12 minutes
A supervision conversation that develops Hold a supervision conversation structured to develop judgment rather than check compliance.
What you’ll be able to do Hold a supervision conversation using a structure that engages the worker's observations, judgments and needs, and ends with one thing the supervisor will do. Compare the responses to this question and explain your choice: What is the most useful move? Draft Supervision conversation for your work, including noticed, a judgment, what they need. Structure decides what gets said Most supervision conversations open with compliance: logs, reports, the rota. This sets the tone. The worker learns that supervision is where they are checked, and the observations and judgments that make up the real work never come up because nothing invited them. Reversing the order — observations first, judgments second, needs third, compliance last and briefly — changes what the conversation is for. And ending with an action by the supervisor, rather than only actions for the worker, makes supervision something that gives as well as asks.
The structure What have you noticed about the people you support since we last spoke? Anything different, anything that worried you, anything good.
Tell me about a decision you made that you were not sure about. What did you see, what did you think, what did you do?
What do you need from me? A schedule change, a resource, a conversation with someone, backing on a decision.
Compliance, briefly: anything outstanding, anything due.
What I will do, and by when. One thing, written down, checked at the next conversation.
Supervision conversation One page that records the worker's observations, a judgment they made, what they need, and the one thing the supervisor will do.
Noticed About the people they support
A judgment What they saw, thought and did; what you discussed
What they need From you, specifically
Compliance Briefly
What I will do, by when One thing; checked next time
Use it for the next three conversations and note what changes.
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Download this published draft End with your action What you can change You control whether supervision produces a task for you. A conversation that always ends with your commitment, kept, is the one workers come to prepared.
What to watch for Do not let supervision be a place where work flows only one way. If the worker leaves with three tasks and you leave with none, it was an assignment meeting.
Your next step Write your own action at the bottom of every supervision note this month, and check it at the next one.
Carry this forward The structure has four parts: what have you noticed about the people you support, what decision did you make that you are unsure about, what do you need from me, and what will I do by when.
Compliance items belong at the end, briefly, not at the start where they set the tone.
The conversation ends with an action by the supervisor, because supervision that only produces actions for the worker teaches that supervision is where work is assigned.
A list of the structure, an artifact, a scenario decision and a knowledge check.
Use the structure for your next three supervision conversations and note what comes up that did not before.
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Previous lesson Next lesson Carry this into practice Who direct support professionals are and what the work actually asks of them, why turnover is the central quality problem in the service system, what coaching does that directing does not, and how to supervise in a way people stay for.
Return to the experience: What did you notice or try, whose perspective informed it, and what would you keep or adjust?
Participation and course completion in this program do not count toward DHS-required training credits unless management, a director, or DHS leadership expressly approves an exception.
