Assignment Instructions
For this assignment, develop your action plan specifically to improve upon your leadership and supervisory skills.
Begin your work for this assignment by reflecting on your Unit 8 assignment where you reviewed the text, articles, additional resources, and used several NASW resources to develop your model of best practices in social work supervision and leadership skills with a theoretical foundation. You then completed a self-reflection of your strengths and areas for development in these content areas:
Developing effective organizational and interpersonal communication skills.
Managing time and tasks effectively.
Managing different personalities and conflict.
Hiring, performance evaluation, disciplinary action, and termination.
Maintaining ethics, confidentiality, and liability.
Practicing professional development, self-care, personal reflection, and self-correction.
Developing and managing an effective culturally competent practice including organizational culture and environment.
Being a collaborative leader in training supervisees in the effective use of technology.
As you prepare the written paper for this Unit 10 assignment, use the following guide.
Section 1
Create an evidence-based action plan.
Use the eight categories identified above as subheadings in Section 1 of your paper.
To aid in your development of this assignment, use the multimedia piece on SMART goals from this unit’s study activity, as well as your text, course readings, new articles you have reviewed, and other internet resources including (but not limited to) NASW Best Practice Standards for Social Work Supervision, the NASW, ASWB, CSWE & CSWA Standards for Technology in Social Work, and the NASW Code of Ethics. These resources will be helpful as you complete your assignment.
Apply critical thinking in the development of goals, objectives, and metrics for each content area, including leadership and technological change in advanced generalist practice.
Under each subheading, you create:
Two SMART goals for each content area in the Unit 8 assignment, and also listed in this activity.
Identify at least two SMART objectives to aid your achievement of each goal.
Identify the metrics you select as a way of evaluating the effectiveness and achievement of each goal. Be sure you choose evaluation methods that help you determine degree of change (improvement or decline) and easily identifies if the goal is met.
Here is one example to help you get started:
Developing effective organization and interpersonal communication skills.
Goal 1: I will be recognized by my colleagues as having excellent professional interpersonal communication when expressing my thoughts, desires, and concerns. (Evaluation method: Likert scale of 15 with one representing communicates inappropriately, three representing communicates adequately, and five representing communicates with excellence. Goal is achieved when all evaluations earn a score of 4 or higher.)
Objective 1: I will ask two colleagues and my supervisor to share their observations of my ability to express my thoughts, desires, and concerns. (Evaluation method: Likert scale of 15 scale that matches Goal 1. Each will also be asked to give suggestions for areas for development.)
Objective 2: I will use the suggestions for areas of development from Objective 1 to update my action plan so I can develop excellent professional communication when expressing my thoughts, desires, and concerns. (Evaluation method: Assess each new item in the action plan in 3 months using the Likert scale that matches Goal 1).
Use the principles related to developing SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-limited) goals and objectives. When designing your goals and objectives, it is important to take into account the leadership and supervision best practices and technology practices you included in your Unit 8 assignment.
Use the example above to guide your work; however, you may not use the goal as one of your own. Also, the example offers one option for establishing goals, objectives, and metrics. Think outside the box; do not design every item in your action plan to look exactly like this one.
Section 2
Design goals and objectives related to leadership and technological change in advanced generalist practice.
Your assignment submission must also address how you use and evaluate leadership and technology to respond to evolving change in leadership, political, economic, social cultural, geographic, and environmental contexts that shape advanced generalist practice. In Section 2, discuss how you intentionally incorporate leadership skills and the use of technology in supervisory skills in order to promote advanced generalist practice.
Section 3
Integrate current leadership and technology changes occurring in the profession that create systemic changes toward sustainability.
Social workers have an obligation to design sustainability into the intervention with clients. The model serves equally well in many systems. For example, supervisors have the same obligation when working with supervisees. In Section 3, explain how you will use your leadership skills and technology to sustain the supervision and leadership skills you develop as you use your action plan. How will you sustain your leadership and supervisory skills? How will you evaluate sustainability of your skills?
Leadership and Self-Reflection 1
Leadership and Self-Reflection
Vashti Noel
Capella University
SWK 5017
Professor Gwen Bouie- Haynes
Date: December 5, 2022
Leadership and Self-Reflection 2
Leadership and Self-Reflection
Section 1: Qualities of a Successful Supervisor and Leader based on Human Behavior
Theories
Today, effective supervision is all about integrating proficient leadership and supervisory
skills. The most critical aspects of leadership and supervision in designing the best practices in
supervision and leadership in this paper are thus, consistency, meticulous observation of the
progress of the team, rewarding success, offering quality mentorship to team members, and
encouraging collaboration (Kabze, 2022; Younas et al., 2022). These are aspects of peopleoriented leaders under the human behavioral theory of behavioral leadership. Behavioral
leadership is with this a human behavioral theory that the success of a leader is intrinsically
embedded in their behavior as opposed to the natural attributes of the leader. Thus, it involves
evaluating the actions of a leader after meticulous observation and how they respond to various
situations (Schulte, & Imhof, 2022).
The theory encourages the idea that leaders are built rather than born. It fosters the idea
that anyone can become a successful leader when they learn to enact certain behaviors that
promote effective leadership and supervision. People-oriented leaders are arguably the most
effective regarding leadership and supervision because they are more emphatic about meeting the
needs of the people they interact with, clients and employees (Kabze, 2022). They also focus on
meeting the needs of supervisors, this type of leadership enables them to be effective supervisors
themselves. Since leaders with this behavior are often driven by interpersonal communication
and connection, they can effectively lead and supervise their team consistently.
People-oriented leaders build good relationships with their team members and
consistently motivate them to improve their performance. In essence, this type of human
Leadership and Self-Reflection 3
behavioral leadership theory is embedded in the psychotherapy theory, which includes personcentered, psychodynamic, systemic, cognitive behavioral, and constructivist. With this, it fosters
a favorable type of supervision whereby rather than simply observing, the supervision procedure
entails teaching and educating with a focus on the relationship between the supervisor, the
supervisee, and the client.
It touches on all the essential qualities and skills that enable supervisors to become good
at their daily duties. These qualities and skills include interactive communication skills, keeping
a positive attitude regardless, empathy and compassion, flexibility, capability to effectively
delegate, a passion for the organization, which is evidenced by high levels of motivation and
enthusiasm, and humility to a significant extent. In line with this theory of human behavior, the
qualities and skills that assist in higher-level planning for the organization in leadership include
critical thinking, paying close attention to detail, logical thinking, an elaborate plan for enacting
strategies and using inductive reasoning.
The behavioral leadership theory encourages the idea that the theory of planned behavior
mentioned is about how leaders behave. It also holds that other leaders can imitate these traits for
effective leadership. In planned behavior theory, the premise is that the attitude of a leader
towards ethical behavior, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm concerning ethical
behavior is associated with the moral intention of the leader and, ultimately, the perception of
their followers of ethical leadership. In this sense, these qualities and skills that are ideal with
this supervisor and leadership skills are also significantly aligned with the theory.
Leadership and Self-Reflection 4
Applying Transformational Leadership Theory and Others to Inform Best Practice
Leaders and supervisors can also apply transformational leadership theory to inform best
practices in supervision and leadership for social work. The critical aspects of transformational
leadership that make it crucial for application in supervision and leadership in social work are
encouraging problem-solving and innovation, modeling ethical behavior and developing staff to
make the most of their potential (Bakker et al., 2022).
Transformational leaders work collaboratively with their subordinates to attain a common
goal. More precisely, this is what the best practices are about regarding leadership and
supervision in social work. The aspects of conflict theory that are important in establishing the
best practices in leadership and supervision also relate to the important traits that were mentioned
for effective leadership and supervision earlier. The conflict theory encourages empathy and the
seeking of detailed information by the leader or supervisor before making any decision (Siregar,
2022). It is particularly crucial for leadership and supervision in social work. An effective leader
or supervisor must become conscious of both sides of the coin of an issue before anything else.
Following this, conflict theory is a fundamental ingredient in improving the morale of the
supervisees. It is also crucial in encouraging working together collaboratively and in harmony
between the team and leadership.
Regarding the NASW codes of ethics, some crucial components can encourage best
practices in supervision and leadership. The NASW code of ethics serves as the ethical
framework for developing supervision standards. According to the NASW code of ethics, the
ultimate objective of social work supervision is to give clients the ideal service per the social
Leadership and Self-Reflection 5
work code of ethics. Well, there is no specific code of ethics for supervision, the standards
presented by the NASW code of ethics apply to the supervisory relationship. The NASW code of
ethics acknowledges that the sole mission of social workers is to better human well-being and
assist individuals in meeting their basic needs. In addition, the NASW code of ethics emphasizes
the needs and empowerment of vulnerable individuals living in impoverished conditions and the
marginalized.
With this in mind, the NASW code of ethics ensures that social workers work towards
this mission in the most ethical manner possible. The mission of social work professionals is
embedded in the core values Outlined in the NASW code of ethics. These core values include
social justice, service, integrity, competence, the vitality of human relationships, and dignity for
all people. Th NASW code of ethics has six purposes that promote best practices in supervision
and leadership for social workers. First, it identifies the core values on which the mission of
social work professionals has its base.
Secondly, it summarizes the vast ethical principles that reflect the social workers’
professional core values and lays down precise ethical standards that guide all their practice,
including supervision. It also assists social workers in becoming cautious of crucial
considerations when ethical uncertainties all professional conflicts about obligations emerge.
Fourth, the end W code of ethics also provides ethical guiding standards for which the general
public can hold the social worker accountable. It also socializes professionals new to the field
with ethical principles, values, ethical standards, and the mission as outlined by the NASW code
of ethics. Lastly, it lays out the standards that the social work profession can utilize to evaluate
whether social work professionals have indulged in unethical conduct.
Leadership and Self-Reflection 6
The NASW and ASWB standards in social work supervision also encourage best
practices in supervision through its principles that guide professional conduct among social
workers and promote trust, support, empathic experiences, and confidentiality which are the
crucial principles that build up supervisory relationships. Other qualities outlined by the NASW
standards in social work supervision are respect, constructive feedback, self-care, and safety in
the supervisory relationship.
Finally, the NASW standards and indicators for cultural competence in social work
practice also significantly contribute to ensuring best practices in supervision and leadership for
social workers. It outlines the components essential for cultural competence, i.e., a commitment
to comprehend and embrace the culture, cultural humility, and high self-awareness. The NSW
standards and indicators for cultural competence hold these to be the crucial standards and
indicators that can lead to effective practice. Following this, it fosters social workers in
leadership and supervision to demonstrate an appreciation for their cultural identities and those
of others.
Section 2: Summary
All these stated, the best practices in leadership and supervision that effectively integrates
favorable leadership theories, i.e., transformational and conflict theory, while being a culturally
competent practice is practicing people-oriented leadership in social work. It touches on all these
crucial aspects because it helps develop effective organizational and interpersonal skills. It also
fosters effective time management and task delegation, manages various personalities within the
team, helps improve conflict management, the hiring of talents, assessment of the performance of
team members, and disciplinary action, including termination.
Leadership and Self-Reflection 7
The people-oriented leadership model also encourages the leader or supervisor in social
work to head to the established code of ethics while maintaining confidentiality and liability. It
also urges the leaders to conduct self-correction autonomously, self-care, personal reflection, and
professional development. It is also aligned with effective culturally competent practices, as
discussed, because it enables the leader and supervisor to effectively manage a culturally
competent practice and develop an effective organizational culture and, in turn, a favorable
working environment.
In essence, the fundamental aspects of the people-oriented leadership model for the best
practice are its element of meticulous observation of the progress of team members. It also
allows for an effective reward system for team members who become successful in the various
tasks, fostering collaboration, giving quality mentorship to the team members, and consistency.
These are vital aspects for an ideal practice in leadership and supervision that incorporates
transformation and conflict theory leadership theories while inclusive of culturally competent
practice.
Section 3: Collaborative Leadership Skills for Training
When training supervisees on their effective use of technology to deliver social services,
the crucial collaborative leadership skills are Communication skills, engagement skills,
constructive criticism, and skills in Co-creating solutions. For a leader to effectively train
supervisees in using technology to deliver social services, they must be able to effectively
engage the employees by frequently seeking out diverse opinions from the team members and
ideas to develop strategies for unsolved problems effectively. They also must encourage
evaluations, discussions, alignment, and prioritization that leads to a common vision. These skills
Leadership and Self-Reflection 8
enable the leader to effectively encourage good practices to become part of the team while
effectively training them on using technology to deliver social services.
Essentially, the effectiveness of a supervisor is significantly reliant on the leadership and
supervisory skills of the individual. These leadership skills include collaborative leadership skills
such as the ones mentioned, which are crucial in the training of supervisees on the effective use
of technology to deliver superior social services. The best practices of a collaborative leader in
training supervisees in the effective use of technology, therefore, also align with the peopleoriented model and transformational leadership. Effective collaborative leadership skills Are
more about balanced motivations, employee engagement, and not being a tyrant. It is about
building trust, promoting diversity, and sharpening soft skills among team members by engaging
them and making them feel like they are part of the company.
Section 4: Self-Reflection
My reflection on my strengths and the challenges associated with social work leadership
and supervision practices reveals that my key strength is empathy. I also have effective
communication, critical thinking, cultural competence, honesty, and patience are crucial skills
for leaders and supervisors in social work. Some of these are skills that were innately part of me,
such as honesty and patience, while others I gained through learning and experience, such as
cultural competence and critical thinking.
Regarding the best practices mentioned in the third section, I now understand that the best
practices in leadership and supervision, such as the people-oriented model I opted for, should be
aligned with favorable leadership theories like transformational leadership theory while being
culturally competent. Reflecting on this practice model, it becomes evident that its open
communication element is key. Others are:
Leadership and Self-Reflection 9
The encouragement of mutual respect.
Upholding employee recognition and rewards.
Facilitating positive relationships between leaders and supervisors.
The practice model has components that are in nearly all theories discussed in this paper.
They also align with the standards for best practice making them effective in leadership and
supervision for social workers. Nonetheless, the mental challenge that comes with them is that
they can be quite difficult to implement since they require consistency in building a habit for
practicing the behavior. Following this, they are practices that are more focused on the long term
and are lengthy to integrate into leadership and supervision.
Leadership and Self-Reflection 10
References
Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., Olsen, O. K., & Espevik, R. (2022). Daily transformational
leadership: A source of inspiration for follower performance?. European Management
Journal.
Kabze, M. (2022). ANALYZING LEADERSHIP PRACTICES IN AN INTERNATIONALLY
RENOWNED HR COMPANY: WHY DOES PEOPLE-ORIENTED LEADERSHIP
MATTER?. European Journal of Management and Marketing Studies, 7(2).
NASW. (2022). National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from
https://www.socialworkers.org/
Schulte, V., & Imhof, P. (2022). Ethical Cornerstones of People-Oriented Leadership. In Mindful
Leadership in Practice (pp. 43-55). Springer, Cham.
Siregar, I. (2022). The Relationship between Conflict and Social Change in the Perspective of
Expert Theory: A Literature Review. International Journal of Arts and Humanities
Studies, 2(1), 09-16.
Younas, A., Wang, D., Javed, B., & Haque, A. U. (2022). Inclusive leadership and voice
behavior: The role of psychological empowerment. The Journal of Social Psychology, 117.
