All About Painting: Leadership In The Painting Business

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Proper job planning and on-site job management (supervision and control) are important factors that contribute to profitably accomplishing a professional painting/decorating job. The first part of this module focuses on the skills and leadership traits normally associated with a successful on-site supervisor. Also provided are descriptions of the personnel management tasks performed and some situations commonly encountered by the on-site supervisor. This information is presented here to provide trade-acceptable standards to follow for the craftsperson aspiring to be or acting as a supervisor. It also provides insight into the supervisor's role so the craftsperson can better understand and work with the supervisor to accomplish the job.

The second part of this essay briefly reviews some of the material discussed earlier in It builds on this material to provide new or more detailed information relative to job planning and completion procedures used by supervisors and crafts-persons to successfully perform a job from start to completion.

INTRODUCTION

At some point in your career, it is likely that you will be given the opportunity to assume a supervisory role. In a large painting company or on a large job, the role of supervisor can be a formal position involving the supervision of many crafts-persons. However, in small companies or on small jobs, the role of supervisor can be less formal, involving the supervision of only one or two other crafts-persons, with the supervisor required to do the actual painting/ decorating work in addition to supervising.

A person filling the position of a supervisor must not only have knowledge and experience in the type of work being performed, but also the skills needed to supervise the activity. These skills can include organizing, planning, staffing, directing, and controlling. In addition, skills to get your crew or team to perform are also necessary. These skills relate to the human- relations aspects of the job—communicating, motivating, and leading. The supervisor should keep in mind that two basic items affect whether or not a job is performed effectively and efficiently: having the skills to do the job, and having the proper attitude to carry out the job as assigned.

Skills are normally learned through training and on-the-job experience. The correct attitude, however, must exist or be acquired through dedication and hard work. In the end, it is up to the supervisor to make sure that all the crew members under the supervisor's leadership have the needed skills and proper attitude to perform their jobs in a productive manner.
The specific roles and responsibilities of a supervisor differ among companies and depend on company policy. When asked to assume a supervisory position, always be sure to fully understand your responsibilities and limits of authority. Find out whether you can hire or fire employees, order materials to finish a job, or make agreements with a customer. No matter what size and type of company, every supervisor is responsible (to some extent) for planning, organizing, staffing, and controlling and directing people and resources to get the job done within a given budget and time frame. Some of the important personal qualities of an effective supervisor are: ability to communicate effectively, enthusiasm, fairness, ability to teach, reliability, loyalty, diligence, ability to plan and organize, willingness to learn and a willingness to assume a leadership role. The function of supervision involves the guiding and supervising of other people to accomplish the objectives established for them. This includes making assignments and seeing that they are carried out. The tasks of directing and controlling, along with the activities of organizing, planning, and scheduling require that the supervisor be an effective communicator. In addition, the supervisor must understand the basics of motivation and methods of applying motivation to encourage the crew members to perform.

Communications

Successful painting supervisors and leaders must clearly communicate with customers and with people at all levels in their organization. Simply put, communication is the method of exchanging information and ideas. A good supervisor can communicate both verbally and in writing and is a good listener, too. Although the process of communication is simple, problems that cause distortion, and therefore poor communication, can occur. Some of the major barriers that cause poor communication are:

WORDS MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS ARE OFTEN MADE FROM WHAT WE HEAR AND HOW IT WAS SAID.
WRONG JUDGMENTS ARE MADE IN THE MANNER OF HOW THINGS ARE STATED OR HOW WE SEE ANOTHER PERSON REACT TO WHAT WE SAY.
POOR LISTENING MAY OCCUR DUE TO DISTRACTIONS.
A DIFFERENCE IN THE EDUCATIONAL, ECONOMIC, OR CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF THE SENDER. AND RECEIVER OF THE MESSAGE CAN DISTORT COMMUNICATION.

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