Youth worker supervisors are asked to train and mentor youth workers, but are often provided with little training regarding just how to do that. What follows is a simple, three step process for helping youth workers grow and improve.
Clear Expectations
One of the most frustrating aspects of training and supervision occurs when workers are evaluated based on unclear or unknown objectives. This makes it difficult for a youth worker to understand his or her strengths and weaknesses, and make plans for improvement.
Ideally, youth workers should be provided with a clear description of their duties when they are hired. During their training, and their first month of so on the job, supervisors should be sure to give them lots of constructive feedback about their job performance. This sets the stage for a relationship where expectations are clear and youth workers are always aware of how they are doing.
Performance Feedback
Supervision can be either formal or informal. Ideally, both types should be used to maximize worker growth.
Informal supervision occurs while the supervisor and worker are working side by side. It can take the form of observations, comments, encouragement, or structured direction. This type of supervision can be less threatening to workers because it tends to occur in bits and pieces and the focus is not directly on their performance but on the task at hand.
Formal supervision usually takes the form of a private meeting where the purpose of the meeting is the worker’s job performance. Depending on the agency, such structured supervision may happen weekly, monthly, annually, or not at all. However, this type of performance feedback is very helpful for providing and documenting very specific feedback about the worker’s strengths and weaknesses and for making targeted plans regarding areas for improvement.
Setting Goals
Feedback about a youth worker’s weakness is meaningless without a targeted plan for improving in those areas. For some workers, understanding what they are doing wrong and what needs to happen instead is enough. They can then work on their own to make the necessary changes.
However, for some workers, awareness alone may not be enough. They may also need a corresponding increase in skills. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways:
- Increased time with supervision to work on skill areas
- Pairing with a co-worker who excels in that area, to provide modelling and peer feedback
- Staff development training to assist all workers in developing that skill
- Readings or training modules
- An opportunity to reflect on learning and application
Following retraining, workers should have the opportunity to be re-evaluated to assess what they have learned and how they are applying it to the work setting.
By providing employees with clear expectations, feedback, and help creating goals for improvement, youth supervisors can assist their workers in meeting their professional goals and standards. Not only will youth workers benefit, but kids will, too.
Susan Carney - I have been working as a middle school counselor with 6th and 7th grade students for the past thirteen years. I received a BA in ...
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