Concept of Psychodrama
Psychodrama is a therapeutic discipline which uses action methods, sociometry, role training, and group dynamics to facilitate constructive change in the lives of participants. Based on the theories and methodology of Jacob L. Moreno, M. D. (1889-1974), psychodrama can be found in mental health programs, business, and education. Psychodramatists provide services to diverse groups-from children to the elderly, and from the chronically mentally ill to those seeking understanding and learning in their work settings.
By closely approximating life situations in a structured environment, the participant is able to recreate and enact scenes in a way which allows both insight and an opportunity to practice new life skills. In psychodrama, the client (or protagonist) focuses on a specific situation to be enacted. Other members of the group act as auxiliaries, supporting the protagonist in his or her work, by taking the parts or roles of significant others in the scene. This encourages the group as a whole to partake in the therapeutic power of the drama. The trained director helps to recreate scenes which might otherwise not be possible. The psychodrama then becomes an opportunity to practice new and more appropriate behaviors, and evaluate its effectiveness within the supportive atmosphere of the group. Because the dimension of action is present, psychodrama is often empowering in a way that exceeds the more traditional verbal therapies.
There are several additional branches of psychodrama. Sociometry is the study and measure of social choices within a group. Sociometry helps to bring to the surface patterns of acceptance or rejection and fosters increased group cohesion. This surfacing of the value systems and norms f a group allows for restructuring that will lower conflicts and foster synergistic relationships. Sociometry has been used in schools and corporations as well as within the mental health field. Sociodrama is a form of psychodrama that addresses the group's perceptions on social issues. Rather then being the drama of a single protagonist, this is a process that allows the group as a whole to safely explore various perceptions. Members might address problems such as teenage pregnancy or drug abuse, and together arrive at understanding and innovative responses to these difficult issues.
Psychodrama seeks to use a person's creativity and spontaneity to reach his or her highest human potential. With its perspective on the social network in which an individual lives, it promotes mutual support and understanding. In explaining his work, Dr. Moreno stated psychodrama's goal: to make it possible for every person to take part in creating the structure of the universe which "cannot have less an objective than the whole of mankind."
A) In psychotheraphy
It is a method of psychotherapy in which clients are encouraged to continue and complete their actions through dramatization, role playing and dramatic self-presentation. Both verbal and non-verbal communications are utilized. A number of scenes are enacted, depicting, for example memories of specific happenings in the past, unfinished situations, inner dramas, fantasies, dreams, preparations for future risk-taking situations, or unrehearsed expressions of mental states in the here and now. These scenes either approximate real-life situations or are externalizations of inner mental processes. If required, other roles may be taken by group members or by inanimate objects. It is mostly used as a group work method, in which each person in the group can become a therapeutic agent for each other in the group. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, psychodrama has strong elements of theater, often conducted on a stage where props can be used. The audience is fully involved with the dramatic action. Audience involvement is either through personal interest in the concerns of the leading actor, called the protagonist; or through playing some roles of the drama which helps the protagonist; or taking the form of some of the other elements of the drama, which can give voice to the rest of our wild universe; or through active engagement as an audience member. Psychodrama's core function is the raising of spontaneity in an adequate and functional manner. It is through the raising of spontaneity that a system, whether an internal human system or an organizational system, can begin to become creative, life filled and develop new solutions to old and tired problems or adequate solutions to new situations and concerns. A psychodrama is best conducted and produced by a person trained in the method or learning the method called a psychodrama director. Psychodrama training institutes exist in many countries around the world.
II. Psychological uses
In psychodrama, participants explore internal conflicts through acting out their emotions and interpersonal interactions on stage. A given psychodrama session (typically 90 minutes to 2 hours) focuses principally on a single participant, known as the protagonist. Protagonists examine their relationships by interacting with the other actors and the leader, known as the director. This is done using specific techniques, including doubling (psychodrama), role reversals, mirrors, soliloquy, and applied sociometry.
Psychodrama attempts to create an internal restructuring of dysfunctional mindsets with other people, and it challenges the participants to discover new answers to some situations and become more spontaneous and independent. There are over 10,000 practitioners internationally.
Although a primary application of psychodrama has traditionally been as a form of group psychotherapy, and psychodrama often gets defined as "a method of group psychotherapy," this does a disservice to the many other uses or functions of the method. More accurately psychodrama is defined as "a method of communication in which the communicator expresses him/her/themselves in action." The psycho dramatic method is an important source of the role-playing widely used in business and industry. Psychodrama offers a powerful approach to teaching and learning, as well as to training interrelationship skills. The action techniques of psychodrama also offer a means of discovering and communicating information concerning events and situations in which the communicator has been involved.
It is a psychotherapeutic method based on theatre. It takes place in a group and is directed by a therapist specialized on the technique (psycho dramatist). The psychiatrist Jacob Levi Moreno was the creator and developer of the method.
III. Development Of Psycho Drama
Psychodrama was developed into a full method after 1925, when Moreno immigrated to America. In 1936 he founded his sanatorium and psychodrama theatre at Beacon, New York, where he lived and worked until his death in 1974.
Psychodrama is not only used as a psychotherapeutic method, but it has also developed as a teaching method and it is generally applied to assist the participants to explore their lives, their relationships, their beliefs and their attitudes further.
The basic elements psychodrama
· The group is the essential element of psychodrama because it is the group which represents the society that all scenes through which the protagonist explores his theme, take place.
· The protagonist is the person who in a particular psychodramatic session will explore his theme.
· The director is the trained psychodramatist who will direct the session.
· The therapeutic contract is what the protagonist and the director agree to work on and is based on the protagonist’s need.
· The stage is the space in which psychodrama takes place with the enactment of various scenes of the protagonist’s life as if they are happing that very moment.
· Role reversal is the technique used so that the protagonist teaches the roles to the auxiliary egos and experiences the reality from the perspective of these roles.
· The auxiliary egos are members of the group who play the roles that exist in a certain scene. They are chosen by the protagonist. The roles that are played can be roles related to real people (mother, brother, etc), or emotions (anger, sadness, joy, etc), or even sensations (uneasiness, withdrawal, etc).
· Catharsis is the moment where the protagonist expresses some suppressed feeling that has blocked him in his life and makes him feel liberated.
· Sharing is the last phase of a psychodrama session where the members of the group share their thoughts and emotions from the role they were playing or any personal experience connected to the drama that was enacted.
The aim of psychodrama.
· Helps the protagonist realize the behaviours, feelings and dysfunctional beliefs that feed his problems in the relationships he structures within himself and with the environment.
· Helps the protagonist see where these behaviours and feelings come from and how the dysfunctional beliefs are settled within him.
· Gives the protagonist the opportunity to express suppressed feelings.
· Gives the protagonist the opportunity to re-examine his thoughts and attitudes towards a problem and adopt a spontaneous response.
· Brings people closer and helps them relate in deep way through the exchange of true feelings of solidarity.
Structure of a typical classical psychodrama session
The Format
A) Warm Up: When the group “warms up” to their own issues and those present within the group
B) Enactment: The actual role play or “action” part of the psycho dramatic process
C) Sharing: The group
Drama:
- 1st scene: a recent scene of the protagonist’s life in which the problem exists.
- 2nd scene: an older scene that related to the problem as it has been reframed.
- 3rd scene (locus scene): the scene where the problem was born.
- 4th scene (training scene): re-enactment of the first scene in which the protagonist now tries a new reaction to an old situation.
Sharing: group members share their personal experiences, related to the drama, with the protagonist.
Processing: analysis of the drama and role analysis (only for training psycho dramatists).
sharing, processing, closure and identifying with elements of the role playDynamics and Techniques
A) Doubling: When the director or group members stand behind the protagonist and act as an “inner voice” articulating what is not being said but may be being experienced unconsciously
B) Role Reversal: Physically “reversing roles” and playing the part of another person, place or thing within the drama in order to gain a fuller, richer perspective on the self. Role reversal also allows the protagonist to gain insight into what might be driving the behavior of another person.
Difference between Drama Therapy & Psychodrama
There are a number of areas in common and also several differences: They both use drama as a vehicle for psychotherapy. Psychodramatists generally have no background as theatre artists while drama therapists do. Psychodramatists are generally psychotherapists who have gone on to sub-specialize in a particular approach to therapy, just as other therapists sub-specialize as analytical psychologists (or "Jungians"), psychoanalysts, cognitive-behavior therapists, etc. (However, I like to emphasize that in addition to being its own approach–especially for classical psychodrama–many psychodramatic techniques and associated underlying principles can also be integrated with other therapeutic approaches.)
Drama therapists are generally theatre artists who take extra training in psychology and psychotherapy in order to apply drama in a therapeutic fashion.
Psychodrama generally works with the protagonist in role as himself, in various situations.
Drama therapists often work with patients in a more "distanced" role, a role not of the individual in his actual life situation. However, often this is done for patients who aren't ready to work with the more intense context of self-reflection. Psychodrama doesn't generally use ritual as much as drama therapists, but in fact there are increasing degrees of cross-over, so that many drama therapy techniques are being integrated into psychodrama; and vice versa.
Difference between psychodrama and psycho dramatic methods
The former term is used in several senses: (1) Classical psychodrama–a (usually) 2-3 hour process in group including a warm-up, action, sharing, and closure phase; (2) a general field deriving from the work of J.L. Moreno that includes classical psychodrama, psychodramatic methods, socio drama, sociometry, role training, spontaneity training, and the like; and (3) as any action modality that has a significant derivation from Moreno's work, even if it differs in many respects, such as Biblio drama, psychoanalytic psychodrama (used more in Europe and South America), and some forms that merge with drama therapy.
Psycho dramatic methods involve the integration of the techniques and principles of psychodrama in other forms of psychotherapy. While classical psychodrama requires more specialized training by (ideally) accredited trainers of psychodrama, some psychodramatic methods may be utilized without having to undergo specialized training.
SOCIODRAMA
Socio drama and Action Methods (SAM) are based on the work of Dr. J.L. Moreno (1889-1974), better known for his creation of psychodrama, a method of group psychotherapy. Socio dramatic approaches are profoundly effective and are used worldwide in organisational and professional settings. Emphasis is placed on understanding how individuals, teams, and organizations function.
Socio drama is a method to explore inter- and intra-group systems in societies, be they local, national, global or universal. The practitioner learns to analyze such systems, by setting them out physically (concretizing) using objects or group members as representations, giving voice to these identified roles within the system and, through role exploration (role reversal, doubling, mirroring etc.), to become a change agent by assisting the group to identify where new responses might be possible and practice the necessary skills to achieve the desired change.
Action methods offer a wide range of techniques and approaches that draw on role theory, role training, sociometry and socio drama to create highly successful experiential training, planning and group management practices.
Socio drama and Action Methods may be used:
§ to assist communication, negotiation, conflict management and team building;
§ to do stakeholder analysis, action research and strategic planning;
§ to assist in career planning and recruitment;
§ to predict outcomes or rehearse implementation.
In addition Socio drama & Action Methods may be used in teams and organisations:
§ to explore group, community, cultural and political concerns;
§ to develop a practitioner’s understanding of a systemic approach to organizations;
§ to develop a wide role repertoire of responses to new or challenging situations;
§ to supervise managerial or training problems;
§ to devise problem-solving methods that enliven, enlighten and are effective
Socio drama concerns itself with group issues.
It is a group action method in which participants act out an agreed upon social situation spontaneously and discover alternative ways of dealing with that problem. It concerns itself with those aspects of roles that we share with others and helps people to express their thoughts and feelings, solve problems, and clarify values. Unlike simple role playing, socio drama employs many specific techniques to deepen and broaden the action of the enactment. Some of these are: doubling, soliloquy, and mirroring."
Socio drama is used with groups wishing to explore common issues in training, organizations, community, educational and political contexts. It uses many of the same techniques as psychodrama to enable individual and group learning and change. Whereas psychodrama focuses on an individual's personal concerns, socio drama addresses the group's issue.
A "socio drama" is a dramatic enactment of real life situations or conflicts that often go unresolved. It is presented using a highly-trained staff of actors, or as we prefer to call them, "professional dramatists," and a facilitator. Because the issues, culture, and employees of every organization are different, socio dramas on any given topic are always custom-designed based on client feed back. The socio drama goes well beyond traditional "role play" in that the dramatists, unlike employee participants, are not intimidated by who is in the audience, and, of course, are trained professionals.
Typical sequence of socio drama related activities, from its introduction to conclusion
The facilitator begins with a brief overview of the work situation and typically introduces the actor as "employee of 'Company X', a company similar to yours." The actors next introduce themselves in character and set the stage, each from his own vantage point.
After they establish themselves and the situation, the facilitator "stops the action" and addresses the audience with questions about what is happening, what might be behind it, etc. Participants respond and then the highly improvisational nature of the socio drama experience takes over. The actors talk to audience members and also to their fellow actors, always in character. Several sequences of actor-to-actor and actor-to-audience interactions go on interspersed with "stop actions" and questions and comments by the facilitator.
At the end of the socio drama, the facilitator will make key "learning points" based on what has occurred and about the subject at hand. The audience is invited to engage either the facilitator or actors in discussion. When the sociodrama is "over" there will be a debriefing period in which the actors introduce themselves in "real life."
The role of the facilitator
The facilitator is an integral part of the socio drama. He / she acts as a conduit between the actors and the audience. The facilitator presents a prologue introducing a topic geared to the specific audience. He/ she then introduce the actors and give an overview of the scene. During the course of action and inter-action, the facilitator guides the participants through Q & A and also directs and controls the actors to be sure all themes are addressed.
What makes the socio drama so effective?
Our considerable experience with the socio drama "technology" suggests that is works because:
- It grabs and hold audience attention
- It facilitates participant identification with true-to-life characters & situations
- It involves individuals - via interplay with the actors (always "in-role") - in gaining new perspective on the rational and emotional barriers associated with the issue or conflict at hand -- and learning new, more effective ways to handle the situation. And, this occurs in a comparatively short time
Do the actors perform a set script?
No. Except for the first few minutes of the socio drama when the "stage" must be set, there is no set script. The socio drama is, in effect, an "interactive performance" in that all of it is improvisation. This is especially the case once audience participation begins.
Importance of Program Planning
Importance of Programme in Group Work.
Programme is a concept which broadly includes the entire range of activities, relationship, interaction and experiences which have been deliberately planned and carried out with the help of the group workers to meet the needs of the individual and groups. Following are the importance of Programme in group work.
Ø The success of social group work depends upon the nature of programme and the way in which the group members make use of them.
Ø Any individual value that a person learn through group work is through various programmers.
Ø An activity provides a chance to express friendliness and affection as well as indifference or open hostility towards others.
Ø Integration of the group is achieved through activities.
Ø Programme context provides a centre around which the members come together.
Ø It helps individuals to establish and develop relationship.
Ø Planning of the programme provides opportunities for the members to make and carry out discussions and to accept responsibilities
Ø The programme activities themselves sometimes provide pattern for setting conflicts and establishing contacts.
Stages in Planning
There are three stages to planning a programme of activities.
Long Term Planning
· Starts at the beginning of the year.
· Considers what the groups aims are for that year.
· Maps the year with regard to holidays events etc.
Medium Term Planning
· Lays out the plan for the coming 6 to 10 weeks.
· Agrees what needs to be done and who will do it.
· Ensures that resources and time are available to carry out the plan.
Short Term Planning
· Happens a week or two before an activity.
· Is a chance to carry out final preparations.
· Is a chance to respond to any unforeseen changes in the original plan.
Steps in Planning a Programme
Step – 1
1. The group’s interest / needs.
2. The resources available to teach that skill.
3. The relevance of the skill.
Step – 2
Break the skill down in to smaller achievable goals. This simplifies choosing activities that will help develop each skill.
Step – 3
Evaluating each session will help you stay on track. After each session you can decide it the group is ready to move on to a more advanced step or if they need time practicing what they have learned before moving on.
Step -4
Reflection involves giving young people a chance to look back on their experience of the programme and see how they have developed. It can be done in a fun way using group activities and discussion.
GROUP WORK RECORDING
Recording in group work or in other words record taking in group work is less universally practiced and less perfected than in case work, nevertheless it is important and it becoming increasingly so.
Most group workers find that record taking or recording increases the objectivity with which they view their work. The group worker makes record or takes record of the group members and different activities of the group.
WAYS OF GROUP WORK RECORDING
The group worker is always interested in the relationship of designated social needs of individuals to the activities which groups perform. At the outset the worker must understand how he can appropriately appraise the social needs and development of individuals and also of the community. A number of ways are open to him. Some of the ways are as follows;
1. Personal Interview
2. Tests
3. Observation
i. PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Some group work agencies realize the importance of having personal interviews with all individuals before permitting them to join in group activities by recording the interview. We can analyze improvement that has taken place in behavior pattern of a particular person in group activity.
ii. TESTS
If group workers wish to place their clients properly in organized groups and to provide the best possible group experience for them the use of test must become more wide spread. Commonly known standardized tests can point out to the workers the kind of skills that individuals have. This knowledge is very important in group work recording. The group worker also can use the recordings of tests to evaluate the work of the agency, so that the agency will be better able to spend its energy in the meeting of actual instead of assumed needs. The worker can determine what rates of learning is expected of individuals.
iii. OBSERVATION
Observation keeps less priority in group work recording. Not all individuals can be interviewed or tested upon their entrance into a group work agency. It is recorded to examine the attitude of give corrections in appropriate time. Through observation recording we can analyze the freedom and activities of group members and the expression they bring out in particular environment.
IMPORTANCE OF GROUP WORK METHOD
Records are very important to the social group work agency which sponsors the worker. The agency through the sponsors the workers.The agency through the supervisor has a means of knowledge that what is going if there is record.By aiding the worker through guidance,it can improve its own programme.
In some agencies the records are regularly used in staff conferences to provide a bases for staff discussion and learning.
CONCLUSION
In order to have best result in group work recordings are very important. It is useful to realize what is needed for the better functioning of group and its individuals needs.Therefore, group work recording is closely tied to individuals groups and to find solutions to its problems
GROUP THERAPY
Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a small, carefully selected group of individuals meets regularly with a therapist. The purpose of group therapy is to assist each individual in emotional growth and personal problem solving.
Group therapy encompasses many different kinds of groups with varying theoretical orientations that exist for varying purposes. All therapy groups exist to help individuals grow emotionally and solve personal problems. All utilise the power of the group, as well as the therapist who leads it, in this process.
Unlike the simple two-person relationship between patient and therapist in individual therapy, group therapy offers multiple relationships to assist the individual in growth and problem solving. The noted psychiatrist Dr. Irvin D. Yalom in his book The Theory and Practice of Group Therapy identified 11 curative factors that are the “primary agents of change” in group therapy.
All patients come into therapy hoping to decrease their suffering and improve their lives. Because each member in a therapy group is inevitably at a different point on the coping continuum and grows at a different rate, watching others cope with and overcome similar problems successfully instils hope and inspiration. New members or those in despair may be particularly encouraged by other positive outcomes.
A common feeling among group therapy members, especially when a group is just starting, is that of being isolated, unique, and apart from others. Many who enter group therapy have great difficulty sustaining interpersonal relationships, and feel unlikeable and unlovable. Group therapy provides a powerful antidote to these feelings. For many, it may be the first time they feel understood and similar to others. Enormous relief often accompanies the recognition that they are not alone; this is a special benefit of the group therapy.
The ideal therapy group is composed of five to eight members with the membership remaining constant once the group as begun. In the ideal group, the members attend voluntarily and share at a very personal level. In private practice, college counselling centres, schools, mental-health centres, and various other settings, groups can be like this.
What is Group Therapy?
In group therapy approximately 6-10 individuals meet face-to-face with a trained group therapist. During the group meeting time, members decide what they want to talk about.
Members are encouraged to give feedback to others. Feedback includes expressing your own feelings about what someone says or does. Interaction between group members are highly encouraged and provides each person with an opportunity to try out new ways of behaving; it also provides members with an opportunity for learning more about the way they interact with others. It is a safe environment in which members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally and honestly. Group members make a commitment to the group and are instructed that the content of the group sessions are confidential. It is not appropriate for group members to disclose events of the group to an outside person.
Why is group therapy helpful?
1. When people come into a group and interact freely with other group members, they usually recreate those difficulties that brought them to group therapy in the the first place. Under the direction of the group therapist, the group is able to give support, offer alternatives, and comfort members in such a way that these difficulties become resolved and alternative behaviours are learned.
2. The group also allows a person to develop new ways of relating to people.
3. During group therapy, people begin to see that they are not alone and that there is hope and help. It is comforting to hear that other people have a similar difficulty, or have already worked through a problem that deeply disturbs another group member.
4. Another reason for the success of group therapy is that people feel free to care about each other because of the climate of trust in a group.
As the group members begin to feel more comfortable, you will be able to speak freely. The psychological safety of the group will allow the expression of those feelings which are often difficult to express outside of group. You will begin to ask for the support you need. You will be encouraged tell people what you expect of them.
In a group, you probably will be most helped and satisfied if you talk about your feelings. It is important to keep in mind that you are the one who determines how much you disclose in a group. You will not be forced to tell you deepest and innermost thoughts.
Group therapy is a powerful venue for growth and change.Not only do students receive tremendous understanding, support, and encouragement from others facing similar issues, but they also gain different perspectives, ideas, and viewpoints on those issues. Most students, though somewhat apprehensive at first, report that the group experience was helpful far beyond their expectations.
We are convinced that therapy is one of the most effective tools for addressing issues common among college students. We invite you to learn more about group therapy opportunities at CAPS and review frequently asked questions about group.
These insight oriented groups will provide you with a safe environment for exploring yourself and interpersonal style in areas such as trust, intimacy, anger, assertiveness, taking risks, and dealing with authority. Location: Darnall Hall Conference Room
Alcohol and Other Drugs Explorations Group
This is a group designed for Georgetown students who are reassessing their use of alcohol or other substances. There is no requirement of abstinence. The only requirement is a willingness to examine what is happening around one's use of substances. This is a confidential counseling group, not an AA group or a 12-step group. Students are welcome to refer themselves, and faculty and staff may also make referrals. Students may join at any point in the semester. A brief screening and orientation meeting will be needed beforehand to ensure that students are matched appropriately to the group.
Social Confidence Group
This is a workshop designed for students struggling with social anxiety. The group will provide an opportunity for the students to develop their skills and confidence in social settings.
LGBTQI Support Group
This is a support group for GU students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and/or interested, or are otherwise examining their sexual orientation. It is designed to provide a confidential and safe place to address concerns such as coming out, relationships, family, academics and other issues unique to the LGBTQI students.
Survivors of Unwanted Sexual Contact Group
This support group is for GU students who have experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact at any point in their lives. The group is designed to provide a safe and confidential place to address students’ concerns, including feelings and reactions to the unwanted sexual contact, reactions of friends/family, relationships, and academics. This group is free of charge and will be held in the Darnall Conference Room. Day / time to be determined.
Therapy groups differ from other groups, as therapy groups are supposed to move to a deeper personal level- this is the purpose. The skilled leader understands the value of focusing the group and trying to deepen the focus.
Therapy groups may be homogeneous or heterogeneous depending upon the members. The number of sessions in group depends upon the group’s makeup, goal, and settings. Individuals are typically referred for group therapy by a psychologist or psychiatrist. Before a person begins in a therapy group, the leader interviews the individual to ensure a good fit between their needs and the group’s. May be given some preliminary information before sessions begin, such as guidelines and ground rules, and information about the problem on which the group is focused.
Therapy groups end in a variety of ways. Some, such as those in drug rehabilitation programmes and psychiatric hospitals, may be ongoing, with patients coming and going as they leave the facility. Others may have an end date set from the outset. Still others may continue until the group or the therapist believe the group goals have been met.
Role of Supervision in Group Work
A supervisor, foreperson, team leader, overseer, cell coach, facilitator, or area coordinator is a manager in a position of trust in business.The US Bureau of Census has four hundred titles under the supervisor classification.
An employee is a supervisor if they have the power and authority to do the following actions (according to the Ontario Ministry of Labour):
Give instructions and/or orders to subordinates.
Be held responsible for the work and actions of other employees.
If an employee cannot do the above, legally he or she is probably not a supervisor, but in some other category, such as lead hand.
A supervisor is first and foremost an overseer whose main responsibility is to ensure that a group of subordinates get out the assigned amount of production, when they are supposed to do it and within acceptable levels of quality, costs and safety.
A Supervisor is responsible for the productivity and actions of a small group of employees. The Supervisor has several manager-like roles, responsibilities, and powers. Two of the key differences between a Supervisor and a Manager are (1) the Supervisor does not typically have "hire and fire" authority, and (2) the Supervisor does not have budget authority.
Lacking "hire and fire" authority means that a Supervisor may not recruit the employees working in the Supervisor's group nor does the Supervisor have the authority to terminate an employee. The Supervisor may participate in the hiring process as part of interviewing and assessing candidates, but the actual hiring authority rests in the hands of a Human Resource Manager. The Supervisor may recommend to management that a particular employee be terminated and the Supervisor may be the one who documents the behaviors leading to the recommendation but the actual firing authority rests in the hands of a Manager.
Lacking budget authority means that a Supervisor is provided a budget developed by management within which constraints the Supervisor is expected to provide a productive environment for the employees of the Supervisor's work group. A Supervisor will usually have the authority to make purchases within specified limits. A Supervisor is also given the power to approve work hours and other payroll issues. Normally, budget affecting requests such as travel will require not only the Supervisor's approval but the approval of one or more layers of management.
As a member of management, a supervisor's main job is more concerned with orchestrating and controlling work rather than performing it directly.
Contents
1 Responsibilities
2 Training
Responsibilities
A supervisor in the workplace has four distinctly separate sets of responsibilities. The supervisor's first duty is to represent management and the company. It is the supervisor’s job to organize his/her department and employees, visualize future impacts and needs, energize the employees to get their tasks done and supervise their work ensuring that the productivity and quality standards are met. To ensure that this is done, the supervisor makes certain that his employees have the training, the tools and the material that they need to carry out their duties.
Another important part of the job is to act as a middleman and buffer between the employees who perform the daily tasks and the rest of the organization who is not directly involved in day to day tasks. The supervisor makes sure that their employees’ pay is correct, their vacation pay arrives on time and they receive proper care if they get injured on the job.
The supervisor also has legal responsibilities to ensure that his area of responsibility is free of safety violations, all employees received proper training and that all human rights are upheld. Supervisors are also responsible for the health and safety of all their subordinates and to ensure that they work in a harassment-free environment.
Training
Supervisors often do not require any formal education on how they are to perform their duties but are most often given on-the-job training or attend company sponsored courses. Many employers have supervisor handbooks that need to be followed. Supervisors must be aware of their legal responsibilities to ensure that their employees work safely and that the workplace that they are responsible for meets government standards.
The Role of the Supervisor in Group Work
There has been much confusion about the role of the supervisor during and after a work group's transition to a SDWT, and this confusion has led to fear, resentment, and resistance on the part of middle management. The supervisor's role changes from giving day-to-day instructions to team members to playing a larger role in strategic planning and coordination. However, this larger role is seldom communicated properly, leaving supervisors confused and fearful about job loss.
The supervisor's role during transition is to help the team learn new skills and become self-sufficient. The supervisor, then, takes on more oversight and coordination responsibility. In some cases, the supervisor's position may change entirely.
· The Expanded Role of the Supervisor
1. Teach and transfer skills to the new SDWT, help create independence
2. Coordinate between groups and departments
3. Perform long-range strategic planning for the team
4. Coach team members for high performance
5. Identify new training that may be needed by the team
6. Investigate new work processes, technology, and equipment
7. Perform problem solving at the strategic level
8. Work closely with customers to improve product and service quality
Team Problem Solver
Recommended Resources
1. TYPES OF TEAMS
Today we find all kinds of teams in society, and they generally fall into one of two primary groups: permanent teams and temporary teams. Here are some of the common types:
1. Task Force - a temporary team assembled to investigate a specific issue or problem.
2. Problem Solving Team - a temporary team assembled to solve a specific problem.
3. Product Design Team - a temporary team assembled to design a new product or service.
4. Committee - a temporary or permanent group of people assembled to act upon some matter.
5. Work Group - a permanent group of workers who receive direction from a designated leader.
6. Work Team (also called Self-Directed Work Team or Self-Managed Work Team) - an ongoing group of workers who share a common mission who collectively manage their own affairs within predetermined boundaries.
7. Quality Circle (today also under various other names) - a group of workers from the same functional area who meet regularly to uncover and solve work-related problems and seek work improvement opportunities.
The name of the group or team type is less important than the purpose for which it exists. These names simply give us a common language to help us define team types.
2. Team Motivation
Team motivation is, perhaps, one of the most critical elements of team operation. It is also one of the least practiced, because traditional business management has not valued its contribution. This incredible oversight, however, is being rectified rapidly as businesses recognize its importance in driving performance in an ever-increasing competitive environment.
3. Team Empowerment
Employee empowerment is a greatly misunderstood concept.
Empowerment: allowing people at all levels to broaden their scope of decision making to more fully utilize their talents, skills, and inherent creativity.
4. The Team Facilitator
A team facilitator is a person, usually outside of the team, who assists with team processes and development. Ingrid Bens describes team facilitation as a way of providing leadership without taking the reins, a way of getting others to assume responsibility and take the lead. The team facilitator contributes structure and process to group interactions so that it can function effectively and make high-quality decisions.
The facilitator
Coaches the team leader and team members
Assists the team with meeting management
Assists with the problem solving process !
Assists with team dynamics such as conflict resolution and decision-making.
Some organizations have formalized the role of full-time facilitator, whereas others have developed facilitation skills as part of one's other formal duties. For example, a person's full-time responsibility and formal position within the company may be an engineer, but this person may be called upon to facilitate team when the need arises. The value of developing one's facilitation skills is that they are useful in any group or meeting situation.
5. Team Creativity
· Team Creativity - One of the reasons teams have grown dramatically in the workplace is because of the synergy, or collaborative energy, that is created by tapping into the collective wisdom of team members.
Group brainstorming sessions ! Generate highly creative ideas for improving work processes and solving problems. These sessions should be performed regularly to continually improve and strengthen team functioning.
6. Continuous Improvement
Team Basics - Team Continuous Improvement
one of the primary ways teams add value is through continuous improvement. Continuous Improvement is simply finding ways to make work easier and more enjoyable. For instance, if a procurement team moves a file cabinet closer to their desks and thus reduces walking distance (and time), then the team has implemented a continuous improvement idea that improves productivity.
Team continuous improvement ideas are typically generated during creativity sessions or problem solving sessions through the use of formal brainstorming.!
7. Team Tools
Teams use a variety of tools and processes to carry out their work. The following are some common, but effective tools that should be mastered by team members.
1. Brainstorming
2. Prioritizing a List of Ideas
3. Problem Solving Model