QuickStart Guide
Let's GROW together, Cowboys.
Most supervisors regularly chat with their student employees. However, we realize not every supervisor feels comfortable having OSU GROW conversations that focus on what students are learning on the job and in class. This QuickStart guide is meant to help supervisors who:
- Desire more structure for the OSU GROW conversation
- Don't feel comfortable yet with the four main OSU GROW questions
- Work in a high production unit such as dining services, where making time for the conversations may be more difficult
What are transferable skills?
Students learn a lot from working on campus. They learn to do things like cook, clean and provide customer service. But they also learn how to manage time, how to work as part of a team and how to handle disagreements or unhappy customers. We call these transferable skills because they transfer from one place (work) to other places (classes, student organizations).
OSU GROW helps students get important practice in talking about what they are learning in their campus job. We want them to think about transferable skills and how those might help them in other parts of their lives.
What is your role as a supervisor?
Your role as a supervisor for the OSU GROW conversation is actually pretty simple — you get to listen and support what your students are learning, and if you have ideas about what you think they are getting out of work that they don't think of, throw those into the conversation.
Student employees spend a lot of time in the workplace. Your role as a student supervisor means you are one of the caring adults your students see nearly every day, and you serve as a great support for them. OSU GROW conversations are just another way for you to show that support.
How do you open the conversation?
As a start, try choosing one of these three skills to focus on for your conversation:
- Time management
- Working as part of a team
- Handling conflict or unhappy customers
Then, ask these three questions:
- What have you learned about [time management/working as part of a team/handling conflict] through your job here?
- How do you think what you have learned about [time management/working as part of a team/handling conflict] can help you in your classes?
- How do you think what you have learned about [time management/working as part of a team/handling conflict] can help you once you get done with college and start working full-time?
After some practice, you will be more comfortable asking the general OSU GROW questions, and that's great! By having these conversations, you are showing your students that you care, and that you want them to learn. Thank you for all you do to support our students!