Supervisors play a critical role in facilitating the Ready, Willing and Able model of worker change in time of business change. They are the people who have responsibility for the many activities critical to the outcome of business change at the employee level. The process they engage in has two layers for creating employees that are Ready, Willing and Able. They take on a collection of vital activities and they become accountable for an array of deliverables. Performed correctly, these dual roles should result in employee change.
The first step in the process is to get the employees Ready. For this to happen, the supervisor’s activities usually involve literal explanation. They cover the new expectations for workers related to the new work. Often, they go in depth with any new processes and the desired results. A test or review of the employees comprehension of the features of the new work is standard. In terms of deliverables, the supervisor normally develops a new job description. They will often produce a key performance indicators form. The major item they are responsible for is producing or distributing new policies and procedures regarding the new tasks.
The next step in the business change is for employees to reach the Willing stage. For this, the actitivities the supervisor engages in will be more response based. They spend more time giving the workers feedback regarding their new responsibilities. Often, they will have to problem solve the inevitable bugs in the processes. Rewarding the best efforts of employees with their new tasks is also something supervisors should be doing. What the supervisor is doing is aimed at helping the employees become confident with the new tasks. As for the deliverables, it can include a new contracting form that reflects the new responsibilities. A new performance review form is usually written. When new tasks are included it also appropriate to update or replace the salary review form.
The final step in the process is to assure that employees are Able. Content development related to training is a key activity of supervisors. They need to review current systems that are in place. Assuring that sufficient practice is available is a primary supervisor task. A fundamental activity for supervisors is assessing workers skill with the new work. A manual for the trainers is a deliverable that supervisors are frequently called on to supply. Trainee notebooks are a deliverable that supervisors can create. Attendance logs and testing results are deliverables that supervisors would be expected to be able to produce. More importantly, these types of deliverable help with analyzing the success of business change.
The two roles that supervisors play in the Ready, Willing and Able process should be given due consideration. It is also a fundamental aspect of the business change process. They are responsible not only for delivering training and feedback, but also analyzing current systems and producing training materials. When superviors do this well, it can produce the worker outcomes that change projects are all about.
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