Define Executive Development and Supervisory Development

Executive Development

Executive development is the whole of activities aimed at developing the skills and competencies of those that have executive positions in organizations. While “executive” and “manager” and “leader” are often used interchangeably, “executive” is commonly used to signify the top 5% to 10% of the organization. Similarly, “development” and “training” and “education” are often used as synonyms, however “development” is generally seen as the more encompassing of the three in terms of activities that build skills and competencies.

While it is typical to find organizations that have dedicated corporate training & development people and processes, it is not always the case that an organization will have a dedicated executive development set of activities.

In some organizations, there is a separate executive development team, in other organizations executive development is handled as one of many activities by the larger corporate training group, and in yet other scenarios there is no executive development activity to speak of.

While executive development continues to become enriched by many approaches, one approach, adult development and its subfield Positive Adult Development is beginning to create opportunities for what has been essentially reserved for academic research to become an increasing part of executive practices.

Supervisory Development

Supervisors are considered to be managers, but they actually have one foot on the management side, and another foot on the rank-and-file workers’ side. They occupy a unique niche because they link management and the workers in one cohesive unit.

Supervisors occupy the lowest management strata. They have direct and regular contact with the employees, and impose authority on them directly: they issue orders and instructions, and discipline employees in conformance with policies, rules, and regulations formulated by the upper levels of management.

At the same time, they must gain their subordinates’ loyalty and acceptance and protect their interests. Organizationally, supervisors influence the productivity of the employees under their supervision. so the supervisor can make a significant influence on country’s gross domestic product.

Supervisors have two distinct characteristics that distinguish them from other managers:

Three out of four achieved their position by promotion from the lower rank of workers rather than by virtue of college education or high-level, specialized, or professional occupations, like most other managers.

Supervisors work with and through non-management employees (or through other lower-level supervisors who work directly with the non-management employees) to meet organizational objectives.

Although the nature of the supervisor’s role has been stable for some time, there have been many changes in the range and versatility of supervisory competencies. Their technical knowledge skills have expanded, as have their skills in counseling, team building, conflict resolution, information handling, and diversity accommodation.

A contemporary supervisor development program must:

Be based on a well prepared organization strategic plan

Be the basis for building specific competencies

Have contents based on clearly defined competencies

Be flexible to incorporate pre tested new development method that are suitable and effective

Consistent implementation of programs

Screen out subject matter that do not clearly meet a competency need

Have realistic and attainable standards of improvement

Program effectiveness are regularly measured and evaluated.