I'm not afraid that they are too broad really, but that I'm missing "categories." I'm okay with adding to and that kind of stuff, but I really would like to have a good idea of which bones I've got to use and then add the meat in the form of subsections. I do better to know that my skeleton is pretty much intact...it helps me to visualize the layout.

I guess I'm just wondering what sections others might have in their manuals. I really don't want to copy the manuals, just get as clear a picture as I can on the sections. Then I can create a clear timeline for my manager on the project timeline...She's not a great brainstorm with me kind of person and I'm a training team of one. So really just looking for brainstorming on the topics.

I think your HR department and also the department manager of these supervisors are the two most important places to start. You can guess all you want what is important for them to know but HR and the manager knows what topics are important for them to know.

What's the real purpose of the manager's notebook? Is it supposed to be a substitute for some kind of training, or will it accompany a supervisor training course? If it will accompany the course, then the course material should dictate the contents - bones and meat - of the notebook. And I'd follow Fanatic Facilitator's suggestion. If the notebook itself is the "training," I would go to a bookstore, find a good book on supervisor training, and model your materials after that. If possible, follow Babzie's suggestions and ask HR or other supervisors what to include. Brainstorming with them would be far better than brainstorming with us here on the forum - simply because they are your subject matter experts.

As for the project time line, you could just make an educated guess at this point. For example, say 5 - 10 hours per topic, or "bone," to input the meat part. If you have 10 bones, then the project will take 50 - 100 hours. I wouldn't worry about it - time lines are always in a state of revision. Most managers just want to see a date - they don't really care what it is. Shouldn't be that way, but usually that is the case.

I did this same project a few years ago when I was in HR. I can send you the table of contents to give you some ideas if you want.

We wanted a handbook that would serve as an extension of our employee handbook, explaining the business and legal reasoning behind policies, and giving tips and best practices for managing our handbook policies.

In addition, it included a step by step guide for all the processes supervisors need to know to manage employees. For example, how to get an open position approved, the appraisal process, etc. I included sample forms and checklists.

What made our supervisor guide successful is that it was accompanied by training on critical topics like recruiting and selection, sexual harassment, substance abuse, progressive discipline, etc. I found that supervisors were hungry for this information and appreciated the training and having the guide to use as a resource.

It was a huge project but made a big impact on our supervisor team. Our supervisor guide hasn't been updated since I left HR 3 years ago, but I still see supervisors referencing it all the time. If done right, it can be a very useful tool for supervisors.

Best of luck to you!

Sierra, that would be wonderful. You did exactly what I'd like to do. My email addy is cavery@bankerstrust.com. I want to create the most useful tool that I can for managers (though I hope it will stay updated!)

Thank you for your kind offer I will look forward to recieving it.