Fundamentals of Supervision

Book: Supervision: Key Link to Productivity 8e, Rue, Leslie and Byaas, Lloyd
Chapter 3 - Developing Communications Skills

1. Communication as a Supervisory Skill
   1. Supervisors must have many communications skills
      1. Give clear directions to people who work for them
      2. Must be able to motivate people
      3. Must be able to understand the ideas of others
      4. Must be able to persuade others
2. Interpersonal Communications
   1. Interactive process between individuals that involves sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages.
   1. Conflicting or Inappropriate Assumptions
      1. As a supervisor always check to make sure that the message that you sent out is the same that the other one received.
   2. Semantics
      1. Study of meanings of words and symbols
      2. Some words have multiple meanings to them.
      3. Technical languages develop in industries that cause confusion to others.
      4. Words need to be carefully chosen in supervisor role
   3. Perception
      1. The mental and sensory processes an individual uses in processing information received
      2. No two people will perceive something the same way.
      3. Selective perception is state where receiver will block out some information.
   4. Emotions Either Preceding or during Communications
      1. Emotions that a sender or a receiver is going through may affect how the communications take place.
      2. The emotions can be before the meeting or during
      3. Managers should learn to try to manage the emotional environment.
3. Learning to Communicate
   1. Understand the Audience
      1. What does it know
      2. What does it want to know
      3. What is capacity for absorbing the information
      4. What is gained by listening?
      5. Is audience friendly or hostile?
      /ol>
      6. Developing Good Listening Skills
         1. An important skill for a supervisor
         2. Active Listening
            1. Absorb what a person is saying and respond to the concerns they have.
            2. Most people forget what they have heard within 10 minutes. It is almost totally gone within 48 hours.
         3. How to do active listening
            1. Listen to the speaker's purpose
            2. Identify the speaker's main ideas
            3. Note the speaker's tone as well as body language
            4. Respond to the speaker with appropriate comments, questions, and body language.
      7. Feedback
         1. A way of determining that the speaker got the right message
         2. Try to get them to repeat back what you said to them to verify it.
      8. d. Understanding the Importance of Nonverbal Communication
         1. Paralanguage - nonverbal communications involving pitch, temp, loudness and hesitations used in communications
         2. Gestures used - be careful with these as they mean different things in different countries
         3. Proximity to speaker can also be important
   2. Written Communications
      1. Principles of Good Writing
         1. Write as clearly as possible
         2. Be sure content and tone are appropriate for audience
         3. Proofread the document (do not just rely on spell check)
   3. Oral Communications
      1. The Importance of Oral Communications
      2. Developing Oral Communication Skills
         1. Make emotional contact with listener
            1. use names when possible
            2. keep eye contact going
         2. Avoid speaking in monotone
         3. Be enthusiastic and project positive outlook
         4. Avoid interrupting people
         5. Always be courteous
         6. Avoid empty sound words ('um', 'uh', 'like', 'you know')
   4. Choosing the Best Method of Communication
      1. Not all methods are equal in all situations
      2. Use the best for that situation
   5. Communicating within the Organization
      1. The Grapevine
         1. Informal channel in a company for communications purposes
         2. Handles mostly distorted messages and rumors
         3. Management needs to be aware of it, and listen to what is going on. They also need to dispel rumors that would damage the company that are heard there.
      2. E-Mail
         1. Saves time, wasted effort and provides written record of communications.
   6. Communications in International Business
      1. English is primary language in the world but there are 3,000.
      2. Nonverbal communications complicate things as different gestures mean different things in other cultures
      3. Basic rules
         1. Learn the culture of who you are speaking to
         2. Write and speak clearly, avoiding jargon.

Systems Analysis and Design

Book: Systems Analysis and Design 6e Kendell & Kendall
Chapter 2 Understanding Orgaizational Style and its Impact on Information Systems

1. 1. Organizations as Systems
   Organizations can be thought of as separate units that work to benefit the whole of the organization. These separate systems work together to make a complex system.
   
   
   
   1. Interrelatedness and Interdependence of Systems
      All systems and subsystems affect all other systems and subsystems in the organization.
      Systems make output out of input. If nothing is being changed it may not be a system you are looking at.
      Systems (and organizations) have boundaries. They can be permeable or not but they are there.
      Feedback is a system control. Ideal system will do use this feedback without that human decisions are not needed. Feedback can come from inside or outside the system/organization. A similar concept is that of openness or closedness.
   
   
   2. Vitrual Organizations and Virtual Teams
      Many organizations have developed virtual components. This allows for working at things from many locations as if they were a team. One must be careful in this environment to keep a perspective that you are part of a team even when there is no socialization taking place.
      
   
   
   3. Taking a System Perspective
      Problems result when a subsystem in the organization sees itself as the main reason the company is where it is. It is the systems analyst job to see the subsystems as equally important and get them to work together.
      
   
   
   4. Enterprise Resource Planning: Viewing the Organization as a System
      ERP is software that helps with the sharing of information across an organization. They can be hard to fit into existing systems and building or rebuilding from scratch can wind up being rushed and not done right.
   
   


2. Depicting Systems Graphically
   
   
   1. Systems and the Context-Level Data Flow Diagram
      DFD use three shapes to show the data flow un the system. 1) Rectangle with rounded edges represents processes. 2) Square with 2 shadow edges represents entities. 3) An arrow represents the flow.
      
   
   
   2. Systems and the are Entity-Relationship Model
      Another way to look at things is an ERD. This uses rectangles with lines attached to show the relationships. The end of the lines can have a pair of parallel lines (=) on the end meaning one to one relationship, or a crows foot representing a many relationship. A zero on a line means that there can be 0 entities in a relationship with the other end. To these we add Associative entries (things that create an association with the entries) by drawing a diamond in the rectangle. We can also add attributive entries, round edges in rectangle, which represent descriptions of attributes. An ERD is used to show the relationships between different elements of the process and what attributes they can contain.
   
   


3. Levels of Management
   There are three levels of management. They are operational control (lower level), managerial planning (middle level) and Strategic management (top level). Operational level uses pre determined rules for decisions. Middle mangers do short term planning and make decisions on how company is controlled. High level managers make decisions to steer the future of the company.
   
   
   1. Implications for Information Systems Development
      Since different levels of management need different information to do their job, the systems analyst will need to tailor the information to the person using it. Some layers may overlap in the company so be prepared to give the users what they need.
   
   


4. Organizational Culture
   This is a new area of study. The culture can consist of many things including verbal, non-verbal, ceremonies and other things. An analyst needs to understand the culture in the organization to understand the true flow of things at times.
   

Systems Analysis and Design

Book: Systems Analysis and Design 6e Kendell & Kendall
Chapter 1 Assuming the Role of the System Analyst

1. Types of Systems
   1. Transaction Processing Systems
      1. TPS are computerized information systems developed to process large amounts of data for routine transactions
      2. They span boundaries inside and outside the organization
   2. Office Automation Systems and Knowledge Work Systems
      1. OAS support data workers who analyze and ransform data then share it
         1. Covers word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail and the like.
      2. KWS aids professional workers in sharing new knowledge they create.
   3. Management Information Systems
      1. MIS includes the element of TPS talked about before
      2. Inputs information from many sources (people and computers) and outputs information to help management make decisions
      3. Stores information in databases
   4. Decision Support Systems
      1. DSS similar to MIS
      2. Emphasizes the support of decision making
      3. Decision is still up to manager using it
   5. Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence
      1. AI is all encompassing field for expert systems
      2. AI develops machines that mimic intelligent behavior
      3. Expert Systems use AI to solve problems of users by selecting the best solution unlike DSS suggesting solution
   6. Group Decision Support Systems and Computer Collaborative Work Systems
      1. GDSS bring groups together to help solve problems by using various software tools
      2. Also called CCWS or groupware
   7. Executive Support Systems
      1. ESS helps executives interact with environments
2. Integrated Technologies for Systems
   1. Ecommerce Applications and Web Systems
   2. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
   3. Systems for Wireless and Handheld Devices
      1. Wireless systems need to made secure
      2. Software needs to be developed to make PDAs and the like useable by people in company
   4. Open Source Software
3. Need for System Analysis and Design
   1. You can not do any thing without proper planning first
   2. System Analysis brings all the parties together to build a system that will work
4. Roles of System Analyst
   1. System Analyst as Consultant
      1. Hired as a temporary person
         1. Fresh eyes for problem - good
         2. Does not know organizational culture - bad
      2. Rely on users and management to lead to where problems could be
   2. System Analyst as Supporting Expert
      1. Regular employee at company
      2. Usually not full blown Systems Analyst project, just supporting people by making small changes and tweaking things
   3. System Analyst as an Agent of Change
      1. You are an agent of change if participate in the System Development Life Cycle
      2. If change, defined as needed improvements, is required you help plan for that change
   4. Qualities of the System Analyst
      1. Problem solver
      2. Know various aspects of computers
      3. Self-disciplined and self-motivated
5. The System Development Life Cycle
   1. Identifying Problems, Opportunities, and Objectives
      1. Look at what is occurring then pinpoint the problems
      2. Identify what the objectives are to be
      3. Output from this phase will be feasibility study so group can decide to continue or not
   2. Determining Information Requirements
      1. Determine what people need
         1. Interview people doing job
         2. Observe people doing job
      2. Find out current method and why it is used
      3. Change current method if it needs changing
   3. Analyzing System Needs
      1. Use tools to diagram what is happening
      2. Create structured decisions to help respond to actions
         1. structured English
         2. decision tables
         3. decision trees
      3. When done, cost should be established for each possible resolution and analyst makes recommendation
   4. Designing the Recommended System
      1. Design user interface
      2. Design data storage needs
      3. Design controls and backup procedures to protect data
   5. Developing and Documenting Software
      1. Develop material so programmer can understand what is needed (ex. Pseudo code)
      2. Develop documentation to help user (manuals, FAQs, etc.)
   6. Testing and Maintaining the System
      1. Test system before turned over to users (not after)
      2. Maintenance is on going item. Tweak system to fix problems as they rise
   7. Implementing and Evaluating the System
      1. Last stage
      2. Train the users to use new system (or revisions of old)
      3. Evaluate if system does job
      4. These steps are not cyclical, but one steps problems may require you to backtrack to previous ones
   8. The Impact of Maintenance
      1. Estimates of 48 to 60 % of time in job involves maintenance
      2. At some point maintaining system cost more than developing new system
6. Using CASE Tools
   1. Reasons for Using CASE Tools
      1. Increased analyst productivity
         1. tools make it easy for modifications to be done to system
         2. CASE tools can create program code for company
      2. Improve Analyst-User communications
      3. Integrate life cycle activities - flow from one step to next easily
      4. Accuracy in assessing maintenance changes
7. Upper and Lower CASE
   1. Upper CASE Tools
      1. Create and modify the system design
      2. Support for modeling an organizations layout
      3. Prototyping of screens and reports
   2. Lower CASE Tools
      1. Generate source code
         1. Quicker than programmers can write it
         2. lower cost on generating code and maintenance
         3. Code produced in multiple languages supports easy migration
         4. Easy modification of already existing CASE designs speeds development.
         5. Generated code free of errors in coding, only design errors can be there.
8. Software Reverse Engineering and Reengineering
   1. Extends life of legacy software
   2. Code is revised back to source code and then put into CASE tools to revise it
9. Object-Oriented System Analysis and Design
   1. Approach to design software that must be changed rapidly to meet needs
   2. OOL uses Universal Modeling Language (UML) to break system to case model
   3. Objects represent computer things, people, orders, etc.
10. Extreme Programming and Other Alternative Methodologies
    1. Extreme Programming (XP)

Fundamentals of Supervision

Book: Supervision: Key Link to Productivity 8e, Rue, Leslie and Byaas, Lloyd
Chapter 2 Making Sound and Creative Decisions

1. Decision Making versus Problem Solving
   
   1. Decision Making - choosing from various alternatives
   2. Problem Solving - Process of deciding an appropriate response to resolve a problem
   3. While they are similar problem solving involves decisions but not all decisions are caused by problems
   4. Program versus Nonprogrammed Decisions
      1. Programmed - automatic response to a problem that arises, routine things
      2. Nonprogrammed Decisions - responses to one or limited time events, non-routine things
2. Recognition and Timeliness of the Decision
   1. Recognition that there is a decision that needs to be made is the first step to resolving the decision.
   2. Do not fall into one of the three traps
      1. Always making quick decisions
      2. Always taking too much time to make a decision
      3. Avoiding making a decision at all
3. Steps in the Decision-Making Process
1. Be alert to Indications and Symptoms of Problems - do not ignore signs that a problem is coming
2. Tentatively Define the Problem - What you think may be the problem may not be. Does a worker make bad parts because he is careless or because his equipment is broken?
3. Collect Facts and Redefine the Problem If Necessary - collect the information necessary to define the problem or maybe redefine it
4. Identify Possible Alternatives - Do not just come up with one or two solutions. Minimum should be four, best to have more.
5. Gather and Organize Facts Concerning Identified Alternatives - Research to find the best solution for your problem
6. Evaluate Possible Alternatives - With the facts gathered decide what would be the benefits and problems with each decisions
7. Choose and Implement the Best Alternative - Keep your personal biases from influencing the decision. Do not choose a plan just to make a choice if alternatives are bad.
8. The Follow-Up - Ask the necessary question, Did it work? What went wrong and why?
4. Group Decision Making
   1. Advantages
      1. More alternatives to choose from
      2. People accept choices that they have participated in
      3. The sum total of knowledge of group is greater than any one person
   2. Disadvantages
      1. Takes more time
      2. Groupthink, pressure for the group to think alike, may occur
      3. One person can dominate the group if not careful
      4. Competition for pet ideas can become intense
      5. Groups tend to go with the first proposal that meets standards needed
   3. Supervisor needs to set down the rules for the decision, does he have the right to reject the idea or ideas presented. What limits are on the group
5. practical Traps to Avoid When Making Decisions
   1. Making all decisions BIG decisions
   2. Creating Crisis Situations
   3. Failing to consult with others
   4. Never admitting a mistake
   5. Constantly regretting decisions made
   6. Failing to utilize precedents and policies
   7. Promising what cannot be delivered
   8. Delaying decisions too long
6. Making Creative Decisions
   1. The Creative Person - creativity is not something that you have or do not, all people have it to some degree or another
   2. Improving Personal Creativity
      1. Most people let creativity dry up as they get older
      2. To improve creativity:
         1. Think outside the box
         2. Do not be limited by practicality
         3. Let your subconscious mind work on the problem
   
   
   3. Establishing and maintaining a creative climate
      1. Demonstrate you value creativity
      2. Brainstorming - gather people together to get ideas no matter how impractical it may seem
      3. Brainwriting - same process but ideas are written on paper and then expounded on by others anonymously
      4. Synectics - make the familiar strange and make the strange familiar
   4. Barriers to Organizational Creativity
      1. Fear of failure
      2. Premature criticism (of ideas)
      3. The supervisor's shadow - do not create environment where workers give you what you want to hear
      4. Distractions and interruptions
      5. Protection of status quo
      6. Hierarchical idea filters - the more levels it must go up to get accomplished, the more it will get distorted or lost
      7. Appropriated ideas - do not take credit for ideas that come from subordinates
      8. Lack of support - ideas enhanced when supported by supervisors and co-workers
      9. Excessive togetherness

Fundemetals of Supervision

Book: Supervision: Key Link to Productivity 8e, Rue, Leslie and Byaas, Lloyd
Chapter 1 The Supervisor's Job

1. What is supervision?
   
   1. the first level of management in organization
   2. Concerned with encouraging the members if work unit to contribute positively.
   3. Supervisor must have varied skills
2. Who are supervisors?
   1. First established in the Bible (Moses)
   2. Have various levels. Top. Middle. Supervisor
   3. Fair Labor Standards Act defines who a manager is.
3. Sources of Supervisory Talent
   1. From within organization
   2. Officers of Labor Unions
   3. College graduates
4. The Functions of Supervision
   1. Functions
      1. Planning - determine where you are at, determine the objective, and determine best way to reach goals.
      2. Organizing - distributing the work among the employees.
      3. Staffing - obtaining and developing good people.
      4. Leading - directing people to accomplish of work objectives.
      5. Controlling - see if objectives met and correcting
      6. Various levels of management will use these skills in different percentages, but all are necessary for good supervisory skills.
   2. Skills - Another way to look at skills breaks into 4 groups
      1. Technical - knowledge of how things are done
      2. Human Relations Skills - how to work with people
      3. Administrative Skills - how the organization works
      4. Decision making skills - analyze and make decisions
      5. Theses skills like above are in different mix based on level of management.
   3. Key Reasons for Supervisory success
      1. ability and willingness to delegate
      2. proper use of Authority
      3. setting a good example
      4. Recognize Change in roll.
      5. Desire for job
5. The Changing Nature of the Supervisor's Environment
   1. Changes in Information Availability
      1. Access to Internet
      2. Cell phones, teleconferencing and the like.
      3. These rapid changes require more skilled employees
   2. Changes in Outlook towards the Work Environment
      1. Workforce demographics
         1. Workforce has more woman
         2. Workforce has more Hispanics (taking over as primary minority)
         3. Workforce is getting older
      2. Opportunities and Challenges of Diversity
         1. Everyone is not the same and these differences presents challenges (and contributions)
         2. Glass ceiling
            1. Woman and other minorities cannot rise above a certain point in great numbers
            Organizations and government are looking on how to change this.
      3. Guidelines for Managing Diversity
         1. Focus on observable behavior
         2. Avoid stereotyping
         3. Evaluate output, not input
         4. Don't make assumptions about nonstandard behavior
         5. Provide feedback based on observations
         6. Don't tolerate nonbehavioral assumptions from anyone
         7. Test your own behaviors
6. Supervision: Key Link to Productivity

Fundemetals of Supervision

Book: Supervision: Key Link to Productivity 8e, Rue, Leslie and Byaas, Lloyd
Chapter 1 The Supervisor's Job

1. What is supervision?
   
   1. the first level of management in organization
   2. Concerned with encouraging the members if work unit to contribute positively.
   3. Supervisor must have varied skills
2. Who are supervisors?
   1. First established in the Bible (Moses)
   2. Have various levels. Top. Middle. Supervisor
   3. Fair Labor Standards Act defines who a manager is.
3. Sources of Supervisory Talent
   1. From within organization
   2. Officers of Labor Unions
   3. College graduates
4. The Functions of Supervision
   1. Functions
      1. Planning - determine where you are at, determine the objective, and determine best way to reach goals.
      2. Organizing - distributing the work among the employees.
      3. Staffing - obtaining and developing good people.
      4. Leading - directing people to accomplish of work objectives.
      5. Controlling - see if objectives met and correcting
      6. Various levels of management will use these skills in different percentages, but all are necessary for good supervisory skills.
   2. Skills - Another way to look at skills breaks into 4 groups
      1. Technical - knowledge of how things are done
      2. Human Relations Skills - how to work with people
      3. Administrative Skills - how the organization works
      4. Decision making skills - analyze and make decisions
      5. Theses skills like above are in different mix based on level of management.
   3. Key Reasons for Supervisory success
      1. ability and willingness to delegate
      2. proper use of Authority
      3. setting a good example
      4. Recognize Change in roll.
      5. Desire for job
5. The Changing Nature of the Supervisor's Environment
   1. Changes in Information Availability
      1. Access to Internet
      2. Cell phones, teleconferencing and the like.
      3. These rapid changes require more skilled employees
   2. Changes in Outlook towards the Work Environment
      1. Workforce demographics
         1. Workforce has more woman
         2. Workforce has more Hispanics (taking over as primary minority)
         3. Workforce is getting older
      2. Opportunities and Challenges of Diversity
         1. Everyone is not the same and these differences presents challenges (and contributions)
         2. Glass ceiling
            1. Woman and other minorities cannot rise above a certain point in great numbers
            Organizations and government are looking on how to change this.
      3. Guidelines for Managing Diversity
         1. Focus on observable behavior
         2. Avoid stereotyping
         3. Evaluate output, not input
         4. Don't make assumptions about nonstandard behavior
         5. Provide feedback based on observations
         6. Don't tolerate nonbehavioral assumptions from anyone
         7. Test your own behaviors
6. Supervision: Key Link to Productivity