Supervision for Success in Government: A Practical Guide for First Line Managers (5.5 x 8.25) (Jossey Bass Public Administration Series)

Supervision for Success in Government offers frontline managers a practical, readable guide to help identify, diagnose, and resolve the critical issues that arise in making decisions, increasing productivity, developing leadership skills, planning strategically, and building a winning team.

Based on interviews with over 100 successful supervisors, managers, and administrators in a variety of public organizations, the book identifies the common pitfalls--at both the technical and interpersonal levels--that new supervisors face and offers first hand advice on how to meet these new challenges. Veteran supervisors talk about their actual experiences to reveal how they

* manage internal office politics and cope with external interference

* deal with muckrakingpress and adverse publicity

* conquer the fear of disciplining problem employees

* recognize and solve the ethical predicaments facing public servants

* develop effective leadership skills

* and devise and implement strategic action plans.

Each chapter includes thoughtful questions for reflection that help apply theory to practice. Supervision for Success in Government bridges the gap between what supervisors should do and what they actually do, and shows how sound supervision is practiced in the workplace.

DALTON S. LEE is an associate professor in the School of Public Administration and Urban Studies, San Diego State University. He is the author of The Basis of Management in Public Organizations. N. JOSEPH CAYER is a professor in and director of the School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University. He is coauthor of Handbook of Training and Development for the Public Sector (Jossey-Bass, 1993).