Supervisor Responsibilities and Expectations
A MESSAGE TO ALL SUPERVISORS:
If you have direct reports, then no matter what your title or role, you’re a supervisor. That means your primary responsibility is to help your employees develop and maximize their contributions by applying Principle Based Management.
You are to develop trusted relationships and know your employees well enough to help them self-actualize. This includes providing honest, direct and timely feedback, helping employees understand their strengths and weaknesses, and dealing with poor performance.
While we don’t expect perfection, continually improving your effectiveness is essential for your – and the company’s – success.
If, after reviewing these responsibilities, you realize that supervising isn’t for you, that’s okay. Explore with your supervisor and others what roles may be a better fit. It is critically important that everyone, including you, be in the right role.
VISION |
Work with your team to close gaps between today's performance and what is possible. Continually seek to transform. Engage with your team and your own supervisor to better identify and stop or modify activities that are not profitable. Think long term. Build, acquire or develop the team capabilities needed to make the greatest contribution. |
| VIRTUE AND TALENTS Hire, develop and retain contribution-motivated employees with a diversity of aptitudes so your team’s culture more fully exemplifies Our Values. Work with your employees so each is in the right role with the right responsibilities and opportunities to self-actualize. |
Treat your team members as individuals. Personalize your coaching of each, including high performers, to help them learn what they are and aren’t good at so they can self-actualize and increase their contribution. Continually make changes so your team has the right combination of perspectives, experiences, aptitudes, knowledge and skills to drive profitable transformation. Lead by example. Use and ensure your team uses our principle-based framework to guide what everyone does. |
| KNOWLEDGE Enable every team member to learn and improve so they can better help us succeed in a rapidly changing world. |
Create an inclusive team environment where decision making is improved by soliciting and providing challenge, seeking and sharing knowledge, and identifying and closing gaps. Help your team experiment effectively, take profitable risks and develop good economic thinking skills. Develop and modify your team’s measures so they provide the information required for marginal analysis and insights that improve stewardship and profitability. |
| COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE Maximize what your team and Koch can accomplish by applying division of labor by comparative advantage so each employee makes the greatest contribution relative to the contributions of others. |
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| MOTIVATION Motivate each employee to make the maximum contribution to the team and Koch’s long-term success by realizing their potential. |
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Click below for the PDF
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Tips for Using This Tool
- To make this actionable, consider turning each statement into a question. What am I doing to…? How am I …? What are some ways I could…?
- Consider printing the PDF version or bookmarking this page so you can quickly reference this tool anytime you need it.
Understand It Better
At Koch, supervisors contribute in a specific way: helping their employees develop and maximize their contribution. This responsibility is not an afterthought, it’s a supervisor’s primary responsibility!
This differs from many companies, where becoming a supervisor and expanding the size of your team is the primary method of career and pay advancement.
Simply put, our approach to supervising is to apply the five dimensions of Principle Based Management.
Being a Supervisor at Koch - Unscripted
Leaders discuss some of the responsibilities and high expectations of supervisors at Koch.
Advice for Supervisors of Supervisors
Leaders provide advice to supervisors with employees who are also supervisors.
Fostering Employee Development and Career Navigation
At Koch, we take a different approach to employee and career development than many organizations. Because we treat employees as individuals, we do not subscribe to one-size-fits-all development programs and career paths.
We know that employees develop at different speeds and in different ways. That’s why our approach to development includes things like learning new skills, deepening knowledge, broadening experiences, taking on "stretch” responsibilities, or changing roles.
The following are practical ways supervisors help employees realize their potential and maximize their contributions.
Employee Development
Role, Responsibilities & Expectations
Coaching and Feedback
Feedback Summaries
Compensation
Tip: Practice with AskFred
AskFred can be your (virtual) coach! It’s especially useful for supervisors to role-play and practice coaching conversations. Give it a try.
Our Approach to Supervising is Different
Because we have a specific approach to how we operate, Principle Based Management, there are a number of ways being a supervisor at a Koch company is different from other organizations. Here are a few:
You do not have to be a supervisor to increase your contributions or pay.
While employees are ultimately responsible for their own development and careers, you play an important role. Helping your employees develop is your primary responsibility, not something you do when you have time.
You are expected to build trusted relationships with your employees and get to know them as individuals so you can effectively coach and motivate each of them.
Your job is not to be the top technical expert on the team. Your job is to empower each employee to contribute, develop and realize their potential. You are successful when they are successful.
Unless prohibited by contract or law, you make compensation recommendations and communicate compensation decisions to your employees.
Understand it Better
Misunderstandings about Supervising - Unscripted
Leaders identify -- and set the record straight -- about some common misunderstandings about supervising.
Good Supervisors Coach Everyone on their Team - Unscripted
Hear more about the supervisor expectation to coach ALL team members--including those who are doing well.
Being a Supervisor at Koch - Unscripted
Leaders discuss some of the responsibilities and high expectations of supervisors at Koch.
Right Person, Right Role
Chase Koch discusses the missed opportunities when an individual--especially a supervisor--is in the wrong role.
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The "Magic" of Supervisor-Employee Conversations (Mandarin)
Leaders share their experiences as a supervisor and the benefits of formal and informal interactions.
Learning From Others
Self-Reflection
The following questions ask you to reflect on your interests, priorities and actions. These questions can help you determine if supervising is right for you and/or how you can improve if you are a supervisor.
- I want to be a supervisor
- I am a supervisor
- I am a supervisor of supervisors
If you are considering becoming a supervisor, what about our approach is appealing? What is not?
Is helping others developing at the top of your list of passions? If it’s not, supervising at Koch isn’t for you.
How much would you miss working on technical work if it wasn’t your primary responsibility?
Based on the responsibilities and expectations outlined above, what areas need more of your attention? What are your plans to close those gaps?
How well do you know your employees? Are there areas where you have found yourself treating everyone the same?
How are you working with your supervisor to prioritize your supervisor responsibilities and improve your skills? How do you expect your improvements to help your team achieve better results?
- How are you holding your employees accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities as a supervisor?
- What do your employees’ teams need the most help with? What are you doing to ensure your employees (who are supervisors) are equipped to provide that development?
- To what degree are you talking to your employees about their supervisory responsibilities compared to their technical work? Given your answer, what message are you sending?
Give It a Try
Explore these resources to help you develop your knowledge and skills as a supervisor at Koch: