Engaging Employees through Communication Toolkit

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES

MODERATOR

Sondra Kahawaii Program Manager, Government Transformation and Agency Partnerships, Partnership for Public Service

Sondra assists a broad audience of government leaders, providing agency services to help them use their Best Best Places to Work in the Federal Government data to positively impact workforce satisfaction and commitment, improve recruitment and retention and drive performance. Additionally, Sondra contributes to the Partnerships Ready to Govern program aimed at helping political appointees prepare to effectively lead their agencies.

Sondra graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Brigham Young University- Hawaii and later went on to earn a Masters degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Organization and Management from the Marriott School of Management. She completed her Juris Doctorate from the J. Reuben Clark School of Law in 2013.

PANELISTS

Tom Fox Fed Coach and Vice President, Leadership and Innovation, Partnership for Public Service

Tom Fox is the Vice President for Leadership and Innovation at the Partnership for Public Service where he oversees the Center for Government Leadership (CGL) and the Partnerships growing portfolio around innovation in government. In this role, Tom leads the CGL team, develops innovative coursework, facilitates classroom activities, and provides one-on-one assistance to rising leaders through the Excellence in Government Fellows program, Annenberg Leadership Seminars, the DHS Fellows program, and our three-year leadership initiative with the Department of Education.

In addition, Tom writes the FedCoach column for The Washington Post three times a week, and he serves as adjunct faculty at Georgetown Universitys Public Policy Institute.

Prior to joining the Partnership, Toms experience included work in the public and private sectors, including Arthur Andersen, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Senate.

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STRATEGIC ADVISOR TO GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVES (SAGE)

Gale Rossides Former Deputy Administrator/Chief Operating Officer, Transportation Security Administration

Gale Rossides' career spanned 34 years in the public sector where she led major reforms following several critical events in our Nation's history, culminating in creating the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Gale served as the agencys Deputy Administrator/Chief Operating Officer (COO) for five years and Acting Administrator/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for 18 months.

Gale was one of the six original federal executives hand-picked in 2001 to build TSA from scratchthe largest public mobilization since World War II. She served as TSA's Associate Administrator responsible for all administrative and technology functions of the new agency. This involved scaling TSA from zero employees to 60,000 new Federal personnel and transforming all US aviation security operations from the private sector to the public sector in accordance with the Congressional mandates that created TSA.

Gale served as Deputy Administrator/Chief Operating Officer of the Transportation Security Administration in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from April 2007 until her retirement in July 2012, managing day-to-day and strategic operations of its 8 billion dollar enterprise across 450 domestic airports and regulating hundreds of international airport operations serviced by US airlines.

Appointed by the Secretary of DHS in January 2009 to serve as Acting TSA Administrator, Gale held that post for 18 months. In this capacity, she served as CEO of TSA, responsible for all agency matters, including Congressional testimony and recommending major policy initiatives to the White House and the President's National Security team. She led TSA's efforts for major reforms in aviation security after the Christmas Day 2009 attempted attack.

Prior to joining TSA, Gale had a distinguished career at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in the Department of Treasury from 1978 to 2001. Gale was appointed as the co-chair of a Blue Ribbon panel to overhaul the Bureau in the aftermath of the Waco tragedy in 1993. She served at ATF for eight years as the Director of all law enforcement, regulatory and leadership training; she also served for six years as a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's (FLETC) Board of Directors for state and local law enforcement training.

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Gale founded Galene, LLC, a management and security consulting firm, in July 2012. She is a guest lecturer in Leadership and Public Policy programs at Gettysburg College in conjunction with The Eisenhower Institute in Washington, DC and is a member of the COO SAGE community with the Partnership for Public Service.

Gale earned her Bachelor's degree with a double major from Wheaton College, Norton, MA, is a graduate of George Washington University's School of Business and Public Management Contemporary Executive Development Program and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Leadership Education and Public Policy program.

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EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ONLINE TRAINING SERIES The Partnerships Employee Engagement training sessions are designed to provide frontline supervisors and managers with research-supported, actionable steps to help improve employee engagement through Appreciation, Communication and Empowerment (ACE). These online training sessions are provided as a 3-part series, with each 75-minute course focusing in-depth on a different cornerstone of the ACE engagement model.

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMMUNICATION

Effective leadership and communication are both key drivers of employee engagement. In your role as a front line supervisor or manager, you have the ability to make a lasting and meaningful impact on your employees, in your teams and within your organization by the way you lead and invest in those around you. Good communication skills are essential to motivating and engaging your team, setting expectations, holding others accountable, managing performance, and growing talent in your organization.

AGENDA

2:00 p.m. Welcome, introduction and goals

2:10 p.m.

2:20 p.m.

Overview of communication basics, data and other research

Communication: A tool for engaging employees One-on-one communication

o Promoting two-way communicationo Effective check-inso GROW-ing your talent and teamo SBIDR feedback and difficult conversations

Team communicationo Best practices from other agencies

3:00 p.m. Q&A session and action planning

3:10 p.m. Summary of key takeaways and reminders

3:15 p.m. Conclude webinar

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand how effective communication is critical in keeping employees informed,engaged and productive

Share lessons learned from public and private sector data and research Learn strategies and techniques to more effectively convey critical information and provide

effective and meaningful feedback Implement changes in your communication with others

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ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH APPRECIATION DEALING WITH DATA

UNDERSTANDING THE BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RANKINGS

The Partnership for Public Service uses data from the Office of Personnel Managements (OPM) Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey to rank agencies and their subcomponents according to a Best Places to Work index score. Agencies and subcomponents are measured on overall employee satisfaction and scored on 10 workplace categories, such as effective leadership, employee skillsmission match, pay, teamwork, worklife balance, and innovation.

Since the first rankings were released in 2003, they have helped create much-needed institutional incentives to focus on key workforce issues and have provided managers and leaders with a way to measure and improve employee satisfaction and commitment.

Federal human capital professionals have reported that the Best Places to Work rankings have heightened awareness among senior leaders and spurred reform of workplace practices.

The rankings also address one of the biggest barriers to federal employment: a lack of cross-governmental information for prospective employees. The Best Places to Work rankings provide job seekers unprecedented insight into opportunities for public service by highlighting the federal governments high-performing agencies and by promoting federal organizations that often go unheralded.

How is the index score calculated? The index score measures the performance of agencies and agency subcomponents related to employee satisfaction and commitment. The index is weighted according to the extent to which each question predicts intent to remain.

I recommend my organization as a good place to work. (Q. 40) Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your job. (Q. 69) Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your organization. (Q. 71)

56.9 2014 Government-wide index score

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OVERVIEW OF COMMUNICATION BASICS

The Communication Process

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Record Observations and Takeaways from the Video Clip here

Observations Takeaways

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Speaking Writing Reading

Words

Inflection Tone Sound effects

Voice Dynamics

Body language Facial expressions Listening

Nonverbals

Frequency and location Formal and informal Individual and team

Other considerations

Sender

Message

Channel

Receiver

Context

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How are you communicating with employees, your team and others within your organization?

Verbal conversations

Written emails

Body language

Facial expressions

Direct eye contact

Active listening

Team meetings

All staff gatherings

Voicemails

What is your preferred method of communication?

Consider this: What might influence your preferences in communicating with others? Urgency? Personal relationship? Need for additional clarity? Complexity of the content? Ease of access to the individual? How will you message and set communication expectations with your team?

What are your teams or colleagues preferred methods of communication?

Consider this: How can you tailor your communication to individual preferences? What communication norms might you want to establish to help your team function and operate more effectively? Are there any communication preferences that are uncomfortable or difficult for you to meet? If so, what are some strategies to overcome communication barriers whether they be cultural, multi-generational, etc.?

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What impact does communication have on an organization?

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Why is two-way communication important?

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How can you better encourage two-way communication?

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What are some organizational or cultural barriers you will need to overcome?

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1 Source: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-bad-communication-business-2880.html 2 Source: http://www.holmesreport.com/opinion-info/10645/The-Cost-Of-Poor-Communications.aspx

Poor Communication1 Effective Communication2 Decreased productivity

$26,000 = Cost per worker per year dueto productivity losses

Increased productivity $100,000 for every 1 point increase

in employee engagement

Increased mistakes $37 Billion = Cost of employee

misunderstanding

Decrease in mistakes 47% increase in returns

Low morale

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CUES IMPROVED COMMUNICATION IS NEEDED

Low Employee Morale

When communication is not clearly articulated in the workplace, it can lead to a decrease in employee morale. Employees will do the bare minimum in their work and not display enthusiasm. This can potentially create a negative work environment if their attitude spreads to the rest of the team or organization.

Uncertain Goals

Clearly articulating goals and values are vital to the success of any organization. Stating what leadership wants on a project and what the intended outcome, impact, and/or reward will be motivates employees to go above and beyond. A lack of these will leave employees unclear about the goals and tasks they need to accomplish in order to be successful and can lead to poor performance.

Poor Teamwork

When team members do not communicate properly, there can be mixed signals on the roles and responsibilities of the group. This can lead to confusion, replication of tasks, and conflict between team members, or failure to complete the intended project.

Rumors and Gossip

Poor communication can results in rumors and gossip if management does not fully address issues or speculation. As a result, employees can be left feeling tense and overwhelmed, and morale may deteriorate, especially in regards to uncertainty about their futures.

Cultural Insensitivity

Awareness and understanding create positive and inclusive work environments. An absence of such can result in cultural insensitivity, leading to a negative work environment if employees do not feel as though they are a part of the team.

Employee Errors

A lack of understanding often results in employee errors, as opposed to making a conscious mistake. If instructions are not clearly given and employees are not empowered to ask questions, errors will result and can lower morale.

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ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMMUNICATION NOTES AND TAKEAWAYS

CHECK-IN GROW SMART

SBIDR TEAMS

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DEALING WITH DATA: ONE-ON-ONE COMMUNICATION

One-on-one Communication FEVS Data

Q12: I know how my work relates to the agency's goals and priorities. Q6: I know what is expected of me on the job. Q50: In the last six months, my supervisor/team leader has talked with me about my performance. Q48: My supervisor/team leader listens to what I have to say. Q44: Discussions with my supervisor/team leader about my performance are worthwhile.

What does your agency/subcomponent data reveal about your organization?

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What are some areas for improvement?

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What are some strengths?

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*Leading Innovation in Government Report here

81.077.8

74.3 72.3

58.2

45.0

55.0

65.0

75.0

85.0

Q12 Q6 Q50 Q48 Q44

Government-wide

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CHECK-INS

Best Practices

15-20 minutes

Regular schedule

Employee-driven agenda

The supervisors job = listening and following-up

Who would you like to set up regular check-ins with or who do you currently have regular check-ins with?

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What might be the right rhythm for meeting?

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How can you make your regular check-ins more effective?

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How will you focus on listening during check-ins to help you better connect with and meet the needs of your employees?

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GROW-ING YOUR EMPLOYEES AND TEAM

Supervisors Role: As a supervisor you will play various roles in your relationships with your employees. Underlying the day to day dynamics of your interactions, you have ongoing opportunities to help your employees reach their full potential in the current roles and position them for promotions and new roles in the future. Keeping this in mind, effective supervisors take time to have conversations centered on their employees goals focused on your role and their part in helping them achieve their future aspirations.

Employees Role: In order for there to be growth, progression, investment and engagement on the part of an employee they need to understand their individual connection to the mission of the organization as well as have a sense as to where they see this position taking them in the future and what skills, knowledge and experiences they want to gain through it. As they set meaningful goals and look towards the future you can help them better understand, and in some instances, persevere through day to day difficulties keeping in mind longer term goals and outcomes.

Goals What "smart" goal(s) does your employee have?

Reality What is the current state or reality of the situation?

Opportunities What opporutnties are avaiable to help this employee reach their goal(s)?

Work What effort must the employee put forth to be successful?

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SETTING SMART GOALS

Notes on SMART Goals

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Examples of SMART Goals

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Goals

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-bound

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DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS

SBIDR Feedback

Who might I want to utilize this feedback model with?

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What time frame and approach will I take in implementing this framework?

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How can I measure success or improvement once I start leveraging this tool?

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Situation What is the context?

Behavior What was the specific behavior?

Impact What was the impact on the project, other employees, theteam, others?

Desired Outcome What is the desired outcome? What should happen differently going forward?

Recognition How do you follow-up on progress? How do you follow-up when someone falls short?

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Upward Feedback

As a supervisor or manager, strive to find ways to improve and seek ongoing feedback from others on your team and colleagues you work with regularly. Here are a few questions you may want to consider asking:

What is one thing you want me to continue doing?

What is one thing that I can do to help your productivity? Your professional growth?

If you could get me to stop doing one thing, what would it be (i.e., it diminishes yourproductivity, morale)?

If you could get me to start doing one thing, what would it be (i.e., it would increaseyour productivity, morale)?

What else can I do to be a better colleague/supervisor?

Dont forget when receiving feedback to be in listening mode and apply the following tips:

Wait until you have heard all of the feedback before responding

Seek clarification or ask for examples, as needed

Take notes if that will help you avoid responding prematurely

Notice and quiet any internal reactions or barriers that might interfere with listening fully

Take time, if necessary, to consider the feedback before responding

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DIFFICULT CONVERSATION FRAMEWORK

Think of an experience where you had a difficult conversation with an employee or colleague. Considering the tools found in the Difficult Conversation Framework covered in the training, complete the framework below:

Inquire: What steps could you take to learn more about your employee or colleague and their perspective on the situation?

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Acknowledge: How could you demonstrate to your employee or colleague that you honor their position and understood their perspective?

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Advocate: How could you support your side by clarifying your employee or colleagues position?

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Problem-solve: How could you and your employee or colleague find solutions together?

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DEALING WITH DATA: TEAM COMMUNICATION

Team Communication FEVS Data

Q21: The people I work with cooperate to get the job done. Q26: Employees in my work unit share job knowledge with each other. Q58: Managers promote communication among different work units (for example, about projects, goals, needed resources).

What does your data reveal about your organizations strengths?

What does your data reveal about your organizations areas for improvement?

Why is team communication important?

71.8 71.2

45.645

55

65

75

Q21 Q26 Q58

Government-wide

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TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING ACROSS GENERATIONS AND DISTANCE

What practices can I adopt to help improve communication within my team?

What practices can I share with my senior leaders to help improve communication in the workplace?

What other communication tools and strategies can I leverage to better engage with remote workers and my mutigenerational-multicultural workforce?

Millennials

Offer more feedback Listen Try new tools Tailor communication Involve them in decision-making

Remote Workers

Increase frequency Choose the right tools for the rightmessage

Learn the tools and practice Use video Always say, And heres why Cultivate relationships and cater to theindividual

Share the lead Be mindful of schedules and time zones Dont be a bottleneck

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TEMPLATES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

CHECK-IN TEMPLATE Balance individual needs, available resources and organizational culture. Use the template below, or something similar, to track your check-ins with direct reports and ensure you are utilizing your time together wisely, setting goals, communicating expectations and addressing and resolving concerns.

Employee Frequency Purpose Your Role

REMINDERS:

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GROW TEMPLATE Balance individual needs, available resources and organizational culture. Use the template below, or something similar, to track your check-ins with direct reports and ensure you are utilizing your time together wisely, setting goals, communicating expectations and addressing and resolving concerns.

Employee Goals Reality Opportunities Work

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ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMMUNICATION SET GOALS, MAKE PLANS AND TAKE ACTION

Person to improve communication with:

Goals Metrics of Success

Action Item Target Start Date 1.

2.

3.

4.

Person to improve communication with:

Goals Metrics of Success

Action Item Target Start Date 1.

2.

3.

4.

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NOTES

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NOTES

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PANELIST BIOGRAPHIESEMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ONLINE TRAINING SERIESLearning ObjectivesENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH APPRECIATIONDEALING WITH DATA

CUES IMPROVED COMMUNICATION IS NEEDEDLow Employee MoraleUncertain GoalsPoor TeamworkRumors and GossipCultural InsensitivityEmployee Errors

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMMUNICATIONNOTES AND TAKEAWAYS

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES THROUGH COMMUNICATION SET GOALS, MAKE PLANS AND TAKE ACTIONNOTES

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