Guidelines for Frontline Supervisors

Introduction

The intent of this course is to provide access to the author's 40+ years of supervisory experience to those that wish to augment and strengthen the skill set required to be effective as a supervisor.

A supervisor's area of expertise is first and foremost the management of a work force, with the emphasis on management. This means that a supervisor isn't simply a motivator or a task master. A supervisor must also possess, in part, the skills and/or knowledge of a mediator, a labour lawyer, a mining inspector, a trainer, a secretary and an office manager, not to mention the technical skills required to manage the equipment and processes that are part of his or her responsibility matrix. The single common factor in all of these disciplines is people. The goal of this course is to demystify a great deal of the interaction between the supervisor and worker, the supervisor and upper management, and the supervisor and the various regulations that have an impact on a frontline supervisor's performance. It also provides the information necessary to increase proficiency in evaluation, accident/incident investigation, communication, confrontation, training, and more.

It should also be mentioned that worldwide mining laws and customs are very diverse; the legal information given here should be verified locally, and some of the workforce interaction techniques may have to be modified to suit local conditions. Every effort has been made to prevent misinterpretations from occurring, but they sometimes do occur, so please do your due diligence. Any manager, regardless of rank, industry or locality, should find the concepts and information presented informative and helpful.

Course Content

Guidelines for Frontline Supervisors comprises five parts, including...

• Introduction to Supervision
• Management Skills
• Workforce Dynamics
• Training
• Evaluations

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the role and responsibilities of a supervisor.
• Understand and appreciate the skills required to be an efficient supervisor.
• Appreciate the workforce dynamics of a supervisory role, particularly with respect to maintaining authority, employee handling and conflict management.
• Appreciate the importance of good employee training programs and employee evaluation programs.

Course Requirements

• a technical background
• experience of mining operations

Ron Magill

Ron has 40+ years experience in mineral processing and supervision. Due to coming up through the ranks and his close involvement with operating personnel he speaks the same language as the new operator and first time supervisor; having been there he knows what they need. Perhaps more importantly, through a keen interest in industrial psychology and communication theory, his courses are presented in terms that laymen can understand, with just enough background information to de-mystify the world of mineral processing.

Gloria Magill

Gloria has worked in the hospitality industry off and on for the better part of 30 years. In that time she has supervised crews from just a couple of employees to a staff of more than fifty in the housekeeping department of a major hotel. Currently she is in the process of translating the "Guidelines for Frontline Supervisors" into French.