Fundamentals of Supervision and Management II

Master the basics of communication to become a more effective manager or supervisor. This course will help you develop your interpersonal skills by understanding and dealing with various personality traits and how they impact your ability to get the job done.

Details
Syllabus
Requirements
Instructor
Reviews

Enrollment Options

$135.00

Select Instruction Type:

Self-Guided

3 Months Access

No Instructor. Course begins when you enroll.

Instructor-Moderated

6 Weeks Access

Study online with Instructor moderated discussion boards.

Select Course Start Date:

May 14, 2025

June 11, 2025

July 16, 2025

August 13, 2025

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$135.00

Self-Guided

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Details

Have you ever felt technically prepared for a supervisor's role, yet felt defeated by all of the people issues that seem to arise? You are not alone; many people feel the same way. In this online course, you will learn how to be a more effective manager or supervisor. You will master the basics of communication, because effective communication is essential in your quest to be a good manager or supervisor.

In addition, you will learn how you can develop your interpersonal skills by understanding and dealing with the various people issues that arise at work. You will see how you can understand various personality traits and how they impact the ability to get the job done. These traits include emotional intelligence, the need for power, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and more. You will be able to assess your own personality, as well as the personalities of your co-workers and boss, and you'll develop a plan of action to improve both your interpersonal skills and your work relationships.

Syllabus

Lesson 1 - Purposes and Elements of Communication

When a manager or supervisor begins to have problems in the workplace, it usually isn't due to any technical skill deficiency. More often than not, it's some kind of communication problem or interpersonal problem. This course will provide you with a great many tools you can use to help with the kinds of real-world issues that arise every day in the workplace. This first lesson will introduce you to some of the basic components of communication.

Lesson 2 - Direction of Communication Flow

As you begin to identify problems or issues with communication in organizations, it's valuable to have a framework to help you understand it. In this lesson, you'll look at the directions in which communication flows in organizations, barriers to communication, and organizational issues that block communication.

Lesson 3 - Communication Media and Effective Listening

How do you become a better communicator? Choosing the right communication method is a logical first step! This lesson will provide you with some tips for doing just that. The lesson will also talk about how to listen more effectively—the first step to being a more effective communicator.

Lesson 4 - Non-Verbal and Written Communication

Speaking is only one part of how people communicate. The non-verbal message can be just as powerful! In this lesson, you'll learn all about nonverbal communication and some techniques to make sure that you're not sending the wrong message. The lesson will then discuss written communication as well as how to use the writing process more effectively.

Lesson 5 - Communicating With Groups and Running Effective Meetings

Communicating with individuals is a real art; communicating with groups multiplies the challenge! This lesson will discuss groups and teams and how to best approach them with your communications. It will also talk about some constructive criticism techniques as well as how to deliver bad news so that it is received and not resisted.

Lesson 6 - Communicating During Organizational Change

During times of organizational change it is difficult to communicate effectively, and sometimes hard to get your points across effectively. People are angry, tense, and anxious, and so are you! In this lesson, you'll look into what happens to the climate of the organization during times of change and learn how to communicate effectively when it counts the most.

Lesson 7 - Introduction to Interpersonal Skills

This lesson will begin to discuss the second major topic of the course: interpersonal skills. It will go over why these skills are important in any organization and look into a concept called emotional intelligence.

Lesson 8 - Personality Theory and Personality Types

Personalities! You have one and so does everyone else. Many problems at work are blamed on personality conflicts. What does this really mean? You'll find out in this lesson. The lesson will begin by discussing the personality traits of introverts versus extroverts.

Lesson 9 - Personality Conflicts

This lesson will talk about an important trait called agreeableness. People can be high or low or somewhere in between on this trait. Wherever they (or you) fall, there are positive and negative consequences, and this lesson will explore them all. It will do the same with another important trait: conscientiousness.

Lesson 10 - Personality Characteristics

In this lesson, you'll explore two more personality traits: neuroticism and openness to experience. As you learned before, people can be high, low, or somewhere in between on these traits, too. Wherever they fall, there are positive and negative consequences.

Lesson 11 - The Use of Power and Situational Leadership

A need for power? Does that seem a bit autocratic to even admit to? Most people have at least some need for power, control, and influence. What should you do with that need for power, and do you use your power for good or for evil? Does it have anything to do with being a successful manager? All of those questions will be answered in this lesson.

Lesson 12 - Using Interpersonal Skills Throughout Your Career

It's time to wrap up the discussion on interpersonal skills with some useful tips on how to use these new skills effectively—not just with your employees, but with your peers and your boss, as well.

Requirements

Prerequisites:

Completion of Fundamentals of Supervision and Management (or equivalent experience).

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

PC: Windows 8 or later.
Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Instructor

Patricia Addesso

Patricia Addesso has worked for over 20 years in retail, academic and telecommunications organizations. She has a doctorate in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and well-grounded in the theory of human behavior at work. In addition, she has held management positions in three companies, and thus "speaks the language" of upper management. This blend of the theoretical and the practical is the hallmark of her consulting style. Dr. Addesso's specialty is organization development and team building. She has been involved in managing mergers, acquisitions, and other large-scale organizational changes, and is currently involved in projects such as strategic planning and personality assessments.

Reviews

I have truly enjoyed this class. I learned much about myself and my management styles. I'm excited and relieved to have the knowledge and tools to improve and continue to grow in my management role. I have a better understanding of my employer and employees. Thank you! I would highly recommend this class.

Thank you for another great course! I appreciate how you have set these courses up. I am extremely busy with my professional and personal responsibilities but I can still accomplish these courses because you have made it doable. I love this kind of individual learning that fits into my life.

I enjoyed this class a lot and it was extremely beneficial in the areas of study for the position of management that I am working towards. It was well written and easy to stay focused on due to the writing style and material. Thank you so much for making it available on-line.

I can honestly say that this class has affected how I relate to people on all levels. I find myself applying many principles to my employees. I've also begun changing many of my reactions to my boss. It is so easy to make quick judgements as to people's motives. From several exercises, I've learned that my negative reactions were probably derived from frustration, rather than his intentions. As a result, I'm not as stressed at work.

I have really enjoyed your class. After completing both I & II I have a better understanding of those who work around me and hopefully will eventually be supervising some of them in the near future. I highly recommend this course. It is easy to follow and filled with great truths that are helpful in any relationship - whether business or personal. Thanks!!

I want to thank you for this course, it was very interesting to me. This was my first course online and I would recommend it to anyone. You were very informative and attentive to your student's discussion. I have recommended this course to both City and County officials for their employees and supervisors.

Online learning worked very well for me and my time schedule. The management and supervision classes I've completed have been very rewarding to me and I know the information I just learned online will be of great value to me as I supervise from this day forward. Thank you.

I enjoyed Part 2 as well as 1. I have learned a lot that I can and will use to resolve issues within my department. This is a great course to take: very informative, on point, and covers real workplace issues. These courses (1 & 2) have helped me in starting my career advancement in the field of project management. I have more online courses to take; I hope the classes and instructors will be as good as yours. Thank you for teaching such a fine course.

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for this interesting, informative and enjoyable course. Your expertise and experience are clear and impressive. The skills and information you present in this course are invaluable, in both the professional and personal arenas.

"I would like to sincerely thank Professor Patricia Addesso for the amazing work she has done with this class. I have taken both Fundamentals of Supervision and Management I and II, and I can confidently say these courses have been incredibly valuable to me. I’ve learned so much and have applied that knowledge directly to my job as a supervisor. Because of what I’ve learned, I now make better decisions, solve problems more effectively, and lead with more confidence. Not only have I improved, but my employees are also better prepared because I’ve learned how to guide and support them more efficiently. These classes have truly helped me bring structure and professionalism to my workplace. I would fully recommend these courses to anyone who wants to become a more effective supervisor or ma