Archive for category Federal Agency
Mobile Management – A Good Strategy or Just Disruptive?
Posted by Kristina Marzullo in Attitude, Change, Conflict, Federal Agency, Government, Management, Morale, Motivation, Productivity on February 8, 2012
Today’s post was written by guest blogger, Jim Atwood, Director of Government Solutions at The Ken Blanchard Companies. Jim also presented on last week’s webinar, A Situational Approach to Leadership.
Last week’s webinar on taking a situational approach to leadership created a lot of discussion around the concept of mobile management. Several participants related to the idea and shared their experiences with mobile management within their agencies. I am most familiar with this type of management as it relates to the military… where a leader is usually only in a particular position for 18 months to 3 years. However, following the webinar, I received several comments about how it also is a significant issue in other government agencies as well. It was particularly evident with leaders who are in direct political appointee positions or those who report to political appointees.
For me, mobile management is the planned periodic rotation of managers. I know there are a great number of positive elements that can result from a well executed mobile management plan…unfortunately I have seen very few that were either well planned or well executed. My experience has primarily been with individuals who, knowing that their position is short-term, have made immediate large-scale organizational changes to be able to “make their mark” on the organization. Unfortunately, it appears that often the change was only for the sake of change…to be able to say that things were different from the previous manager. The results of many of the changes I observed were rarely to enhance mission capability for the organization as a whole and often had a negative effect. I recall one such individual who believed in this kind of change and said, “I like to really shake things up when I arrive…change everything. I believe that dust settles at a higher level.” He definitely shook things up but had a negative effect on morale and commitment to the command and its mission.
I really am hoping that my experiences are not common…that I just had the bad luck of interacting with inefficient leaders initiating ineffective change. But are my experiences the anomaly?
What have been your experiences with mobile management? How big of an issue is mobile management within the government? What positive experiences have others had…and what were the resulting effects on the organization?
If you missed the webinar on taking a situational approach to leadership, you can still listen to the recording and hear more about how to lessen the negative impact of mobile management.
A Situational Approach to Leadership in the Public Sector
Posted by Kristina Marzullo in Communication, Direction, Employee Engagement, Employee Passion, Federal Agency, Government, Ken Blanchard, Leadership, Leadership Development, Performance, Productivity, The Ken Blanchard Companies on February 2, 2012
Join The Ken Blanchard Companies for a complimentary webinar and online chat beginning today at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern).
Jim Atwood, Director of Blanchard Government Solutions will be discussing how taking a situational approach to leadership can enhance your ability to effectively manage and develop your people and how that process can increase competence, commitment, and retention of your most talented individuals.
This webinar is free and seats are still available if you would like to join over 800 people expected to participate. Immediately after the webinar, Jim will be answering follow-up questions here at How Gov Leads for about 30 minutes. To participate in the follow-up discussion, use these simple instructions.
Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat
- Click on the LEAVE A COMMENT link below
- Type in your question
- Push SUBMIT COMMENT
It’s as easy as that! Jim will answer as many questions as possible in the order they are received. Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses. We hope you can join us later today for this special complimentary event courtesy of Cisco WebEx and The Ken Blanchard Companies.
A Resolution Worth Making…and Keeping
Posted by Kristina Marzullo in Change, Commitment, Federal Agency, Government, Ken Blanchard, Leadership, Leadership Development, Motivation, Performance, Productivity, Training on January 4, 2012
When the New Year rolls around, most people have good intentions and make resolutions to kick-off the year; unfortunately, most people break their resolutions less than a month into the year. However, some don’t wait until the clock strikes midnight to make a positive change and continue working on and improving those changes well into the New Year. The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the government agencies that set a resolution to retain their employees. The government agency has helped many of its employees improve their skills and has provided them opportunities to grow within the agency. Despite budget cuts and pay freezes, the agency created the VA Learning University (VALU) to offer employees an outlet to improve development, leadership skills, and personal growth while aligning to the agency’s mission and goals. This initiative has helped the VA save $200 million in turnover expenses in 2011. For 2012, the agency has made a goal to support the Obama administration’s drive to add more veterans into the civilian federal workforce. They plan on increasing the amounts of veterans they have on staff to 40 percent in 2012, up from 32 percent currently.
Perhaps the VA is on to something. A survey recently conducted by Federal News Radio to 49 chief human capital officers (CHCO) showed that most CHCOs are concerned with recruiting and retaining employees due to tight budgets and limited resources. VALU is proof that not all incentives to recruit and retain are monetary. The ability to grow professionally and personally is a coveted benefit at any agency. The Ken Blanchard Companies believes that individual learning is a key element to a high performing agency and is essential to self-leadership. Agencies that do not encourage people to learn are less likely to be high performing, because the skills of an agency are no greater than the skills of its people. When individuals learn, the agency learns. High performing agencies use formal training, mentoring, and on-the-job support to develop the skills and competencies of their people.
As a leader, why not help your direct reports make the most out of their learning experience. Learn the six keys on how to ENGAGE your staff so they can apply what the learned in real-life work scenarios.
Analyzing performance management: Is your leadership style effective?
Posted by Kristina Marzullo in Communication, Federal Agency, Goals, Government, Leadership, Motivation, Performance, Productivity, Results, The Ken Blanchard Companies on December 7, 2011
To bring out the best in others, leadership must match the development level of the person being led.
In order to improve performance management and efficiency, several federal agencies are using analytics to identify problems, identify progress, and share information and results. The Partnership for Public Service and the IBM Center for The Business of Government reviewed four agencies that are using data analysis to save money, improve services and more effectively achieve their goals. The agencies that were reviewed include Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Each of these agencies is actively using analytical tools to determine the success of specific programs they have implemented. The agencies highlighted in the study shared certain practices that they all used to gather data and turn the information into knowledge that improved their program results:
- Leaders focused on transparency, accountability and results.
- Staff had a clear line of sight from where they stood to the desired goals and outcomes.
- Agencies invested in technology, tools and talent.
- Agencies cultivated and leveraged partnerships across the agency and with partners who deliver services.
Equally as important as the analytical tools used to improve performance management is the leadership style and direction managers use with their direct reports.
Leaders play a critical role in communicating a clear vision, setting expectations and calling for accountability for results.
Oversupervising or undersupervising has a negative impact on people’s development. That’s why it’s so important to match leadership style to development level. This matching strategy is the essence of Situational Leadership II®, a leadership model that delivers an effective approach to managing and motivating people. It opens communication and fosters a partnership between the leaders and the people the leader supports and depends on. SLII is based on the beliefs that people can and want to develop and there is no best leadership style to encourage that development. You should tailor leadership style to the situation.
Check out this fun video, narrated by Ken Blanchard, about how the right leadership can make a world of difference in your agency’s success.
You can also access the study on how agencies are using analytics to measure performance management and improve program success.
Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Released
Posted by Dominic Giammarinaro in Federal Agency, Government, Leadership, Supervisor, Teams, Telework, Transparency on July 15, 2010
The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (formerly the Federal Human Capital Survey) was released this week. This survey was designed to measure Federal employees’ perceptions about how effectively agencies are managing their workforces.
Conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), over a quarter-million Federal workers responded to the survey. “President Obama has made it clear: the Federal government needs to deliver results for the taxpayers. Our civil servants are the people who deliver those results, and we at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management are doing everything we can to make them the best, most productive workers in the world,” said OPM Director John Berry.
Below you’ll find some highlights of the results:
• 5% increase in belief that organizations’ leaders maintain high standards of honesty and integrity.
• 4% increase in having high level of respect for organization’s senior leaders.
• 4% increase in feeling that leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment, but scores on this item are still below 50 percent favorability.
• Less than half of respondents thought that promotions were based on merit, that pay raises were connected with job performance or that steps were taken to deal with poor performers.
• There are 3-5% increases in supervisor performance discussions seen as worthwhile, perceptions that performance appraisals are fair and differences in performance are recognized.
This survey is conducted every two years. Here are some interesting trends from the past three surveys (2006, 2008, and 2010):
• I have trust and confidence in my supervisor: 2006 – 63.8%; 2008 – 64.2%; 2010 – 66.5%
• I have a high level of respect for my organization’s senior leaders: 2006 – 49.5%; 2008 – 52.1%; 2010 – 55.6%
• How satisfied are you with the work/life programs in your agency: 2006 – 38.6%; 2008 – 39.9%; 2010 – 35.4%
To read the entire report, visit the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s website.
Attracting the Next Generation of Federal Leaders
Posted by Dominic Giammarinaro in Federal Agency, Government, Ken Blanchard, Leadership, Leadership Development, Management on July 1, 2010
The Senior Executive Association (SEA) in partnership with Avue Technologies Corporation recently conducted a survey that reveals attractors and detractors to serving in executive positions within the Federal government. This survey was prompted by reports that capable GS-14s and GS-15s do not aspire to serve in career Senior Executive Service or equivalent positions.
The issue the government faces is being able to attract “high-potential” executives to fill these senior-level positions.
Some of the findings of this study included:
- A large number of respondents have not attended an executive education or SES candidate development program.
- Many respondents said they lack clear and accessible information about SES and Senior Professional positions, including the differences between these positions and those under the General Schedule, development opportunities for these positions, and ways to positions oneself to apply for and succeed in these positions.
- One of the main detractors cited was the potential negative impact on the balance of work and family responsibilities.
- Only a small percentage of respondents said they received supervisor encouragement to follow a senior level position.
SEA President Carol Bonosaro said, “The career executive corps is critical to high performing government and key to implementing any Administration’s political and management agenda. We must continue to attract the best and the brightest to these positions, but this report demonstrates that the detractors to serving are substantial and require action by Congress and the Administrations.”
The big question is how do we attract the best and the brightest to these senior level positions?
Many respondents stated they have never attended an executive education or SES candidate development program. One opportunity for the Federal government is to actively pursue and develop the “high potential” talent within their agency by creating an Executive Development program that focuses on growth opportunities for these executives. Including cohort-based action learning that is applicable to their future career aspirations makes it relevant for participants.
The April issue of Talent Management discusses the importance of Executive Development and explains how cohort-based action learning must link strategically to current and future organizational challenges to be successful.
Catching your rising stars early and grooming them to be your next SES leaders can no longer be something you’d like-to-do, it’s something you have-to-do.
Here is a link to the full report Taking the Helm: Attracting the Next Generation of Federal Leaders.
Telework in Federal Government Study
Posted by Dominic Giammarinaro in Employee Passion, Federal Agency, Goal Setting, Government, Leadership, Performance, Productivity, Telework on May 20, 2010
Government Business Council and TANDBERG recently teamed up to study telework habits, challenges, and best practices in federal government.
Some key findings from the study:
- Over 90% of respondents cited phone and email as required tools to telework.
- 95% of respondents reported their home office was the chief location for teleworking.
- Among respondents who are eligible, the most widely reported reason for not teleworking is an unsupportive manager (45%).
- 67% of respondents believe that agencies can overcome concerns about supervision by setting clear goals for teleworkers.
To read the complete study, visit http://www.govexec.com/gbc/telework09/.
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