Town of Canton Employees Complete Supervisory Training

CANTON — Town Administrator Charles Doody is pleased to announce that employees for the town of Canton have completed five Supervisory Leadership Development trainings, organized by Jody Middleton, the town of Canton’s HR Director. The sessions were facilitated by UMass Boston’s Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management.

“We believe strongly in providing resources to allow our employees to operate as successfully as they can,” Town Administrator Doody said. “Being proactive about training opportunities ensures we can continue to serve the town of Canton and the community’s needs effectively.”

The program was held once per week on Thursdays at the Canton Public Library from March 21 to April 4.

“It was a great opportunity to cultivate and expand our supervisory skills, and I enjoyed interacting with staff members that I don’t normally get to interact with,” said Executive Office Assistant Jennifer Kemalian. “Municipal buildings are spread across Canton, so we don’t get to see employees in other offices often. This training brought us together and provided the opportunity to learn from each other.”

Jim Coutoumas, the Assistant Director of Canton’s Parks and Recreation department, said, “Training was fun and we learned some unique practices that we will certainly be able to use in our workplace. The training challenged us to work through uncomfortable situations that we could face with staff, customers and managers.”

Added AJ Gauthier, Canton’s Park and Recreation Program Supervisor, “It was insightful to hear about other departments in Canton and how staff resolves issues they confront frequently.”

An outline of sessions are below:

Session 1: Managing Self: Cultivate Self-Awareness

• Explore the roles and responsibilities of a supervisor
• Learn one framework for understanding one’s own and others’ work styles using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• Acquire an increased understanding of own work style preference

Session 2: Managing Self and Others: Communication and Feedback

• Learn and practice the basics of effective communication
• Learn and practice basic feedback skills, both giving and receiving feedback
• Explore the importance of recognition in the workplace
• Discuss the importance of using appropriate communication methods for the task at hand

Session 3: Managing Others: Respectful Workplace, Conflict & Inappropriate Behaviors

• Learn and discuss how social identities may impact individuals in the workplace
• Review employment discrimination laws and their application in the workplace
• Know the basic standards and expectations of a respectful workplace and how to address inappropriate workplace behavior
• Understand the supervisor’s role in promoting a respectful environment
• Discuss the supervisor’s role in addressing bullying and ensuring a harassment-free workplace
  

Session 4: Managing the Work: Planning, Organizing and Delegating

• Learn and explore how to engage employees
• Learn how to delegate work effectively and equitably
• Learn how to use a range of organizational tools to produce positive results
• Learn to identify and write basic goals for their organizational context

Session 5: Managing Others: Performance Management

• Understand the supervisor’s role in the performance management process
• Learn and practice coaching skills to address performance concerns and for employee development
• Learn to effectively evaluate performance and conduct performance reviews
• Supervising in a unionized environment
• Identify and access policies, laws, and resources that are relevant to effective supervision

The town of Canton plans to build upon these sessions in the next fiscal year and will continue fostering team building and succession planning.

The Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management works to improve efficiency, effectiveness, governance, and accountability at all levels of government, with a particular focus on local government. The Center’s work is guided by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 75, Section 45, which established the Center at the University of Massachusetts. Supervisory Training Programming sessions were focused on succession planning and optimizing performance.

###