Leadership and Supervision Self-Reflection

Patrice Scope

SWK/5017

Capella University

Instructor: Gwen Bouie-Haynes

6/4/23

SECTION ONE

Leadership and supervision in social work must be guided by certain qualities that help individuals run day-to-day activities. However, the supervisor must be guided by theories in human behavior to understand the most effective qualities depending on the target population. Specifically, systems theory is essential for social workers as it views people as elements of complex systems in society (Valentinov, 2021). The theory notes that human behavior is influenced by interrelated factors in the system, such as family, social networks, religion, socioeconomic class, and friends. These factors influence the way a person thinks and acts. Consequently, social workers must consider the systems theory in developing their practice since it influences people’s behavior.

Based on the systems theory, the most important qualities of a supervisor or leader are effective communication, empathy and compassion, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Leaders must develop quality written and oral communication along with the ability to give both positive and negative feedback. Effective communication is also important in planning since leaders can effectively outline their plans to colleagues and clients. The theory also notes that supervisors should show empathy and compassion to others. Social workers understand human behavior as influenced by socioeconomic factors such as unemployment, conflicts, and other struggles (Valentinov, 2021). Therefore, leaders should approach others with empathy and compassion. Thirdly, conflict resolution skills strengthen relationships and develop solutions in organizations. Conflicts are inevitable in any social setting due to different perspectives. Leaders should cultivate conflict resolution skills to address diverse opinions and increase inclusivity. Finally, leaders should demonstrate problem-solving skills through innovation, critical thinking, and consistency.

Further, supervision in social work is informed by transformational leadership, which encourages leaders to motivate and inspire others. Transformational leaders focus on people instead of goals and objectives, viewing them as the most imperative element in the organization. According to the transformational theory, the most important leadership aspects are openness to new ideas, active listening, and the ability to inspire and trust. The four characteristics help to improve relationships and reach set organizational goals. However, the ability to inspire others is essential in transformational leaders since it informs the supervisor’s day-to-day activities. The components from the NASW Code of Ethics, the NASW, and ASWB Best Practice Standards in Social Work Supervision will reinforce transformational leadership characteristics. Specifically, essential components, in this case, are conflict resolution, ethical conduct, competency, self-care, and being a role model (Joiner, 2019). These components reinforce the systems theory since they allow the supervisor to understand how complex social systems influence others, thus designing the most effective intervention.

SECTION 2

Transformational leadership and conflict theory provide best practices in leadership and supervision to develop effective professional skills. The theories integrate to develop interpersonal skills through cultivating a positive outlook, controlling emotions, understanding one’s weaknesses, and acknowledging others (Djourova & Rodríguez Molina, 2020). Leaders develop effective communication skills through active listening, openness to new ideas, and practicing good written and oral communication.

Leaders and supervisors should manage time effectively to optimize productivity and ensure the attainment of organizational objectives. Leaders should develop a concise time management plan by defining daily tasks, short-term and long-term goals. Consequently, a well-developed schedule helps leaders to prioritize tasks, delegate, and eliminate non-critical tasks. Ideally, leaders should easily track their tasks by setting feasible time limits and keeping everything organized.

Organizations are characterized by people from diverse backgrounds, increasing the possibility of conflicts due to different opinions. Therefore, transformational leaders develop conflict-resolution skills to improve relationships. Conflict theory suggests supervisors should not ignore a conflict by pretending it is nonexistent. Instead, leaders should clarify the issue, bring conflicting parties together, arbitrate, and identify a solution (King Keenan & Sandoval, 2019). The leader continues to monitor the situation and follow up on the effectiveness of the proposed solution. If there is a need for disciplinary action, the leader should be guided by existing laws and policies. Leaders and supervisors should not be biased or partial since it might result in more conflicts.

Social workers are guided by an ethical code of conduct which outlines how they should act in different situations. Therefore, leaders should maintain confidentiality and other ethical guidelines by being informed of the existing laws and regulations. This includes guidelines by all government levels, regulatory authorities, and employers. Further, it is important to maintain confidentiality by preventing the access of private information to unauthorized people. Finally, leaders should constantly remind others about the code of ethics through training programs and seminars.

Transformational leaders are role models who should regularly practice professional and personal development. Therefore, leaders should constantly train and attend seminars to improve their knowledge, skills, and competence. In the current social work environment, changes in technology, client needs, and other factors require leaders to update their knowledge and skills. Consequently, leaders and supervisors should be ahead of others regarding updated knowledge. Further, leaders should improve their personal life to prevent burnout or other issues affecting their work (King Keenan & Sandoval, 2019). Supervisors should understand their strengths and weaknesses through self-reflection. Finally, leaders should work to maintain a healthy work-life balance to ensure high productivity and continued inspiration of supervisees.

SECTION 3

Successful integration of collaborative technology is characterized by cohesive teamwork and a common vision. First, the leader must understand all team members to realize a gap and identify the most effective collaborative solution. The leaders should understand the group’s developmental phases and possible problems due to group dynamics. The team leaders should also identify all the group roles and how they affect the entire group. Further, team leaders should identify and tackle problems quickly to prevent distractions (Djourova & Rodríguez Molina, 2020). This implies dealing with group dynamics problems immediately to prevent them from affecting the whole team. Additionally, the team leader should clearly define roles and responsibilities so that all group members understand their roles to prevent conflicts and prompt solutions. Finally, the team leaders should adopt different fallback plans to mitigate all the potential problems.

One of the major contributors to the technology failure is poor communication between the stakeholders. In every implementation, offering open and transparent communication to stakeholders before and after implementation is vital. First, the leader should ensure that supervisees have information about the technology and how its implementation affects them. Therefore, depending on the reliability, several communication tools should be used to pass information to supervisees (Valentinov, 2021). Further, the leader should think clearly about the intended audience to perceive the message and develop potential feedback. The supervisor should communicate the information to develop response plans and prevent failure.

In most cases, new technology requires constant monitoring and follow-up to address new problems and arising issues. As such, the most collaborative leaders should give and receive feedback about the new technology. Giving and receiving feedback helps team members to learn and develop their knowledge (Anselmann & Mulder, 2020). This creates a culture of open and progressive communication since supervisees learn to openly communicate their ideas. Through collaborative leadership, every supervisee should know the technology’s deliverables, schedule, and other important details. Communication should be transparent and clear to the intended audience to provide enough information on how new technology improves practice.

SECTION 4

After reviewing the theories, a leadership self-reflection identifies several strengths and weaknesses. First, I have effective communication skills, conflict resolution, and the ability to build collaborative teams. I can effectively use written and verbal communication to give information when dealing with others. Further, my effective communication skills are shown through my active listening skills, where I maintain eye contact and nod my head to encourage more communication. Through active listening, I can understand all the information provided and use it to make the most effective decisions. Secondly, I have effective conflict resolution skills through unbiased perspectives. In the past, I have arbitrated between two conflicting parties and helped them to find an effective solution. Further, the self-reflection shows my ability to develop collaborative teams through trust, empathy, and compassion. When dealing with people from diverse backgrounds, I take time to understand how their different opinions influence their thoughts and actions. Therefore, I have cultural competency when working with others helping me to build rapport and improve relationships.

The self-reflection also shows my weaknesses as a leader and supervisor. My focus on delivering set goals and objectives results in regular conflicts with my supervisees. My colleagues sometimes noticed that I overly focused on the deliverables without enough breaks. This results in burnout and reduces my productivity. Additionally, my supervisees have called me a perfectionist as I implore them to deliver quality work. According to their feedback, I can put excessive pressure on the supervisees to ensure that they meet deadlines and give high productivity. Therefore, some colleagues are demotivated by constant supervision and pressure to deliver perfect work. The weakness is not in line with transformational leadership, where I should focus on inspiring and motivating others rather than focusing on organizational goals. Nonetheless, I will use the feedback from others to improve my weaknesses and reinforce my leadership capacity.

One of the key responsibilities of any leader is to inspire. I have learned how to encourage others to improve their competence by acquiring more knowledge or skills. A good future can only be created if people learn how the art of knowledge creation. Leaders must create an environment that encourages diversity through learning and acquiring knowledge. I will learn how to build trust by motivating and inspiring others. Further, I will be keen to solve internal conflicts while improving relationships. In empowering others, I will gain experience, knowledge, and skills. I will understand the different types of feedback and how they affect productivity. Feedback initiates a change in behavior where all team members get constructive feedback. I will use constructive feedback, which uses facts that support claims, shows the consequences of decisions, and discusses possible solutions. On the other hand, destructive criticism uses unsupported comments, blames, and diminishing information. An example of a positive outcome due to constructive feedback is a change in behavior, such as increased productivity.

References

Anselmann, V., & Mulder, R. H. (2020). Transformational leadership, knowledge sharing and reflection, and work teams’ performance: A structural equation modelling analysis. Journal of Nursing Management, 28(7), 1627-1634.

Djourova, N. P., & Rodríguez Molina, I. (2020). Self-efficacy and resilience: mediating mechanisms in the relationship between the transformational leadership dimensions and well-being. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 27(3), 256-270.

Joiner, J. M. (2019). Digital ethics in social work education. Journal of teaching in social work, 39(4-5), 361-373.

King Keenan, E., & Sandoval, S. (2019). Realizing the potential for leadership in social work. Journal of Social Work, 19(4), 485-503.

Valentinov, V. (2021). Social goals in the theory of the firm: A systems theory view. Administration & Society, 53(2), 273-304.