Reality TV Inspires Revamped Supervisor Academy

Ever work with an Absent Amy or a Lazy Larry, or on the flip side, a Superstar Steve? All kinds of personalities show up in the workplace and a supervisor needs to make sure they all work well together to get the job done. Easy, right? Not so much.

Help is at hand with the new Supervisor Academy Redesigned. What’s so different about it? Instead of instruction based on presentations, the new Academy students participate in hands-on workshops along with role playing, a simulation, giveaways, prizes and even, yummy treats. Okay, sounds like fun, but how does that help you deal with the Absent Amys or Lazy Larrys?

“Soft skills are hard,” says Human Resources Analyst Shauna Rose-Pfeiffer, “and everybody thinks they’re the best person and all their staff loves them, but there are always things you can work on to help motivate them and get the best out of your staff.” 

First, acting supervisors must get a refresher on the basics. As a prerequisite for the Academy, they need to take the Supervisor Certificate Online Program (SCOP) offered on LMS. The program acts as a foundation for the Academy so when trainees get there they can focus on the soft skills. Some examples of those soft skills? How do I motivate staff; how should I handle difficult conversations with my staff; how do I juggle my workload with my supervisory duties? And yes, find out what’s going on with your Absent Amy and learn how to deal with the problem.

She’s just one of several fake employees who come complete with their own names, their own personalities, quirks, weaknesses and strengths. They’re presented as examples in the workshops. Attendees get the tools, resources and techniques to work successfully with the fake employees and then practice them. Experts give immediate feedback.    

“We use her a lot in the motivation workshop, how to motivate her to be on time. Is she bored? What’s wrong? She doesn’t like her work?” says Rose-Pfeiffer. “We’re trying to fix that kind of stuff.” 

So you may have your suspicions about Amy, but there may be more to it. “It might not be about Amy, it might be about the work environment. If you make the work environment better, Amy may not be so absent anymore.”  

The Academy also puts supervisors to the test in other ways. Do they have the right stuff for emergencies? Enter Supervisors Survival Island. You can get a taste of what that’s all about from this clip. Yes, Supervisors Survival Island comes complete with a simulated disaster, three tribes who find themselves stranded, an upcoming storm and other obstacles. How do you face those challenges, prepare for the tempest, and forge ahead despite the consequences of your decisions? It takes supervisors out of their usual environment and drops them into a challenging one.   

“This scenario takes place on the last day and gives supervisors a chance to practice their skills before they go back to the office.”

Sound interesting? If you manage a staff and want to attend the Academy, contact your supervisor and it goes up the ladder. Each of the five County Groups chooses six nominees for each session and the next one is scheduled for April.  It’s a privilege to be chosen, and a sign you may be groomed for better things to come. At the very least, the Academy gives you a chance to learn how to get better at what you do, a plus for you, your staff and the County overall. And don’t forget bragging rights, you lived through Supervisors Survival Island!