The Situational Supervision Skill Building Exercise is designed to help you improve your ability to determine the
capability level of employees and to select the appropriate supervisory style to result in optimum outcomes in given
situations.
SKILL BUILDING EXERCISES, SB 7.1
Situational Supervision
Total time (10-75 minutes)
You may select any time length to spend on this exercise. Do as many situations as you have time for and give the class the
answers to the remaining situations.
Recommended approximate time for a 50-minute period
8:00 Procedure 1* 5 minutes
8:05 Procedure 2a 6 “
8:11 Procedure 2bc** 35 “
8:46 Integration 2 “
8:48 Application 2 “
8:50
*You may skip procedure 1 if you go over the text material before beginning the exercise. Or if you showed the video and
gave the instructional answers.
**Times will vary for this procedure. If students are slow and need more time you may want to give it to them and have the
integration and application done after class; it may be necessary to give them the answers to situations not covered. If
students are faster, slow down the explanations of answers and stress the consequences of selecting the wrong style. You
may also add a sharing section to extend the time.
Note: Try not to waste time arguing with students if they disagree with recommended answers. There is room for
interpretations. If the student can match capability level and supervisory style on the job they will tend to be successful.
The test bank section of this instructor’s manual has questions similar to the 12 situations, however, the questions only
require the student to select the best alternative action. Capability level and alternative style analysis is not asked for. But
you can require this information. If you plan to use them, you may want to inform students when you go over this exercise.
I give full credit for the recommended answer, and half credit for the second best answer. Another alternative to testing on
situational supervision understanding is to give the students a situation only (the test bank has them with alternatives-just
leave alternatives a-d out) let the students state what the capability level is, what type of behavior is appropriate
(directive/supportive), and the action they would take (what would they do and say). I give full credit if the student selects
the second-and possibly third best style IF they stay consistent with their answer. Many time students select a capability
level, yet state the wrong type of behavior for that style. In this case they lose points.
Answers/Scoring for situations 1-12.
The higher the points, the more effective the style would be in that situation.
NOTE: Keep on 1 page like 5e IM p. 150
Capability Supervisory
Situation Level Styles Points
1 C-2 A. S-L 0
B. S-C 3
C. S-A 2
D. S-P 1