to avoid facing the negative impacts. As much this may be true to many employees, it is in the interest of several employers to make the workplace as comfortable as it can be for various purposes. One of the key purposes of making a workplace comfortable is for employees to have a proper working environment. In turn, they are able to deliver their services as per their employers’ expectations (Scott, Ingram, Vitanza, & Smith, 2000).

Employers have so far formulated means of helping employees work within the ethical standards provided. Use of supervisors to communicate to other employees about the ethical and legal compliances at the place of work forms a key implementation management uses to reach out to its staff members. Supervisors have authoritative capacities they can use to implement ethical standards in an establishment. The initial step the supervisors need to do is familiarize with the set ethics. With that done, the supervisors have ample knowledge to recognize when an employee has gone astray. Moreover, the supervisor will know the most appropriate means of correcting the mishap that happened.

Supervisors have several ways they can use to monitor whether employees are following the ethics at work. One of the means the supervisors can use is to be physically present among the employees and make observations. In turn, the supervisors check whether the employees are acting and working as per the expectations of the employers. If they are not following the guidelines and ethics of the establishment, the supervisor has the mandate to act on the spot or later. The vital thing is to amend the situation using the correct means, for example, via word of mouth or in writing. In cases where the ethical violation is too challenging to handle, the supervisor may forward the matter to the management (Milne, Aylott, Fitzpatrick & Ellis, 2008).

How to Provide Effective Feedback in Supervision

Feedback at work is an essential part of helping everyone work with a common goal. Supervisors expect supervisees to provide appropriate feedback to them. Concurrently, the management expects appropriate feedback from the supervisors concerning the job. In addition, feedback can be given from the management to the supervisor. The same can happen from the supervisors to their supervisees. The information provided by each party is crucial for the benefit of the institution and everyone working in it. Hence, there is a proper need for the information to be relayed effectively among the involved parties. This not only guarantees the information is relayed fast but also to the appropriate party.

One of the key ways to provide effective feedback in supervision is to use a means that all the concerned members comprehend. In addition, accessibility to the means is essential because it gives the concerned parties a clear mode of acquiring the feedback. In turn, everyone is supplied with information related to the feedback and acts appropriately. The effectiveness of feedback is measured through various ways. Firstly, feedback is categorized effective if it reaches all the concerned parties. Additionally, the feedback should reach all the intended parties within the stipulated time (Milne, Aylott, Fitzpatrick & Ellis, 2008).

Effective feedback is also measured by the reaction of the parties who receive it. For example, if the recipient parties act according to the feedback given by the supervisor, the information relayed can be categorized as understandable. Apart from relevance, it is always necessary for the supervisor or supervisee to give feedback on time. This saves crucial time and avoids cases where the feedback loses meaning because the time to use it has elapsed. It is also vital to provide unbiased feedback at the place of work. This way, employees do not feel that the feedback given is unjust. They are able to work efficiently because the feedback targeted everyone. However, cases arise where feedback has to be directed to specific people at the workplace. It is essential for employees to recognize that such feedback is aimed at helping them become more effective at work and not a way of being biased to them.

How to Balance Clinical (Client Welfare) Needs and Training (Trainee Development) Needs

A supervisor in a clinical setting has the ultimate goal of maintaining the client’s welfare and trainee development. A clinic has a vital job of safeguarding its goals, which include promoting the clients’ welfare and maintaining high standards of services. Apart from that, the clinic has a crucial goal of providing the required support to see to it that the trainees work their way to become certified physicians. Thus, supervisors are a fundamental part of this journey as they keep the trainees on track. Supervisors have a duty to execute multiple roles while at the clinic, a situation best seen when they take care of trainees and the clinic simultaneously (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 2012).

When clients visit the clinic, they hope to get the best services from the employees at the establishment. The supervisor expects the same from the workers. Thus, much effort is directed to ensure that the workers attend to all customers accordingly. In such situations, a trainee may be shown how to handle customers by the supervisor. However, it is essential that the supervisor and supervisee work without interfering with the client. It is challenging for a supervisor to keep track of the trainees’ progress while at the same time take care of the clients.

A supervisor has to strike a clear balance between the two factors, which is best achieved by having a clear plan of handling things. This plan may involve the supervisor making observations of how the workers conduct their work. Atop that, it is necessary for the supervisor to note the strengths and weaknesses of the supervisees. Once the supervisors have ample information concerning their workers, they can sermon them at an appropriate time. The supervisors have to be meticulous not to interfere with the clients. Thus, the timing to make amendments or commend the workers needs to be perfect lest they interfere with the client’s schedule. This way, the client’s comfort and expectations are met, and the trainees’ development is maintained. As such, balance is struck between the two important factors that are vital to the functionality of the clinic.

How to Demonstrate Competence in Responding To Diversity in its Many Forms in Supervision

Supervisors are bound to experience diversified situations in their work because of the different supervisees they oversee. Supervisees have varying backgrounds, separate lines of thoughts, act differently at work, and respond diversely to a situation. Hence, supervisors have the ultimate duty to identify each supervisee’s characters that direct their conduct at the place of work. Comprehending these personal characters helps supervisors plan out a way that suits everyone at the clinic. Indeed, the supervisor has to be stringent in his work, but for the sake of promoting effectiveness, it is essential to leave room for understanding if a worker behaves in an unexpected manner.

Supervisors demonstrate competence in responding to diversity by listening to explanations given by workers once they act in an unexpected way. Such are cases when a worker is questioned by the supervisor in concern to an inappropriate behavior or action displayed at work. The supervisor has the mandate to attain as much information as possible about an occurrence that has unfolded at work. Supervisors need to be just and offer chances to supervisees to explain their unwarranted behavior. Indeed, a clinic’s code of ethics, for example, expects supervisees to work in line with the rules. However, due to diversity, they end up functioning according to their understanding, which in this case is wrong.

At this point, the supervisors need to take appropriate actions that respond to such behavior from their supervisees. Firstly, the supervisors need to identify the problem and seek a solution. Correcting the supervisees needs to be the next agenda in the plan to resolve the problems. Although the problem may be too big to handle, the supervisor needs to deal with it before handing the matter to the management. All these actions are taken as precautions to accommodate diversity and the adverse effects it has at the place of work. In addition, these actions are meant to formulate an appropriate way of resolving the issues at hand.

What is needed in the Current State of Supervision Knowledge

Supervisors and supervisees have vital responsibilities at the clinic with regards to customer satisfaction and deliverance of quality services. One of the leading responsibilities that both parties have is displaying adequate knowledge in relation to their clients. The ultimate goal of the two parties is to deliver quality services and meet clinic’s expectations. Hence, it is appropriate to have ample comprehension on the services their clients require and the most preferable way to deliver them. Clinic stakeholders expect supervisors to know the supervisees’ duties. In turn, the supervisors identify whether the work is done to the expected standards or not. Additionally, being familiar with the supervisees’ work makes it is easy for the supervisors to make proper corrections where the work results are substandard.

In a clinic, there are several laws that all workers need to adhere to while working. Thus, all employees, supervisors and supervisees, have to be aware of as they carry out their duties. Laws and policies act as proper guidelines that each worker is expected to follow. Therefore, familiarizing with each law and policy avoids situations where employees break them without their knowledge. A supervisor is also at an advantage if they are familiar with the set laws and policies at the clinic. Firstly, they are able to identify a situation where a supervisee breaks the law. Additionally, the supervisors have the knowledge to correct the situation as per the clinic’s laws and policies (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 2012).

Proper communication is a vital factor to uphold while working at the clinic. Supervisors and supervisees have vital information to relay to each other while at work. Thus, there is a dire need for both parties to communicate professionally and in accordance to the clinic’s expectations. This is yet another necessary factor that all parties in a clinic must have knowledge about to ensure that all things run smoothly. In addition, this creates functional relationships among all the workers in the clinic and patients. Clients are crucial in a clinic, and they need to be addressed accordingly, which is best achieved by proper communication.

Conclusion

Indeed, supervision is a necessity in a clinical setting for various vital reasons. Supervisees need an elaborate guide who is always present to ensure that the work delivered is up to the expectations of the clinic. This provides both clinic satisfaction and customers’ contentment. All parties in a clinic are essential and are expected to function in a way that gets the job done and in the expected standard. Supervisors, for instance, have the obligation to implement multiple roles to keep everything functional at the clinic. Moreover, they form alliances with supervisees to encourage cooperation between the two parties. When the supervisors and supervisees work together, the work is done as per the expected standards. It is extensively crucial for supervisors to observe the ethical and legal measures in the clinic. Also, it is essential for the supervisors to ensure that the supervisees work within the same ethical and legal measures. As such, discipline is maintained at the clinic and extended to the clients. Proper communication is vital to maintain in the clinic as it fuels effective feedback. Consequently, both supervisors and supervisees are aware of the occurrences unfolding at the clinic. Client welfare and trainee development are two crucial factors that supervisors find ways to maintain at the clinic. They are both necessary for the development and maintenance of proper services at the establishment.

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