The Importance of Regularly Scheduled Supervision Meetings

The most effective leaders have regularly scheduled individual meetings with all direct reports. This is not the same as typical day-to-day contact that you may have with staff as needs arise. Rather these are biweekly or monthly sessions that include goal setting, collaborative problem solving, coaching/mentoring, feedback on performance issues, and assessing staff development needs. You can use these meetings to engage staff on issues such as past annual reviews and performance goals; plans for work and how they fit into the organizational mission; and long-term professional goals and future aspirations.

Ask questions such as: What are you working on and how is it going? What are your work goals? How can I help you to do your job better? Do you have any feedback for me, including suggestions on how I can be more effective as your supervisor?

Regular scheduled meetings like this build relationships and trust, critical elements for a positive work environment. Keep notes, too, so when the time comes for a regular written review, you will have a wealth of information to draw upon!  It is also important for the leader to situationally adapt his/her leadership style to individual staff needs, and to encourage those whom he or she supervises to have similar meetings with their direct reports.

For Further Thought:   How much are you meeting with your direct reports?  Have you discussed work goals and how well you staff are achieving them?   Do you have a regular forum to seek staff input on their development needs and get feedback on your own performance?

As a leader, you have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. Don’t underestimate your impact!