Supervision is a management activity for selected top-performing individuals who are capable of managing or directing a group of employees reporting to them. In order to qualify as a supervisor, the person must possess the skills suitable for the position. These would generally include leadership, planning, delegation, people management, excellent communication, problem solving, and decision-making.

However, this does not necessarily mean that the members cannot work without proper supervision. In fact, every career individual must learn the skill of self-supervising so as not to depend mostly on supervisors for the things they need to do. An employer or a manager will recognize employees who can function without constant supervision from superiors. Workers who have the ability to self-supervise are able to generate output from the given tasks and can carry out duties without being constantly told or reminded. Just as supervisors should have the right skills, a self-supervised individual must also possess the necessary skills.

Planning and Organizational Skills

Higher position of supervisors does not mean that they are solely responsible for planning and organizing the team or the employees. Organizational skill is a requirement for every working individual, otherwise, the company or organization will be a huge mess for having employees who are not capable of incorporating a systematic approach in their individual roles. Supervision planning must be done in the following method:

• Knowing what tasks to do for the day
• Prioritizing the tasks
• Completing a project within the given deadline
• Identifying the goals, whether short-term or long-term

If you seem to be slow in planning and organizing, here are the basic elements you should consider to guide you in enhancing this skill:

Goals and Objectives
Goals serve as the means to pursue a specific task or they could be the measure of one’s accomplishments or failures.

Activities and Strategies
These pertain to the methods and techniques applied in the carrying out of tasks and goals. Strategies may also refer to a defined set of procedures or processes that individuals use as a guide in accomplishing objectives.

Tasks
Tasks are assignments or workloads delegated to employees by supervisors or managers to be accomplished within certain deadlines. These tasks may vary from day-to-day work assignments to huge projects.

Resources
These are the tools needed in planning. Resources may be in the form of people, technology, money, materials, or anything required in executing strategies and plans.

Self-Management Skill

Good self-supervision means being capable of managing oneself. It does not mean having the capabilities of a manager; it simply means being able to handle yourself and your daily activities. Here are some guidelines to help you develop good self-management skills:

•  Keep track of your work hours
•  Identify your own signs and symptoms of stress
•  Consult a mentor or advisor
•  Communicate with the people you work with
•  Make a selection of the more important tasks from the less important ones
•  Aim for accomplishments and recognize yourself for every success

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Problem solving and decision-making skills are not left to supervisors alone. Every person must be capable of finding ways to solve a problem or take on decisions instead of just depending on higher authorities to do it. Your problem-solving ability can help you deal with your own issues at work such as how to research on an assigned project and where to get resources for a plan. Individual decision-making is also manifested when problems or certain issues have to be addressed. To be able to properly self-supervise yourself in the wake of problems, the following steps may be followed:

• Identify the problem at hand
• Find out possible causes of the problem
• Seek for options or alternatives to fix the problem
• Determine the best solution for the problem
• Implement the best alternative or solution (action plan)
• Monitor and evaluate the outcome

All these skills mentioned are essential for self-supervision. When applied and demonstrated at work, you might be as good at supervising yourself as your supervisor does with the team.