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This section of the handbook pertains to you only if you are a new supervisor or manager serving a probationary period.  Acquaint yourself with the other segments of this handbook not only for your personal information, but from the perspective of your new role.  As a supervisor, you will be responsible for providing proper orientation for your employees.

For the first year as a new supervisor or manager you must serve a probationary period.  During this period you will attend training sessions to develop your skills.  You will be evaluated throughout the year by your manager to ensure your success as a new supervisor or manager.  At the end of that period or any time during the first year, if you are not successful, you can be returned to a non-supervisory position.

Training Requirements   [Top of Page]

As a probationary supervisor or manager you have assumed many new duties.  To introduce you to these duties, the agency will give you training.  Some training courses will be mandated by BLM policies and others will be based on where you and your manager would like to see you grow and develop.  Work with your manager in developing an individual development plan.

OPM Leadership Competencies   [Top of Page]

To be an effective supervisor or manager in BLM, you must strive to achieve certain characteristics or competencies.  These competencies closely align to those outlined by the Office of Personnel Management for achieving leadership within the federal sector.  You can view the list of competencies that BLM has selected for its supervisors and managers on the Leadership Excellence Program website: www.ntc.blm.gov/leadership/27_comp.html.  Reviewing these competencies may help you prepare your individual development plan as discussed in the paragraph above.

Safety   [Top of Page]

Each employee is responsible for working in a safe manner, but the supervisor is responsible for assuring that all work is done safely. This assurance includes suitable and properly functioning equipment and the use of proper work methods.

All employees should be allowed to attend standard training courses, some of which include defensive driving, first aid, CPR, and four-wheel drive and all-terrain vehicle training.  You should also participate in these training courses to sharpen your skills.

Implementing Policy   [Top of Page]

A primary supervisory responsibility is ensuring that agency policies are effectively implemented.  You may have had little experience in some resource areas or may be confronted with unique issues.  Bureau policies help ensure consistency in how issues are addressed.  You need to be aware of these policies and ensure that your employees know and understand them.

Resource management plans or management framework plans contain general resource-related policies accomplished during the year.  Instruction memoranda guide actions during a limited time.  They often have the most specific policy guidance on a topic.  Policy statements are included in each BLM Manual section. Policies may be conflicting or ambiguous.  For highly sensitive areas, ask your manager for guidance.

Personnel Actions   [Top of Page]

The world of personnel is complex and is often where many new supervisors experience trouble.  To help you through the variety of personnel actions, rely on your servicing human resource office to help you Depending on your knowledge of personnel laws and regulations, you might seek formal training in this area during your first few months in your new position.  Human resources issues are often where many new supervisors experience problems.

Budgeting and Annual Work Plans   [Top of Page]

Depending on your position in the organization, you may be called upon to develop a fiscal year budget for your area of responsibility.  You may need to submit to your manager program needs, including estimated travel expenses and equipment and procurement needs. In addition, you should keep good records of the progress units for which your work group is responsible.

Counseling   [Top of Page]

As a supervisor, one of your most important duties will be employee counseling.  If you are like many supervisors in BLM, counseling is a skill that you have not needed to develop in performing your technical duties.  Here are a few quick tips.

• Develop your listening skills. Listening is a basic skill that can greatly increase your effectiveness.
  
• Spend some time getting to know the people you work with.  Know what their likes and dislikes are and how they feel about issues.
  
• Care about the employees you supervise.  Your actions will convey how much you care about them.  They will notice and respond to your sincere concern.
  
• Know your own limitations.  Being a good listener and counselor does not require that you try to be a professional psychologist.  Help where you can and be ready to ask for help.
  
• Maintain confidentiality.  Employees are sensitive about how their concerns are resolved.
  
• Paraphrase employee comments to check your understanding of their concerns.  Paraphrasing will help you understand the issues and more effectively solve them.
  
• Be honest. Employees need to know where they stand and how they can improve their performance.  Focus on their performance and not on their personalities.
  
• Remember how concerned you were when you had to discuss a sensitive subject with your supervisor.  Be sensitive to the level of confidence of employees, especially if they are relatively new employees.  You were there once.

Depending on your skill level, you may find it beneficial to seek formal training in this area.