Chabot College
Fall 2006
Course Outline for Business 50A
SKILLS FOR SUPERVISORS
Catalog Description:
50A – Skills for Supervisors
1 unit
This course will provide survival skills for new supervisors and those who aspire to move to
managerial positions. Necessary skills of time management, leadership, planning, motivation,
conducting meetings, communication, handling stress, conflict, and performance appraisals will
be discussed. Students will involve in a variety of management exercises, discussions, current
trends in supervision, and real-world case studies. 1 hour.
[Typical contact hours: 17.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
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assess advantages and disadvantages of being a supervisor;
evaluate his/her leadership style and develop desired leadership traits;
conduct a meeting, prepare a meeting agenda, and follow up using minutes;
develop goals following the SMART model and identify techniques to delegate authority
to subordinates;
identify effective steps using the decision-making model and “sell” decisions to
employees;
assess various motivational techniques including empowerment;
evaluate his/her communication style;
improve listening skills and give effective criticism;
evaluate employee performance and conduct performance appraisal interviews;
develop relationships with peers (vertical and horizontal) and establish boundaries with
subordinates.
Course Content:
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Becoming a supervisor: pros and cons, skills, functions, time management, your resume
and cover letter
Supervisor as a leader: leadership skills, styles, traits, Emotional Intelligence (EI), female
vs. male supervisory styles
Conducting meetings: types, agendas, minutes, outcomes
Planning: setting SMART goals, delegating, assigning tasks, scheduling, controlling work
performance
Decision making: uncertainty and risk, steps for effective decision making, “selling” your
decision
Motivating employees: empowerment, theories of motivation, motivational factors and
their application
Communicating with employees: communication styles, problems, listening skills, giving
criticism
Employee evaluations: performance appraisals, types, guidelines, disciplining employees
Chabot College
Course Outline for Business 50A, Page 2
Fall 2006
Methods of presentation:
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Lecture
Guest speakers
Internet research
Discussions and workshops
Questionnaires and case studies
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
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Typical assignments
a. Interview a manager at your workplace to identify his/her greatest challenges and
most important rewards in being a manager.
b. Collect a performance appraisal form used at your workplace, critically assess it for
strengths and weakness; develop a plan for conducting a performance appraisal
interview for an employee.
c. Go to the website of eHow at http://www.ehow.com, select the category
“Finance/Business,” then “Running a Business,” and browse the available articles.
Choose one article and prepare a 3-5 minute presentation to the class.
Evaluation methods
a. Projects/papers
b. Case analyses
c. Exams
d. Presentations
e. Final exam
Textbook(s) Typical:
Skills for the First-Time Supervisor, Douglas Gordon, South-Western, 2006
Mastering Management Skills. A Manager’s Toolkit, Modular Edition, Ramon Aldag & Loren
Kuzuhara, South-Western, 2005
Special Student Materials:
None
dk 10/05