MID106 -ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION SYLLABUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION :
This course focuses on the development of the administrative and supervisory Skills of the the
professional Midwife . It includes discussion of Ethico legal concept relative to the issues and concerns in
the midwifery Administration and supervision.

Course Objectives :
At the end of the course, the student will be able to :
1. Explain the theories ,concept and principles of Management and supervision .
2. Enumerate the sequential steps of Management and Supervision .
3. Describes the different styles of Management / leadership as applied to Midwifery practice
4. Discussion appropriate Methods and tools of Supervision .
5. Discuss the concepts, processs , Methods and tools of Evaluation .
6. Appreciate the value of Evaluation as a measurement tool.

COURSE OUTLINE :
1. Theories , Concepts, Principles of management ans supervision .
2. Steps in Management and Supervision
3. Management styles / Leadership
4. Fact of Management
5. Needed Supervising Skills
6. Transition From Employee to Supervisor
7. Functions of Management :
a. Planning
b. Position Description
c.Performance Standards
d. Policy Making and implementation
e . Organizing
f. Organizing , Staffing , and coordinating
g. Personnel Selection

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h. Orientation and training of new Employees.
I. Team Building
j. Delegation and Empowerment
k. Controlling
l. Leaders and Manager
M. Coaching and Mentoring
N. Morale and Motivation
O . Counselling Employees
P. Performance review and Planning Interview
Q. Managing your Boss
R. Conflict and Confrontation
S. Employees with Problem
T. Coping with Hostile peoples
u. Personnel Retention
V. Cost Control and Budgets
w. Developing Employees
x. Job Redesign
y. Complaints and Grievances
z. Introduction Of Change
Encouraging Creativity
Career Development of staffing
8. Supervising Skills
A. Verbal Communication
B. Written Communication
c. Conducting Meeting
D. Time Management
9. Self Enhancement
10. Concepts , process , methods and tools of Evaluation

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GRADING SYSTEM :
Major exam : Pre lim , Midterm , Pre Final , Final = 30 %
Quizzes : = 20%
Output = 50%
Total : 100%

COURSE REQUIREMENT :
In order to pass this course, a student must be able to obtain a rating of 75 %
derived from the following fulfilled requirement :
 Attendance
 Major exam
 Task Performance
 Project Based Task

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 MODULE I
(ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT)

I – Theories , Concepts and Principles of Management

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
Theories – A supposition or system of ideas intended to explain something ,
especially one based on general principles independent of the rthing to be
explained.
Concept – an abstract ideas, a general notion .
Principles – A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the
foundation for a system of belief or for a chain of reasoning .
Management – uses delegated authority within a formal organization to organize,
direct and control subordinates so services are coordinated.
Administration – is the higher level of hierarchy.
- It is the policy-making body and as such sets the policy for
organization.
Organization – is an arrangement of people and resources working in a planned
manner toward specified strategic goals.
Mission – A mission outlines the purpose of the agency.
- An articulated Mission allows everyone to understand why
organization exist.
- Mission is the soul of an organization.
Vision – A vision outlines the organization’s future role and functions.
- It gives the agency something to strive for.
Philosophy – describes the vision of an organization.
- It is a statement of beliefs and values that direct the organizations
life or practice.
Objectives – objectives are specific and concrete in terms of results to be achieved.
- It is the backbone of one’s goals and philosophy.

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Management is a process of getting things done thorough people. It supervises people
and uses resources in doing the tasks. Management is responsible for initiating steps by
which organizational goals and objectives are accomplished.
Management necessarily exerts influence over its subordinates. Management influence
therefore implies a host of managerial actions such as motivation, power and
leadership.
Management exercises leadership to be both efficient and effective as it aims to be
successful in attaining goals and objective.
Management is traditionally/classically defined as the process of planning, organizing,
commanding or directing, coordinating and controlling actions to achieve intended
goals.
The essence of management is getting work done through others. The classic definition
of management is Henri Fayol’s 1916 list of managerial tasks: planning, organizing,
commanding, coordinating, and controlling the work of a group employees.

CONCEPT OF MANAGEMENT
KEY CONCEPTS:
1. Administration is the higher level hierarchy . It is the policy -making body and as
such sets the policy for organization . It is determined the aims and objectives of the
organization that fully utilizes MAN , MONEY, TIME , POWER , FACILITIES in attaining
goals and objectives.

ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT

1. Highest level 1. Middle and lower levels

2. Policy making body of an organization 2.Implementing body

3. Determines the aims and objectives of 3. Tasked with accomplishing the

the organization . operations goals and objectives.

4. Allocate MEN , MONEY , MANAGER, 4.Supervise the utilization of these 7 M

MACHINE , MATERIALS , METHODS, and oversee daily task to make sure that
MOMENTS ( 7 Ms ) goals and objectives are attained.

5. Executive officer 5. Administrative officer /line / manager /

head nurse/ Midwife supervisor

6. Conceptual skills ( Executive Officer 6. Interpersonal skills ( manager )

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BASIS OF DIFFERENCE ADMINISTRATION MANAGEMENT

NATURE OF WORK  It is concerned about  It puts into action the

the determination of policies and plans
objectives and major laid down by the
policies of an administrator.
organization .

TYPES OF FUNCTION  It is a determinative  It is an executive

function function .

SCOPE  It takes major  It takes decisions

decisions of an within the frame work
enterprise as a whole set by the
administration .

Level of authority  It is the top level of  It is a middle -level

activities activity.

NATURE OF STATUS  It consist of the  It is a group of

owners who invest. managerial
personnel who use
their specialized
knowledge.

NATURE OF USAGE  IT is popular with the  It is use in business

government , enterprise , in
military,Educational , practice of one’s
health care profession , health
Organization care org.

Decision Making  It decision are  Its decision are

influence by public influenced by the
opinion , govrt values opinions and
policies socials and belief of the
religious factors . manager.

MAIN FUNCTION  Planning , Motivating and controlling

organizing functions
functions are involved
are involvedin it

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ABILITIES It need administrative rather It requires technical abilities
than technical abilities .

2. ORGANIZATION – is an arrangement of people and resources working in a

planned manner toward specified strategic goals .
It consist of an organizational chart or a line linking the parts of an organization , its
relationships , areas of responsibilities , persons to whom one is accountable , and
channels of communication between and among the people involved in the organization
.
3. MISSION
4.VISION
5. PHILOSOPHY
6. OBJECTIVES

MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Theories of Management have evolved continuously to describe the best practices in
solving creatively problems in the organization .
CLASSICAL VIEW- POINTS( Early Management Theories )
 focuses on finding ways and developing techniques that would solve problems
of organizational effeciency in productivity and rendition of services
 3 perspectives : Scientific , Bureaucratic , administrative

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORY.

 Developed by Frederick Taylor -an american
 In order to address the growing need to improve industrial production .
 Almost 100 years ago Taylor argued that most jobs could be done more
efficiently if they were analyzed thoroughly .
 Enough incentive to get the work done . Worker could be more productive.
 Taylor ism stresses that there is a best way to do a job and fastest way to do the
job .

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  The work is analyzed to improve efficiency
Administrative management (Systematic management Theory)
- Henri Fayol – a French man, called the father of systematic
management.
- He came up with this theory that by guiding behavior in each
management situation with appropriate principles made
management more effective.
- Administrative management focuses on principles that can be used
by managers to coordinate the internal activities of organizations.
- Henry Fayol classified the study of management into several
functional areas:
 Planning
 Organizing
 Directing
 Coordinating
 Controlling
Bureaucratic management (organizational theory)
- Max Weber of Germany, known as the father of the theory of social
and economic organization.
- Bureaucratic management emphasizes the need for organizations
to operate in a rational manner.
Social process – Mary Parker Follett, an American conceived of management as a
social process focused on motivation of individuals and groups alike towards achieving
a common goal.

QUANTITATIVE MANAGEMENT VIEWPOINT

The quantitative management viewpoint is concerned with the use of mathematics.
Statistics and information technologies or aids to support managerial and decision-
making, problem-solving and organizational effectiveness.
1. Management science or operating research is aimed at increasing decision
effectiveness through the use of sophisticated mathematical models and
statistical methods.
2. Operations management refers to a function or a field of expertise, that is
primarily responsible for managing the production and delivery of an
organization’s product and services.
3. Management information System refers to a function or field of management
that focuses on designing and implementing computer-based information system
for use by management.

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THEORY Z
Theory Z, developed by William Ouchi, is a Japanese management approach
presenting solutions to problem of human resource management it attempts to
incorporate and integrate the best of American (Theory A) and Japanese (Theory J)
styles of management. Table below presents the characteristic of Theory Z
organizations.
Theory Z
Theory A (American) Theory J (Japanese) Theory Z (Combined
Theories A&J)
Short-term employment Life-time employment long-term employment
Individual decision making Consensual decision- Consensual decision-
making making
Individual responsibility Collective responsibility Individual responsibility
Rapid evaluation and Slow evaluation and Slow evaluation and
promotion promotion promotion
Explicit formalized control Implicit, informal control Implicit, informal control
with explicit formalized
measures
Specialized career path Non-specialized career Moderately specialized
path career path
Segment concern for the Holistic concern for the Holistic concern for the
employee as a person employees as a person employee, including
his/her family

Total Quality Management (TQM)

TQM is understood as leadership and management philosophy whose guiding
principles stress continuous improvement through people involvement and quantitative
methods focus on total customer satisfaction.

Bennis (1989) advanced the proposition that leaders are taught to do the right
things, and managers, to do things right. Moreover, he made other distinctions such
as:
 Managers administer; leaders innovate
 Managers maintain; leaders develop
 Managers control; leaders inspire
 Managers have a short-term view; leaders, a long term one
 Managers ask how and when; leaders what and why

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  Managers initiate; leaders originate
 Managers accept the status quo; leaders change it

Total quality management (TQM) is a management approach for an organization,

centered on quality, based on the participation of all its members and aiming at long-
term success through customer satisfaction and benefits to all members of the
organization and to society.

Three basic principles of TQM are to:

1. Focus on achieving customer satisfaction
2. Seek continuation and long-term improvement in all the organization’s processes
and outputs
3. Take steps to ensure the full involvement of the entire workforce in improving
quality

TQM is composed of three paradigms:

 TOTAL: involving the entire organization, supply chain and/or product life cycle
 QUALITY: with its usual definitions with all its complexities
 MANAGEMENT: the system of managing with steps like plan, organize, control,
lead, staff, provisioning and the like.

Principles of Management
Management principles serve as guide for managers for effective and efficient practice.
Principles of Management
1. Authority The right to give orders and the power to
exact obedience
2. Specialization of labor Specialization encourage continuous
improvement in skills and the
development and improvements of
methods
3. Discipline No slacking, bending of rules. The
workers should be obedient and
respectful of the organization

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4. Unity of command Each employee has one and only boss to
give instructions or assignment
5. Unity or direction A single mind generates a single plan,
and all play their part in that plan but only
one person is in-charge of the group’s
activities
6. Subordination of individual When at work, only work things should be
interests pursued thought about
7. Remuneration Employees receives fair payment or
compensation for services, not what the
company get away with
8. Centralization of authority Consolidation of management function.
Decisions are made from the top.
9. Chain of command (line of Formal chain of command running from
authority) the top to bottom of the organization, like
the military
10. Decentralization of authority Focuses on the importance of human
elements.
11. Material and social order All materials and personnel have a
prescribed values and places
12. Equity and justice Fair and just treatment, No favoritism
13. Personnel tenure Limited turnover of personnel, lifetime
employment for good workers.
14. Initiative Thinking out a plan and do what it takes
to make it happen
15. Scalar chain Interconnectedness of people within an
organization from top to bottom
16. Hierarchy Line of authority
17. Esprit de corps Harmony, cohesion among personnel. To
promote esprit de corps, the principle of
unity of command should be observed
and the dangers of divide and rule and
the abuse of written communication
should be avoided

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MODULE II.
STEPS IN MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISON
The management process is universal. It is used in business, in the practice of
one’s profession and even in running one’s day-to-day personal affairs.

SEQUENTIAL STEPS OF MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION

1. Planning – the activity of looking ahead to decide how to achieve some result,
goal, or outcome.
2. Organizing – act of putting into a systemic relationship those elements and
activities essential to the satisfaction of the purpose.
3. Staffing – selection of well qualified staff
4. Directing – act of issuing of orders, assignments, instructions to accomplish the
organization’s goals and objectives
5. Controlling – the use of formal authority to assure the achievement of goals and
objectives

MANAGEMENT STYLES/LEADERSHIP
Leadership – is a much broader concept than management. Although managers
should also be leaders, management focused on the achievement of organizational
goals leadership.
This Leadership concept can be best characterized using the word LEADER.
L – lead, love learn
E – enthusiastic, energetic
A – assertive, achiever
D – dedicated, desirous
E – efficient and effective
R – responsible, respectful

Lead, Love, Learn

 Because a midwife is always with people, he/she should be able to lead.
 He/she should also know how to love because of the number and diversity of
patients he/she will serve, none of whom she can choose.

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  He/she should be able to constantly learn since the midwifery practice is a
continually evolving process.
Enthusiastic, Energetic
 a midwife must both be able and willing to work hard. She should bring both
enthusiasm and proficiency to her assigned task not only for the sake of the task
itself but for the benefit of those around her.
 Positive energy that a midwife brings to work can be infectious, meaning it can
have a positive effect on the patients and the other members of the team.
Assertive, Achiever
 As a leader, a midwife should always know the reasons for doing things. He/she
should know not only what things should be done but also why things must be
done. Midwifery has a wide horizon; therefore, she should strive hard to achieve
her goals.
 Being assertive means being able to:
 Express one’s feelings
 Choose how one will act
 Speak up for one’s rights when it’s appropriate
 Enhance one’s self-esteem, to help oneself develop
self confidence
 Disagree when one thinks it is important
 Carry out plans for modifying one’s behavior and
asking others to change their offensive behavior.
Dedicated, Desirous
 As a leader, midwife must develop her heart for the profession. He/she must be
committed to what he/she is doing.
Efficient and Effective
 A midwife should be able to do the right things and to do the things right.
Responsible, Respectful
 As a midwife, his/her responsibility is directed to the patient. He/she assumes
personal responsibility for the decisions she makes concerning the care of her
patient.

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 NEEDED SUPERVISORY/MANAGERIAL SKILLS
Management is challenging job. It requires certain skills to accomplish such a
challenge. Thus, essential skills which every manager needs for doing a better
management are called as managerial skills.

 Conceptual skills – is the ability to visualize(see) the organization as a whole. It

includes Analytical, creative and initiative skills.
 Human relations skill – are also called Interpersonal skills. It is an ability to work
with people. It helps the manager to understand, communicate and work with
others.
 Technical skills – is the ability to perform the given job.
 Communication skill – are required equally at all three levels of management. A
manager must be able to communicate the plans and policies to workers.
 Administrative skills – are required at the top-level management. The top-level
managers should know how to make plans and policies.
 Leadership skill – is the ability to influence human behavior. A manager should
know how to identify problem.
 Decision making skills – are required at all levels of management. However, it is
required more at the top-level of management.

FUNCTION OF MANAGEMENT
1. Planning – is a management function, concerned with defining goals for future
organizational performance and deciding on the tasks and resources to be used
in order to attain that goals.
 Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do a particular task, when to
do it and who is to do it.

PLANNING:

Pre-determined action

Who is to do it:
What to do: How to do it:
Professionals, non-professional
Services and activities Techniques and principles

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Principles of planning
1. Planning is always based on focused on the vision, mission, philosophy and
clearly defined objectives of the organization.
2. Planning is a continuous process, provision for proper analysis would indicate a
revision or flexibility to be done to make it more effective.
3. Planning should be pervasive within the entire organization covering the various
departments, services, and the different levels of management to provide
maximal cooperation and harmony.
4. Planning utilizes all available resources.
5. Planning must be precise in its scope and nature. It should be realistic and
focuses its expected outcomes.
6. Planning should be time-bounded, i.e., with short and long rang plans.
7. Projected plans must be documented for proper dissemination to all concerned
implementation and evaluation as to extent of their achievement.

IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING
Health care managers should know how to plan for several reasons.
1. Planning leads to the achievement of goals and objective.
2. Planning gives meaning to work.
3. Planning for effective use of available resources and facilities.
4. Planning helps in coping with crises. Hospitals should provide for disaster plans.
5. Planning is cost effective.
6. Planning is based on past and future activities.
7. Planning leads to realization of the need for change.
8. Planning provides the basis for control.
9. Planning is necessary for effective control.

REASONS FOR PLANNING

Planning is essential because:
 It leads to success in the achievement of goals and objectives
 It provides for the effective use of available personnel and facilities
 It helps health workers cope with crises and problems calmly and efficiently

Why managers fail to plan effectively?

Many fails to plan effectively for different reasons. They may either lack of
knowledge of the philosophy, goals and objectives of the agency or lack understanding
the significance of planning process.

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Major aspect of planning
Plans can be understood through four major aspects.
 Planning should contribute to objectives.
 Planning precedes all other processes of management.
 Planning pervades all levels.
 Planning should be efficient.

Types of plans
 Strategic plans – a strategic plans are one that asks vital question: “what are
the right things to do?”
 Operating plans – usually pertain to activities in specific departments of an
organization.
 Continuous or rolling plans – similar to operating plans, involves mapping out
the day-to-day activities.

Elements of planning
 Forecasting – helps managers look into the future and decide in advance where
the agency would like to be and what is to be done in order to get there.
 Setting the vision, mission, philosophy, goals and objectives –
A vision statement outlines the organization’s future role and
function.
The mission statement outlines the agency’s reason for existing.
A philosophy describes the vision. It is a statement of beliefs and
values that directs one’s life or practice.
 Developing and scheduling programs – a planner must develop schedules,
strategies, programs, projects and or activities.

The Planning Formula

 WHAT – what has been done?
 WHEN – when should the job be done?
 WHERE – where is the job to be done?
 HOW – how will the job be done?
 WHO – who has been doing the job?
 WHY – why is this done this way?
 CAN – can some steps or equipment to be eliminated?

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 2. Organizing – act of putting into systematic relationships those elements and
activities. – organizing determines what task are to be done, who is to do
these, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and what
decisions are to be made.
Process of organization:
 Identification and definition of basic tasks
 Delegation
 Establishing relationship
3. Staffing – selection of well-qualified staff
- Process of assigning competent people to fill the role designated
Steps in staffing:
- Determine the number and types of personnel needed
- Recruit personnel
- Interview
- Induct and orient the personnel
- Job offers

 Personnel selection
Personnel selection and assessment applies the measurement of individual
differences to the hiring of people into jobs where they are likely to succeed.
Written Tests
written tests have a long history of use as a selection device. During the 1970s and
1980s.
although there are many kinds of test available for organization use, they can be
classified into three major groups. INTELLIGENCE OR COGNITIVE ABILITY TEST,
PERSONALITY TEST, AND INTEREST INVENTORIES.

 Intelligence Test – have proven to be particularly good predictors for jobs that
require incumbents to perform mental activities.
 Personality test – attempt to measure personality characteristic that might be
important on the job.
 Interest inventories – attempt to measure an applicant’s interest in performing
various kinds of activities.

 Orientation and training of new employees

Training and orientation are absolutely necessary for new employees in any
organization.

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 Some of the areas that the new employees need to know from orientation:
 Benefits
 The vision, mission and goals of the company
 Rules, forms, and regulations
 Sexual harassment guidelines
 Employee manuals and procedures reviewed and signed
 Understanding of their new work environment
 Introduction to staff;
 Human resource policies
 Sign important document for compliance and
 Se a tone for open communication

 Team Building
What is Team? Is a group that has a job to do, whether as paid participants or as
volunteers.

Team building in the workplace

team building is very important if you wish to extract the best out of your
workforce. Employees are urged to work smarter and not just harder in an effort
to deliver the desired results.

Why is Team building important?

Team building in an office helps to foster better and open communication
between the employees themselves, as well as between the employees and the
higher management.

 Morale and motivation

Motivation is the process of channeling a person’s inner drives so that he wants
to accomplish the goals of the organization.
Research done on the motivation and morale of workers reveals that they are
influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Intrinsic factors:
 Interaction
 Accomplishment
 Recognition and praise
 Task significance
 Autonomy
Extrinsic factors:
 Salaries
 Promotion

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  Relationship with colleagues
 Job security
 Vulnerability of workers
 Fair treatment
 Respect
 Lack of services and resources
 Unreasonable working hours
Building Morale
 Praise
 Say thank you
 Celebrate achievement
 Make praise specific
 Criticism
 Remember that any criticism will have three time the impact of a
compliment
 Show the individuals contribution
 Tell them how their work has made difference

 Counseling employees
Counseling is definitely one service that can help people learn to manage
themselves. Workplace counseling is an employee support intervention that is
usually short term in nature.

Benefits of Workplace Counseling

 Helping the individual to understand him/herself
 Understand the situations and look at them with a new
perspective and positive outlook.
 Helping in better decision making
 Alternate solution to problem
 Coping with the situation and the stress

 Interview
May be defined as a verbal interaction between individuals for a particular
purpose.

Types of interview
Unstructured interview – requires little planning because the goals for hiring
may be unclear, questions are not prepared in advance.

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 Structured interview – requires greater planning time because questions must
be developed in advance that address the specific job requirements.

Limitations of Interviews
The major defect of interview is subjectivity. most interviews feel confident
that they can overcome subjectivity and view the interview as a reliable tool,
whereas most interviews still have an element of subjectivity.

 Conflict and confrontation

There are no conflict-free work groups. Small or large, conflicts are daily
occurrence in the life of health workers, and they can interfere with getting
work done.

 Problem Resolution
The use of the problem-solving process in patient care should be familiar. The
same approach can be used when staff problems occur.
 Identify the problem or issue.
 Generate possible solutions.
 Evaluate suggested solutions.
 Choose the best solution.
 Implement the solution chosen.

4. Directing – is an act of issuing orders, assignments, instructions, to accomplish

the organization’s goals and objective.

Characteristic of good direction: (4C’s)

 Clear
 Concise
 Consistent
 Complete

Elements of Directing
1. Delegation – act of assigning to someone else a portion of the work.
2. Supervision – process of guiding and directing the work to be done.

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 3. Staff Development – planned experience to help employees perform effectively.
4. Coordination – links different components of an organization and leads them
towards goal achievement.
5. Collaboration – manager and staff together with other members of health care
team all participate in the decision-making process.
6. Communication – ensures common understanding via various routes.

5. Controlling – is the use of formal authority to assure the achievement of goals

and objectives.
 Involves assisting, regulating, monitoring and evaluating individual
and group performance.

SUPERVISING SKILLS
There are several types of supervision- the three most commonly referred to are:
Clinical, Managerial and Professional supervision.

Who are supervisors of midwives?

Supervisors of midwives are experienced practicing midwives who have undertaken
additional education training to support, guide and supervise midwives.

What is the role of supervisor of midwives?

Supervisors of midwives develop and maintain safe practice to ensure protection off
mothers, babies and families.
Qualities of supervisor:
 Approachable
 Committed to woman-centered care
 A source of professional knowledge and experience
 Visionary and inspiring
 Able to resolve conflict
 Motivated and thorough
 Articulate

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  Trustworthy
 Sympathetic and encouraging
 Fair and equitable

Activities of a supervisor:
 Providing leadership and guidance to midwives
 Supporting best practice and ensuring evidence-based midwifery care
 Being a confident advocate for midwives and mothers
 Acting as an effective change agent
 Acting as a role model
 Undertaking the role of mentor
 Empowering women and midwives
 Facilitating a supportive partnership with midwives
 Supporting midwives through dilemmas
 Helping midwives identify and meet personal and professional development
requirements
 Facilitating midwife’s reflection on critical incident
 Supporting midwives through supervised practice
 Maintaining an awareness of local, regional and national NHS issues
 Giving advice on ethical issues
 Liaising with clinicians, management and education
 Maintaining records of all supervisory activities

10 keys to effective supervision:

1. Support growth
2. Unite with your Team
3. Praise others
4. Expect excellence
5. Require accountability
6. Verify potential
7. Instill independence
8. Share continuously
9. Optimize ownership
10. Reinforce relationship

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VERBAL COMMUNICATION
People often assume that communication is simply giving information to another person.
Communication involves the spoken word as well as the nonverbal message the
emotional state of people involved, and the cultural background that affects their
interpretation of the message.

The basic listening sequences

Listening is the most critical of all communication skills. To be a good listener, one
needs to listen for both the information (content) and emotion (feelings) conveyed.

Principles of effective communication:

1. Be sure that the message is understood.
2. Use direct and exact language.
3. Encourage feedback.
4. Acknowledge the contributions of others.
5. Use the most direct channel of communication available.

Barriers to effective communication

Physical barriers – communication include extraneous noise, too much activity in the
area where the communication is taking place.
Psychological barriers – psychological “noise”, such as increased anxiety, may
interfere with the ability to pay attention to the other speaker.
Semantic barriers – refers to the meaning of words. Sometimes, no matter how great
the effort, the message just does not get across.
Gender barrier – men and women develop dissimilar communication skills and are
inclined to communicate differently. Often, they give different meanings to conveyed
information or feelings.

Communicating with patient and their families

Communicating with patients and their families occupies a major portion of the health
worker’s day. Health workers teach patients and their families about medications and
the patient’s condition.

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WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Written communication is the ability to use the conventions of disciplinary discourse to
communicate effectively in writing with a range of audiences.

The Need for written Communication Skills

Students need to write effectively to communicate with their peers, lecturers,
professional colleagues and employers.
- Good communication skills are at the top of the list of what potential
employers look for in graduates.

The six (6) C’s of effective writing

First, it conveys a clear and unambiguous message to the reader and second, it
produces goodwill in that reader. To achieve these two objectives, the writer must write:
(1) clearly: (2) coherently: (3) concisely; (4) correctly; (5) with courtesy; and (6)
confidence;

Writing Skills
Use short sentences Short sentences force you to break your ideas into simple
understandable statements. Sentences should not be
more than 20 words.
Use common words Use words readers understand.
Use subject-verb- It is easier to read sentences with simple subject-verb-
object constructions object construction.
Use active verbs Active verb is easy to read. Passive verbs are more
difficult to understand. You can eliminate many passive
verbs and shorten your sentence by avoiding ‘is, am, are,
was, were, be, been, and being,’
Make List Use list when you have several items you want to include
in one sentence or paragraph.
Reduce Remove all word which do not add meaning to your writing
Edit and Proof Read your writing to find errors. Eliminate unnecessary
words and repetition.

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DECISION-MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Definition of a Problem: A problem must exist when there is a gap between what you
expect to happen and what actually happen.

The difference between Decision-making and Problem solving

While both processes are systematic, problem solving involves defining a problem and
creating solution for it. Decision-making is selecting a course of action from among
available alternatives.

Approach to decision-making and problem solving

A leader is expected to get the job done. To do so, he or she must learn to plan,
analyze situations, identify, and solve problems, make decisions, and set realistic and
attainable goals for the unit. These are the thinking or creative requirements of
leadership and they set direction.

Seven-step Problem-solving and Decision-making Process

1. Identify (recognize/define) the problem.
2. Gather information (facts/assumptions)
3. Develop courses of action (solutions)
4. Analyze and compare courses of action (alternatives/solutions)
5. Make a decision; select the best course of action (solution)
6. Make a plan.
7. Implement the plan (assess the results).

CONDUCTING MEETINGS
Meetings are necessary to coordinate individual efforts, collaborate on joint projects,
garner support for ideas, sell ideas, solve problems collectively, and make consensus-
based decisions.
First decide if you need to have a Meeting.
Many meetings don’t need to be held, and often those that are held are attended by
more people than necessary. Often times there are more efficient ways to “meet” your
objectives without holding a meeting.

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How to organize for a meeting
Good meetings aren’t accidents – they are the results of good planning. The time you
spend before will result in a major benefit later by efficiently using the meeting time,
accomplishing objectives, and avoiding the need for follow-up meetings. When deciding
to hold a meeting, you should also decide who should attend and what is the purpose of
the meeting.

Different kinds of meetings

 Briefings – a briefing is called to direct or instruct.
 Advisory meetings – an advisory meeting is called to share information. Such
meetings are used to seek advice about a problem.
 Committee meetings – a committee meeting gathers interest groups to decide
on matters of common concern.
 Council meetings – a council meeting is held by persons of equal status to
contribute to a matter at hand.
 Negotiations – a negotiation also sees interest groups gather but decision are
through bargaining, not voting.

TIME MANAGEMENT
Time management is a technique for allocating one’s time though the setting of goals,
assigning priorities, identifying, and eliminating wasted time, and using managerial
techniques to reach goals efficiently.

Time management principles

1. Planning anticipates the problems that will arise from actions without thought. It
anticipates the crises that may occur, or the resources needed to solve the
problems.
2. Task to be accomplished should be done in sequence and should be prioritized
according to importance. Failure to prioritize oftentimes results in spending more
time on unimportant tasks.
3. Setting deadlines in one’s work and adhering to them is an excellent exercise in
self-discipline. It enables one to have time for him/herself because of the
effective use of time.
4. Deferring, postponing, or putting off decisions, actions or activities can become a
habit which oftentimes causes lost opportunities and productivity, generating
personal or interpersonal crises.

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 5. Delegation permits a manager to take authority for decision making and to assign
tasks to the lowest level possible consistent with his/her judgement, facts, and
experience.

Time-Saving Techniques, Devices, and methods to better use of time

1. Conduct an inventory of your activities.
2. Set goals and objectives and write them down.
3. With the use of calendars, executive planners, logs, or journals, write down what
you expect to accomplish yearly, monthly, weekly, or daily.
4. Break down large projects into smaller parts.
5. Devote a few minutes at the beginning of each day for planning.
6. Organize your workspace so it is functional.
7. Close your door when you need to concentrate.
8. Learn to delegate.
9. In a meeting, define the purpose clearly before starting.
10. Take time to return phone calls during specified time.
11. Develop effective decision-making skills.
12. Take rest breaks and make good use of your spare time.

SELF-ENHANCEMENT
By now at least one person has said to you, “health workers will never be out of job”.
This statement is only one of the several career myths. This myth includes the following:
 “good workers do not get fired”. They may not get fired, but many good workers
have lost their positions during restructuring and downsizing.
 “well-paying jobs are available without a college degree”. Even if entrance into a
career path does not require a college education, the potential for career path
does not require a college education.

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SWOT Analysis
 The SWOT analysis is an in-depth look at what will make you happy in your
work. Although you have already made the decision to pursues midwifery,
knowing your strength and weaknesses can help you select the work setting that
will be satisfying personally. Your SWOT analysis may include the following
factors:

Strengths Weaknesses

 Relevant work experience  Poor communication and

 Advanced education people skills
 Product knowledge  Inflexibility
 Good communication and  Lack of interest in further
people skill training
 Computer skills  Difficulty adopting to change
 Self-managed and learning  Inability to see health care as a
skills business
 Flexibility

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