The first level of supervision in any company or organization has a dramatic impact on employee performance and behaviour because for most employees an immediate supervisor is the embodiment of the company. The behaviours and attitudes of supervisors therefore drive employee perceptions of the company. Frontline supervisors are a main determinant of performance, retention and morale.

As newly appointed agents of a company, new supervisors can create huge liabilities if they do not know their responsibilities or the magnified impact of their actions. This workbook aims to facilitate the development and effective delivery of training for new supervisors and for other supervisors. That preparation is critical for it helps protect the company's interests, maximizes its performance, and enables an organization to get the most from its employees.

In developing this workbook, the authors reviewed the available literature on new supervisor training, interviewed other experts in the field and combined that knowledge with their extensive experience designing and delivering interactive training that hits the mark. Both authors have led numerous seminars and developmental sessions with newly appointed supervisors, and have pioneered the development of hands-on, experiential learning that features interactive technology. The approaches in this book reflect a broad range of experience and knowledge gleaned from many years of fruitful experimentation and evaluation.

The training materials here focus on helping a new supervisor make the transition from contributor to leader, and they can be used in a broad array of private and public organizations. Although the material is designed for training...