Supervisors and managers in California’s public agencies must wear many hats. In addition to performing the substantive tasks of their positions, they must ensure that their direct reports perform their work duties. Like it or not, a key part of supervisors’ and managers’ job responsibilities is human resources. To succeed, managers and supervisors must understand and embrace their role on their agency’s human resources team.

Topics Include:

• The Manager/Supervisor as Leader
  • Create a Professional Work Environment
  • Set Ethical Values and Standards
  • Supervise Efficiently
  • Motivate Direct reports
• The Manager/Supervisor as a Communicator
  • Principles of Effective Communication
  • Checklist for More Effective Communication Skills
  • Checklist for Orientation of New Employees
• The Manager/Supervisor as Delegator
  • The Elements of Delegation
  • Self-Assessment: What is your Delegation Score?
  • Basic Elements in Delegation
• The Manager/Supervisor as Problem Solver
  • Step 1: Identify the Objective
  • Step 2: Identify the Problem(s)
  • Step 3: Develop Potential Solution
  • Step 4: Select the Best Solution and Make a Decision
  • Step 5: Implement, Evaluate and Follow Up
• The Manager and Supervisor as Evaluator
  • Evaluation is a Critical Performance Management Tool
  • Employee Evaluation is an Ongoing Process
  • Preparing Performance Evaluations
  • The Evaluation Meeting
  • Follow Up
• The Manager and Supervisor’s Role in Disciplinary Actions
  • Due Process Rights: An Overview
  • Types of Disciplinary Actions
  • Issues to Consider Before Initiating a Disciplinary Action Against A “For Cause” Employee
  • Disciplinary Process for Employees Who Have Due Process Rights
  • Frequent Disciplinary Problems
• The Marginal Employee
  • The Challenge of the Marginal Employee
  • Identifying the Reasons for the Marginal Performance
  • Impact of the Marginal Employee
  • The Role of the Supervisor with the Marginal Employee
• Managing Absenteeism
  • Defining Excessive Absenteeism and Acceptable Attendance
  • Beware of Protected Leaves
  • Preventing Absenteeism
  • Responding to Absenteeism
  • Respond to Institutional Causes
• Laws Affecting Personnel Management
  • The Fair Employment and Housing Act/Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
  • Disability Discrimination
  • Bullying
  • Protected Leaves
  • The Fair Labor Standards Act
  • Workers’ Compensation
  • Union Matters