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Supervision Matters: 100 Bite-Sized Ideas to Transform You and Your Team
Supervision is a critical function of leadership that is often overlooked, and yet the quality of supervision is often what makes or breaks a leader―and an organization. Supervision Matters is full of bite-size ideas for how to become a more effective supervisor, including advice on how to be clear about expectations, giving helpful feedback, manage yourself, and more. Each chapter is structured around how you approach a part of your work as a how you talk, how you think about others, how you run meetings, how you lead, and more. Whether you’re a front-line supervisor or a CEO, this book will help you sharpen your skills and improve morale by transforming your supervision skills into user-friendly tactics that work.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2016
22 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Rita Sever
4 books6 followersNonprofits and other businesses have been benefiting from Rita Sever’s unified approach to human resources and organizational development for the past 20 years. A certified professional coach with an MA in Organizational Psychology, Rita focuses on the critical role of employee supervision in organizations.
Rita approaches supervision as a primary leadership function and believes that each action a supervisor takes positively or negatively impacts the organization. She works with individual employees, teams, leaders and the entire organization to improve the culture and practice of supervision, helping the organization to achieve its mission.
Rita is also an affiliate with RoadMap Consulting, a national group committed to “strengthening organizations and advancing social justice.”
When she’s not traveling for work or fun, Rita divides her time between Sonoma County, California and Portland, Oregon. Supervision Matters is her first book.
Rita approaches supervision as a primary leadership function and believes that each action a supervisor takes positively or negatively impacts the organization. She works with individual employees, teams, leaders and the entire organization to improve the culture and practice of supervision, helping the organization to achieve its mission.
Rita is also an affiliate with RoadMap Consulting, a national group committed to “strengthening organizations and advancing social justice.”
When she’s not traveling for work or fun, Rita divides her time between Sonoma County, California and Portland, Oregon. Supervision Matters is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 20, 2017
The title of this book, Supervision Matters is so true. Engaged employees are essential to the success of any organization and supervisors play a key role in insuring the workforce is engaged.
Too often a stellar employee is promoted to a supervisory position without being provided any training on how to be an effective supervisor. Often that person is initially unsuccessful at their new duties. The fact that a person does great technical work or is the top performing sales person doesn’t mean they will automatically be a good supervisor. But with training, they may become a great supervisor.
Supervision Matters is a great book for first time supervisors and for supervisors looking to improve their effectiveness. Rita's detailed table of contents allows the reader to hone in on areas of supervision in which they are interested. For each supervision topic, Rita provides short vignettes that readers will relate to and provocative questions the reader can ask themselves. Having served in a variety of management and leadership positions from first line supervisor through executive leadership, I can attest to the value of this book. I highly recommend supervisors read the entire book (but not at one sitting) and reflect on the questions in the coaching corner of each chapter. This book will make you a more effective supervisor.
August 23, 2016
‘The role of supervision is hugely underappreciated in most organizations.’
California/Oregon author Rita Sever began her interest in organizational matter as an HR Director. With her MA in organizational psychology she has taught at the University of San Francisco and Sonoma State University in California. She now is a coach, working with individuals, teams, leaders, and organizations to improve the culture and practice of supervision, thereby helping the organization to be more effective. She now has her own consulting practice, Supervision Matters and a monthly newsletter entitled Matters of Supervision.
In her introductory remarks Rita shares that her plunge into HR began with her work with an AIDS service organization, placed in charge of personnel. ‘I learned a lot about how people work. I learned that what makes some people give their all and what makes others take shortcuts. I learned how to help people get along with each other and get their work done…I learned how to work with people and how to build a culture together.’
In a near conversational structure Rita teaches us that supervision as an art form is too often overlooked as a key aspect of making organizations – small to large - function with a happy and productive atmosphere. Within these pages Rita shares how to become a more effective supervisor – all aspects of that role.
The very manner in which the book’s chapters are arranged offers a solid idea of Rita’s success: How you relate to people, How you talk, How you act, how you think about others, How you lead, How you communicate expectations, How you give (and get) feedback, How you act when things aren’t working, How you work with your team, How you meet, How you thinking about You, and How you are a part of the organization.
Solid, accessible and useable information shared by a lady who knows her arena well, this book is not only instructive – it is also a pleasure to digest and utilize. Highly recommended.
California/Oregon author Rita Sever began her interest in organizational matter as an HR Director. With her MA in organizational psychology she has taught at the University of San Francisco and Sonoma State University in California. She now is a coach, working with individuals, teams, leaders, and organizations to improve the culture and practice of supervision, thereby helping the organization to be more effective. She now has her own consulting practice, Supervision Matters and a monthly newsletter entitled Matters of Supervision.
In her introductory remarks Rita shares that her plunge into HR began with her work with an AIDS service organization, placed in charge of personnel. ‘I learned a lot about how people work. I learned that what makes some people give their all and what makes others take shortcuts. I learned how to help people get along with each other and get their work done…I learned how to work with people and how to build a culture together.’
In a near conversational structure Rita teaches us that supervision as an art form is too often overlooked as a key aspect of making organizations – small to large - function with a happy and productive atmosphere. Within these pages Rita shares how to become a more effective supervisor – all aspects of that role.
The very manner in which the book’s chapters are arranged offers a solid idea of Rita’s success: How you relate to people, How you talk, How you act, how you think about others, How you lead, How you communicate expectations, How you give (and get) feedback, How you act when things aren’t working, How you work with your team, How you meet, How you thinking about You, and How you are a part of the organization.
Solid, accessible and useable information shared by a lady who knows her arena well, this book is not only instructive – it is also a pleasure to digest and utilize. Highly recommended.
August 20, 2016
Supervision Matters
By Rita Sever
2016
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
“Studies show that supervision matters. To most people, their supervisor is the organization. If their supervisor is thoughtless and demanding, then that’s how they see the organization. If their supervisor is supportive and fair, then so is the organization.”
Broken into “bite-sized ideas,” this book “focuses on helping you think about your role, your approach, and your interactions with your staff,” in a format perfect for busy supervisors. Built for one to either read from beginning to end, or to choose sections of more immediate concern first, this book allows for immediate implementation.
The twelve chapters of this easily read guide show it matters how a supervisor:
• Relates to people
• Talks
• Acts
• Thinks about others
• Leads
• Communicates expectations
• Gives and gets feedback
• Acts when things aren’t working
• Works with the team
• Conducts meetings
• Thinks about oneself, and
• Is part of the organization
Coaching Corners at the end of each chapter help readers internalize the ideas shared more personally as they apply them to their own unique situations within their own organization.
This real-world succinct handbook for supervisors assists in improving valuable supervisory skills to foster better morale and smoother management within their organization.
Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance journalist and book reviewer, additionally offering authors personalized critique service and copyediting of unpublished manuscripts. http://www.angiemangino.com
By Rita Sever
2016
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
“Studies show that supervision matters. To most people, their supervisor is the organization. If their supervisor is thoughtless and demanding, then that’s how they see the organization. If their supervisor is supportive and fair, then so is the organization.”
Broken into “bite-sized ideas,” this book “focuses on helping you think about your role, your approach, and your interactions with your staff,” in a format perfect for busy supervisors. Built for one to either read from beginning to end, or to choose sections of more immediate concern first, this book allows for immediate implementation.
The twelve chapters of this easily read guide show it matters how a supervisor:
• Relates to people
• Talks
• Acts
• Thinks about others
• Leads
• Communicates expectations
• Gives and gets feedback
• Acts when things aren’t working
• Works with the team
• Conducts meetings
• Thinks about oneself, and
• Is part of the organization
Coaching Corners at the end of each chapter help readers internalize the ideas shared more personally as they apply them to their own unique situations within their own organization.
This real-world succinct handbook for supervisors assists in improving valuable supervisory skills to foster better morale and smoother management within their organization.
Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance journalist and book reviewer, additionally offering authors personalized critique service and copyediting of unpublished manuscripts. http://www.angiemangino.com
August 25, 2016
As a career development and executive coach I see many professionals leaving bad supervisors for new career opportunities. Rita Sever’s must-read “Supervision Mattters” is the essential guide for all those managing and directing others. From the seasoned boss to the first-time supervisor – this resource provides practical action steps that will encourage true buy-in and engagement from individuals, which leads to strong and gratified teams. Success in all organizations hinges on the happiness of the individual workers and this book provides a road map for supervision success!
Caroline Dowd-Higgins
Executive Coach, Speaker, Media Host and Author of, “This Is Not The Career I Ordered”
Caroline Dowd-Higgins
Executive Coach, Speaker, Media Host and Author of, “This Is Not The Career I Ordered”
December 6, 2022
4.5/5. I really enjoyed this book and learning more about intentional supervision. It’s something I value deeply in my field and personal role in higher education. I want to always work towards being a better supervisor to my students. The book did start off a little slow, and it felt like the advice was full of very obvious concepts in the beginning: listening to your staff when they talk to you. Answering their questions. Being respectful of them. No kidding?
But as it went on, the points became more specific and clear. They were thought-provoking and intentional. Also, they were well-planned and evidence-based. I bookmarked a bunch of tabs, and underlined a lot of statements and ideas that really spoke to me. I’ll probably never read this whole book straight through again, but I’m sure I’ll refer to parts of it at a time for years to come.
But as it went on, the points became more specific and clear. They were thought-provoking and intentional. Also, they were well-planned and evidence-based. I bookmarked a bunch of tabs, and underlined a lot of statements and ideas that really spoke to me. I’ll probably never read this whole book straight through again, but I’m sure I’ll refer to parts of it at a time for years to come.
August 24, 2016
Rita Sever's "Supervision Matters" is a handbook of tips and advice on how office supervisors can improve and transform their staffs. A long-time supervisor herself, Sever compartmentalizes a hundred basic ideas for improving communications and staff performance, and she uses clear, concise language to demonstrate how to simplify procedures, streamline instructions, and provide opportunities for feedback from employees. She starts explaining many of her one hundred ideas with a real-life situation outside the office - a humorous exchange with her grandchild, a hike through the woods - and applies the lessons from these experiences to similar situations in the workplace. The analogies are effective and persuasive in helping the readers understand how Sever's ideas work.
Sever follows each idea with bullet-point advice and a "Coaching Corner," in which she asks the readers how they handle supervisory matters and whether they could have better handled issues in the past - and how they can improve. "Supervision Matters" is full of invaluable advice, and it is a very comprehensive handbook for the workplace. Supervisors shouldn't simply read this book once; they should keep it at arm's length and continue to refer to it to continuously improve their own and their departments' performance.
Sever follows each idea with bullet-point advice and a "Coaching Corner," in which she asks the readers how they handle supervisory matters and whether they could have better handled issues in the past - and how they can improve. "Supervision Matters" is full of invaluable advice, and it is a very comprehensive handbook for the workplace. Supervisors shouldn't simply read this book once; they should keep it at arm's length and continue to refer to it to continuously improve their own and their departments' performance.
July 31, 2017
I've been reading Supervision Matters for more than a year and would have posted a review long ago but I've continued to open it, highlight bits I think are useful to what's happening in my work place and dog-ear pages I want to re-read later. It's a type of reference book with great advice and helpful tips on just about every topic that's ever concerned me regarding work relationships. I wish I'd had it twenty-five years ago when I was just starting out with my company. It could have saved me from becoming too involved with my staff and not paying attention to my business objectives. This book should be on everyone's desk.
August 11, 2017
SUPERVISION MATTERS: 100 BITE-SIZED IDEAS TO TRANSFORM YOU AND YOUR TEAM is a clear, concise, and user-friendly resource for creating common ground, bridging the gap, and building an effective framework in the workplace. Good authors follow the adage "show, don't tell," and Rita Sever delivers. From small office environments to large corporate settings, this finely honed, easy-to-follow guide SHOWS how to look inward for outward transformation that positively affects the entire team.
Bonus: Many of the tips and techniques are effective outside the workplace.
Bonus: Many of the tips and techniques are effective outside the workplace.
July 26, 2023
I read this for my (now former) job working in Residential Life and Education, and it was a great read. Very informative on how to deal with people in the workplace, but can also apply to one’s personal life as well! My only annoyance was that it was a bit repetitive. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it!
September 15, 2016
Writing as a retired Human Resource director, I can say that Rita's book is an excellent resource and guide for busy supervisors. She makes it very easy to take one idea at a time, reflect on it via her thoughtful questions, and come up with an implementation plan. Rita knows from significant experience that supervisors hold the key to employee productivity and morale, and has provided in her book clear, real and human ways to enhance that experience for all concerned. This book would be a great tool for discussion with any supervisor in an organization. And beyond that, a significant amount of this material could enhance communication in all aspects of an individual's life. Take a bite-sized idea and run with it!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews