Competencies for Effective and Efficient Supervision

A to Z - Activities, Competencies, Education and Training of Engineering Supervisors - Article Series

Competency definition

Boyatzis (1982: 21) defines a job competency as “an underlying characteristic of a person, in that it may be a motive, trait, skill, aspect of one’s self-image or social role, or a body of knowledge which he or she uses, which is causally related to the achievement of effective, or better, work performances”. 

1. the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes required to perform desired future behavior (Blancero, Boroski, and Dyer, 1996: 387);

2. an individual's demonstrated knowledge, skills, or abilities (Ulrich, Brockbank, Yeung, and Lake, 1995: 474);

3. skills and traits that are needed by employees to be effective in a job (Mansfield, 1996);

4. knowledge and skills that underlie effective performance (McLagan, 1997);

5. knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours required for successful performance of job duties (Mirabile, 1995: 13);

6. “an underlying characteristic of an individual that is causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a given job or situation” ((Mitrani, Dalziel, and Fitt, 1992; Spencer and Spencer, 1993: 11);

7. a collection of observable behaviors that superior performers exhibit more consistently than average performers, grouped according to a central theme, which then becomes the competency (Klein, 1996). 

Klein’s definition is significantly different from the others since, instead of maintaining that competencies underlie behaviors, it suggests that behaviors underlie competency. Woodruff (1993) raises a similar issue distinguishing between competence and competency and proposing that competence is a performance criterion while competencies are the behaviors driving the competence. This is similar to Klein's (1996) argument that competencies are not psychological constructs but thematic groups of demonstrated observable behaviors that discriminate between superior and average performance. These behaviors require no inference, assumptions, or interpretation.

Goal and action management abilities

1. Efficiency orientation

2. Planning

3. Initiative

4. Attention to detail

5. Self-control

6. Flexibility 

People management abilities

7. Empathy

8. Persuasiveness

9. Networking

10.Negotiating

11.Self-confidence

12.Group management

13.Developing others

14.Oral communication

Analytic reasoning abilities

15.Use of concepts

16.System thinking

17.Pattern recognition

18.Theory building

19.Using technology

20.Quantitative analysis

21.Social objectivity

22.Written communication

Source: Boyatzis, Cowen, Kolb & Associates, 1995: 82-91.

The Competent Production Supervisor: A model for effective performance Arnaldo Camuffo and Fabrizio Gerli

MIT IPC Working Paper IPC-05-002

March 2005

https://ipc.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2019-01/05-002.pdf

Supervisor competency model 

https://insite.johnsoncitytn.org/uploads/files/supervisor%20competency%20model.pdf

Interpersonal Skills

1. Building Positive Working Relationships 

2. Building Trust 

3. Communication Skills

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

1. Building Positive Working Relationships: Developing and using collaborative relationships with 

internal and external partners and customers to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.

Key Behaviors:

 Keeps people within and outside the department updated and informed in a timely manner.

 Values others’ knowledge and expertise. Invites the input and feedback of others. Fully 

considers others’ explanations/points of view.

 Acknowledges requests from others promptly. Is available and responsive. Shows up on time for 

meetings and appointments.

 Maintains a positive attitude.

 Initiates open and candid relationships with people at all levels.

 Interacts effectively with own and higher managers; builds solid relationship with boss.

 Cooperates with others to pursue mutual goals.

2. Building Trust: Interacting with everyone in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and 

those of the organization; fostering an environment that is fair and open to new ideas.

Key Behaviors:

 Builds trust by being reliable and dependable. Follows through on commitments.

 Gives credit where credit is due.

 Treats people fairly and with respect.

 Applies policies and procedures consistently when dealing with employee issues.

 Expresses consistent point of view to different audiences.

 Supports employees' decisions.

 Is honest and straightforward with others. Maintains confidentiality and high personal ethical 

standards.

 Communicates rationale for decisions/actions. Admits ineffective decisions.

3. Communication Skills: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to others 

in formal and informal settings in a manner that engages them and helps them understand and retain 

the message.

Key Behaviors:

 Organizes thoughts before speaking, and concentrates on key points. Communicates clearly and 

articulately. Speaks concisely and to the point.

 Uses examples to clarify a point.

 Says what is on his or her mind in a direct but tactful manner.

 Adapts communication style and presentation focus to fit the audience. Uses appropriate 

language to set the proper “tone” of the communication.  Writes correspondence that is professional, accurate, and grammatically correct.

 Asks questions to encourage others to elaborate on their thoughts. Listens carefully to input 

without interrupting. Clarifies what others say to ensure understanding.

 Conducts effective and productive meetings (one-on-one, team, etc.) on a regular basis.

 Uses multiple modes to communicate messages.