Supervisor ResourcesLeading Your New Staff's First YearWorkday PerformancePerformance ManagementHR Strategic Business Partner Team

Grand Valley's 8 Employee Core Competencies guide organizational culture and set the foundation for performance management, employee development, leadership development, compensation, team building, talent acquisition, and more. Supervisory practices, particularly those related to training, goal setting, feedback, and evaluation should be guided by the Employee Core Competencies.

Self-awareness plays a critical role in effective supervision. Self-aware leaders are more likely to build high performing teams and cultivate a positive work culture.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Opportunities and resources to strengthen self-awareness include:

• CliftonStrengths Assessment
• Leading Lakers Leadership Development Program
• Restorative-Based Conflict Prevention & Alternative Dispute Resolution Resources
• Academic Impressions Content
  • The Five Paths to Leadership Self-Assessment
  • Inclusive Leadership Certificate Program: Build Your Skills and Self-Awareness
  • Understanding the Impact of Stress on Your Leadership Style
  • Increasing Emotional Intelligence by Identifying Your Triggers

Related Reading:

• Why Self-Awareness Is a Crucial Management Skill — and How to Get It
• Self-Awareness: An Essential Tool for Effective Leadership

Supervisors have an obligation to maintain familiarity and comply with associated policies and procedures including:

• Standards of Conduct
• Regular Faculty Handbook
• Affiliate Faculty Handbook
• Visiting/Adjunct Faculty Policies
• EAP Handbook
• Union Contracts
• Time Off/Leaves
• Salary Continuation

Timely, specific, relevant feedback delivered with respect is integral to performance management. Workday Performance is designed to cultivate continuous conversation and support individual performance year-round.

Related resources include:

• Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) Method Center for Creative Leadership article
• The Art and Practice of Giving and Receiving Feedback Academic Impressions webcast recording
• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High book by Kerry Patterson et al.
• Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well book by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen
• Radical Candor book by Kim Scott

Supervisors are expected to be familiar with the job description of each assigned staff member and are encouraged to review job responsibilities with employees annually to ensure the job description accurately identifies the fundamental aspects of the role.

Thorough, accurate and regularly revisited expectations contribute to a high functioning team. Clearly documented expectations and protocols should be identified related to position responsibilities, department procedures, and team culture.

Related reading:

• 13 ‘Right’ Ways For Leaders To Set Expectations With Employees
• Setting Employee Expectations: Improve Productivity and Engagement
• 10 Steps for Establishing Team Norms

Effective delegation is a crucial supervisory practice that enhances efficiency, empowers employees, and fosters professional growth. By assigning tasks based on team members' strengths and development needs, supervisors can optimize workload distribution, improve productivity, and encourage skill-building. Appropriate delegation also ensures the responsible use of organizational resources by aligning tasks with the right personnel, reducing inefficiencies, and maximizing the value of time, skills, and budgets. Effective delegation builds trust, increases engagement, and allows supervisors to focus on higher-level strategic responsibilities.

Related resources include:

• How to Delegate Effectively: 9 Tips for Managers article by Harvard Business School
• The Art of Delegating article by SHRM
• To Be a Great Leader, You Have to learn How to Delegate Well article by Harvard Business Review
• How Leaders Shape Success: The Art of Delegation and Effective Communication article by Forbes
• Learning to Delegate as a First-Time Manager article by Harvard Business Review
• Delegation of Authority: Explained in Detail resources by The Knowledge Academy

Well facilitated 1:1 and team meetings contribute to effective supervision and cultivate a work environment where employee feel informed, valued, empowered and motivated to achieve individual and collective success.

Related resources include:

• Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni
  • Google Play Audiobook Preview
  • Book Summary by Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
• Fair Process/Inclusive Decision Making
  • Using Fair Process to Make Better Decisions (The Management Center)
  • Fair Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy (Harvard Business Review, 2003)

Maintaining an intentional recordkeeping method is essential for effective, consistent, objective supervision. Clear documentation of expectations, performance discussions, and decision-making ensures transparency, reduces bias, and provides a reliable reference for accountability and growth. A structured approach to recordkeeping supports fairness, continuity, and informed decision-making, ultimately strengthening trust and professionalism in staff supervision.

Coaching is a powerful supervision method that fosters employee growth, accountability, and engagement. By focusing on active listening, thoughtful questioning, and goal-oriented feedback, coaching helps staff develop critical thinking skills, build confidence, and navigate challenges effectively. This approach strengthens relationships, enhances performance, and creates a culture of continuous learning and professional development.

Related resources and models include:

• Sir John Whitmore's GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) model
• Peter Hawkins' CLEAR (Contracting, Listening, Exploration, Action, Review) model
• Paul Jackson and Mark McKergow's OSKAR model
• The Manageable Intangible TD Magazine

Conflict is a natural and expected aspect of personal and workplace relations. Supervisors have a responsibility to prevent and constructively resolve conflicts to maintain a healthy work environment and ensure team effectiveness. Unresolved conflict can lead to decreased morale, reduced productivity, and higher turnover, while effective conflict management fosters collaboration, trust, and a positive organizational culture.

Related resources include:

• Restorative Based Conflict Prevention & Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Learning to Lead Through Conflict, Academic Impressions
• Conflict Management: A Practical Workshop for Leaders, Academic Impressions
• Build a Team Culture that Embraces Conflict as Productive and Positive, Academic Impressions

Supervisors are expected to intentionally foster a work environment that affirms and advances diversity, promotes inclusion, and is committed to equity. 

Related resources include:

• GVSU Inclusion & Equity Resource Catalog
• Social Justice Education
• Inclusion & Equity Institute Workshops
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 101 by Academic Impressions
• Inclusive Leadership Certificate by Academic Impressions 

Supervisors are expected to set a tone for employees to thrive via awareness and support of employee well-being benefits and resources including:

• Encompass Employee Assistance Program
• Thrive Wellness Coaching
• Priority Health Preventative Care
• Priority Health Wellbeing Hub and Active & Fit programs
• Wellbeats Personalized Virtual Fitness, Mindfulness, Nutrition Support
• Employee CARE Report
• Affinity Groups
• Network Communities