Succession Planning A
SESSION 1
Michael Delarosa, Department Manager
What suggestions do you have for improvement in regards to training new supervisors?
Make sure there are opportunities for hands on problem solving. Too much of our training is theory
and supervisors need to be focused on the real-world problems that come up.
What challenges do supervisors in our plants encounter that training would help them resolve?
I'd say that a lot of the challenges we see relate to the diversity on the line. There are a lot of different
types of people working at CapraTek and they don't always play well together.
What are the most important abilities for supervisors in our plants?
Well… the first thing that comes to mind is the ability to find information. Whether it's technical
information or answers for the people who report to you. Another key ability though is the ability to
acquire technical expertise. No one comes in knowing it all, but the ability to gain necessary
knowledge is very important.
What knowledge does a new supervisor need?
A solid understanding of the job itself. Supervisors provide a lot of training to new employees, so they
need to know our systems and processes inside and out.
Should training be conducted face to face, online, or a combination of both?
I'd say a combination. There are some topics that don't really need a classroom experience, but
others where the face-to-face interaction provides as much as the actual training materials. If it had to
be one or the other, I'd definitely say face to face.
Leland Butler, Shift Supervisor
What suggestions do you have for improvement in regards to training new supervisors?
Don't think you can cover this stuff once and be done with it. I went through supervisor training when I
was promoted, but I've gotta admit, I don't remember much of it. That kind of stuff doesn't always
stick unless you're doing it. Having an opportunity to be in the job and then get training on what you're
actually dealing with is better than sitting in a training room listening to someone talk about theories
and policies.
What challenges do supervisors in our plants encounter that training would help them resolve?
Well… like I said, being able to apply the leadership and supervisory ideas in realistic situations. I'm a
hands-on kind of person and it's always better if I can do something, so maybe like getting training on
performance reviews or some of the paperwork we're all dealing with. That would be helpful.
What are the most important abilities for supervisors in our plants?
Communication and flexibility. Hands down. You need to be able to shift gears decisively and
communicate with your team.
What knowledge does a new supervisor need?
He or she needs to know what the role of their team is to the division. How it all fits together. A good
supervisor needs to be able to communicate to the people who report to him what's going on and why
things are the way they are. So, he's got to be in the loop so he can keep his people in the loop.
Should training be conducted face to face, online, or a combination of both?
A lot could be self-paced online, but I think the leadership training would probably be better face to
face. So you can talk to other people about the issues. See how other people might respond
differently than you did.
Lorraine Hughes, Shift Supervisor
What suggestions do you have for improvement in regards to training new supervisors?
Hmmm. That's a tough one. I'm not sure.
What challenges do supervisors in our plants encounter that training would help them resolve?
Creating strong teams. A lot of supervisors… well, a lot who haven't done well… try to rule their teams
instead of leading them. They are too hierarchical and they end up with teams that don't have any
initiative.
What are the most important abilities for supervisors in our plants?
I'd say the ability to communicate and work with a broad range of employees. When I started, I was
the only female supervisor and I knew I had to neutralize the resistance some of my guys had toward
working for a woman. Being able to keep focused on the goals and keep your team focused on the
goal is the key skill here.
What knowledge does a new supervisor need?
They need both the technical skills and the people skills. It's a balance. You need to have both and
you need to be able to be a collaborative problem solver.
Should training be conducted face to face, online, or a combination of both?
Oh without a doubt, face to face! How can we train team building if we aren't in the same room?
Daniel Fox, Shift Supervisor
What suggestions do you have for improvement in regards to training new supervisors?
Less mandatory training on the latest trends in management and more focus on training that helps
solve the problems supervisors are actually facing. Like how to do more with less, or how to be fair to
everyone in these days of diversity and protected classes and all.
What challenges do supervisors in our plants encounter that training would help them resolve?
We're all being asked to do more with less. I don't know if training can help with that, but if it could,
that would be a good place to start.
What are the most important abilities for supervisors in our plants?
The ability to be fair. A lot of times, it seems that the squeaky wheel gets grease… well, if you ask me,
that's bull feathers. The people who just suck it up and go the extra mile… they shouldn't get
overlooked because someone else is pitching a fit.
What knowledge does a new supervisor need?
What the bottom line is… what does the policy say, how's it going to be applied, what are the
expectations from the brass. You obviously need to know the job, but I'm assuming that was covered
in hiring or promoting.
Should training be conducted face to face, online, or a combination of both?
The more online; the better. That way, a person can do it at his or her own pace on his or her own
schedule. The thing that drives me nuts about training is when my people have a problem and I can't
deal with it because I'm in some training class.
Sandra Tucker, Shift Supervisor
What suggestions do you have for improvement in regards to training new supervisors?
Maybe have some follow-up? I feel like we get training when we're hired, or when we move into a
new job, but if there was some way it could be ongoing without taking up too much time.
What challenges do supervisors in our plants encounter that training would help them resolve?
That's a great question! Let's see… conflict management probably. There's a lot of diversity in all of
our teams: gender, racial, orientation… and knowing how to keep the people we supervise working as
a well oiled machine is really important and really difficult.
What are the most important abilities for supervisors in our plants?
To get things done. We're getting the word from above, the plant manager, the executive leaders, and
it's up to the supervisors to translate that to the line workers and make it happen.
What knowledge does a new supervisor need?
Obviously, a good supervisor needs to know what the jobs are for every member of the team. I'd go
so far as to say a great supervisor should be able to step in for any one of the people who report to
him or her. But there's more to it than just the actual job… you need to know how to get things done.
A good supervisor needs to be able to anticipate problems and solve them before they happen.
Should training be conducted face to face, online, or a combination of both?
It's going to depend on what the material is. Some stuff is great online, some stuff, I like having the
experience of being able to work with other supervisors and collaborate. I always feel like there's a
bond between people I go to training with… like I know what this person is like because we went
through something together.