ARE YOU READY TO SUPERVISE?

Whether you are thinking about becoming a supervisor for the first time or are taking on a supervisory role in a new group or a new organization, one of the most important steps is to honestly assess your readiness to be a supervisor. Taking the time to assess your readiness will enable you to determine if this type of work—or specific situation—is right for you.

Completing this seven-step, 38-item self-assessment and the easy-to-use interpretation and planning tools will help you answer two key questions:

How ready am I to supervise?

How can I enhance my readiness to supervise?

Step 1: Assess Your Readiness to Supervise

For each item, circle the option that most closely represents your view. Think about a variety of past situations, events, and circumstances as you make your choices.

Once you have answered all the questions in a section, total your responses in each column of that section.

Then, use those numbers to add up your section subscore and record it in the space provided to the left of the subscores.

Step 2: Total Your Subscores

Transfer your subscores for each section to the spaces provided below.

Step 3. Compile Your Results

Use your subscores for each dimension to shade Your Results. Here’s an example of a shaded chart:

Sample Results

Your Results

Step 4: Interpret Your Subscores

Check off the subscore that matches your response for each of the five sections and read the corresponding text to interpret your responses. In Step 6 you will learn about some specific things you can do to enhance your readiness to supervise for each of the five dimensions of the readiness self-assessment.

Understanding Yourself as a Supervisor

Understanding Supervisor Roles

Getting the Best Work from Others

Making Good Things Happen

Supervising in a Changing Work Landscape

Step 5: Prepare to Enhance Your Readiness to Supervise

Look at the subscores you checked above. Your next step is to decide how you want to enhance your readiness to supervise. In the space provided below, write down your top three priorities. You will use these priorities to create an action plan for enhancing your readiness to supervise.

My Top Three Priorities

Step 6: Identify Ways to Enhance Your Readiness to Supervise

There are many different ways to enhance your readiness to supervise. Take a few minutes to read through the suggestions for each supervisor readiness dimension. Choose the suggestions that will help you meet your top three priorities and record them in your action plan in Step 7. You may have some ideas of your own that you would like to try as well.

Understanding Yourself as a Supervisor

Understanding Supervisor Roles

Getting the Best Work from Others

Making Good Things Happen

Supervising in a Changing Work Landscape

Step 7: Develop Your Supervisor Readiness Action Plan

Record each activity you want to pursue from Step 6 in the first column of your readiness action plan. Then set a timeframe for completing each activity and record it in column 2. Use column 3 to note the specific people who can support you in completing the activity. Remember to review your action plan periodically to check your progress, add any new activities, or close out any completed activities.

Supervisor Readiness Action Plan