Chattanooga, Tennessee Miscellaneous, 12 Jul 2023

Previous Meeting

Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: Public Works - Supervisor Training - 7/12/23

Description

7/12

A

Required so the big thing you know says employees will you know they shall have I'm a big person. You know whether you use will must child. You know they shall have a performance value uh evaluation at least annually, if not more often so make sure this part here sticks fairly clear. It's it's strictly upon their competency and their performance. It's not about comparing to. Are they earning their wages it their wages have been set. So that's not the focus.

A

The focus is what how are they doing performance wise, so try to make sure whenever you go through this process, uh preparing that you're thinking about that and some Keynotes here there are two key uh notes: is that I'm hoping that you're having more discussions with these folks in their performance than yearly? There should be some depending upon what a line you're in what division you're in and what your folks do. Sometimes you should have conversations more often, maybe less.

A

That's you as a supervisor to determine you know, that's the discretion you have um and then, if employees are going to get a below three rating, um there should have been a build up to that point. There should have been another discussion before you have a sit down with them and saying you're, two or one, because it shouldn't be a surprise for one.

A

If it's a surprise, then we've done something wrong, so make sure that if an employee is going to get a one or two rating, that you have something done, but you've done something up before that.

A

um Is that fairly clear any questions? Hopefully everybody in TV Land can hear if anybody can folks in uh on uh on the Google Meek, and they talk through the speakers having audio problems. I'm, not sure anyone can hear you to be honest, I'm trying to try to copy that all right. Well, hopefully, this is recorded and folks can see it.

A

Okay, so um make sure that whenever you're doing these evaluations, you're focusing on about the last year or since the last evaluation, don't try to bring up anything further than that. You know don't dig into the past. Yes, some things can be, can build upon each other, but typically these annual or these evaluations, whether annual or a little shorter or longer, um should only be for that period.

A

You're examining for so make sure you keep that period into account because some because it can mean a difference depending especially when it comes to corrective actions or when it comes to Awards, not just not to go with the bad, but you know for both uh Awards or corrective actions. You know you got to be looking at that period of evaluation.

A

So this is the basic chart here to one through five in the description. So you know you got to make sure that is clear with everybody, including yourself. That A3 is that basically you're doing everything that the job requires, that you're consistent or that they are consistently doing it, there's a little bit of room for there that okay, they might have needed a little bit of training or maybe there's a little bit of conduct issue that had to be addressed, but in general they were doing everything the job requires. If.

B

A

You can see inconsistently so when I see inconsistently, that means you're having to address some things more than just a few times more and that's generality, you have to use your good judgment with that. So you know if it impacts the work that they're doing if it impacts your team, your group, the two, might be appropriate. If it's more than that worse than that, okay, then maybe one before is uh meets. You know you got to look at the uh the wording. Notable.

B

A

Know they me with so they're going a couple of steps above there are some things that you can think of, or they have made notes of over the year to make that employee a number four, very good so and then five is outstanding. So of course a lot of us. You know we're used to bell curves, so a majority of your folks should be. If you're setting your expectations stand them correctly. They should be more threes than anything else.

A

um I would hope, not many ones or twos, um but then there should be a few three uh four or fives. So when you're doing your valuations, if you're doing all fours and fives, you know look at your expectations and see, maybe you have a crew of superstars, but um just make sure that you have the data to back it up the information to back it up.

A

I kind of was discussing this already most common and definitely make sure you use the reason section for the evaluations. The reason for the score it'll help you whenever you're having that discussion, because this is really your prep sheet for your discussion. You'll use this sheet to have the discussions, but that's the sheet that will have everything you will speak from.

A

So the better your wording and the examples that you have in there to better the discussion. You can have everybody good and still awake, I'm, just glad it's not a one o'clock meeting or training all right um as it says here anything that you had to deal with the person disciplinary wise. You need to address that, and there should be a you know. It should be discussed and and the reason for the score, especially if it's going to drop it below a three. um It should be discussed.

A

Any questions of that all right kind of advancing faster than I want. Okay,.

B

A

Big things: don't just go through the process, just for the sake of going through the process. This does take time, so you really need to do due diligence and spending time reflecting on what your employees have done and giving them a fair assessment, and that's why you need to spend the time rule of thumb is 30 minutes per person. It's a good number, so you know spend the time on it. Some folks are easier. Some folks are harder, so average it out and another good uh idea is to after you have written up.

A

The evaluation uh come back to it later that day or another day or two later, you know give yourself time and make sure that you captured everything, because sometimes after we've done uh the initial draft, there might be other things that we thought about.

A

So don't rush through it give yourself time to go back and make sure that you have put everything on there that you want to talk to the employee about, because some of you have a lot of folks under you and that can that it is a bit of a process to go through and think about. Everything that folks have done unless you've made really good notes. This is kind of an easy flow chart.

A

um The big thing is evaluations need, to be honest, so make sure it's honest, make sure that uh you're as unbiased as you possibly can be, that focusing solely on their performance and conduct, not on anything else and again, we just talked about not marking boxes and we've already discussed the 30-minute rule.

A

Okay. So the second part to this is that there's going to be a growth and feedback conversation. So this is something that you need to be prepared uh whenever you have your discussions with employee, because basically you're going to talk about their performances, you're going to tell them how they did and then you're going to switch right over to growth and feedback, and this is really where you're going to make your money.

A

If done right, um because the big thing is with growth and feedback is the goal is to have people believe that you are concerned about their growth, about what their goals are and then that you are there to support them and I think everybody has seen on the back sheet. All of these questions, um your folks should get this or should I already know this beforehand, what the questions are, and they should be prepared to have a conversation now. One thing I want to make sure that everybody knows. Is that I?

A

Don't believe that you have to do everything in order to make the employee successful to meet their goals, basically you're there to listen to them to help them with their goals, because some folks might not know what they want to do. So you know with your experience, you can kind of help them go in a direction or two give them guidance um and, let's see and then uh of course record it in Oracle right here it says: we'll watch a video, but it's a 20 minute.

A

Video I'll just ask that within the next couple of days that you take a look at it, it's 20 minutes. It gives you a little more guidance on the growth and feedback in regards to how to conduct it and also how to record it in Oracle. So I have to watch it myself. I have an ad an opportunity yet um so, as mentioned in the beginning, this is a pilot for us, so any notes, any lessons learned that you have afterwards.

A

Please bring them to the group, because we're probably going to have some things that we need to adjust whether these four questions, I think I, said six questions, but four questions were these four questions were the appropriate questions and maybe there's other means of supporting each other like should we have other information on there or something to that effect?

A

uh Let's see and talks more about the video again getting your folks input and then, um and then also you know really kind of dig about what they could do better some folks, it's not obvious. Some folks need help understanding what they can do better, and this could be an opportunity to help them um think about what they could do better.

A

And this was a good point that was in the brief. We do have a lot of high performers, but you know the question is: do they know that they're high performers do they get recognized enough? Make sure that you do recognize them in the performance evaluations and then other opportunities come up for recognition or awards that um they are given those? So don't forget about them all right. This is basically the as I call the plan of action and Milestones poem. So basically, this is the timeline that we're going to follow.

A

um In a nutshell, our goal is to be done with all of these um by um I. Think it's the by the end of August. Basically, so this is a timeline for you to get your um performance evaluations uh filled out and sent up to your supervisor, so we can just make sure that we're managing expectations correctly.

A

um So you can I think this brief should be available to all of you. um So you don't have to sit here and study and make notes, but I think we're on track. You know today's the 12th of July so we're having the meeting on the discuss this and then the next step will be uh supervisors.

A

uh You all providing stuff to your next uh direct line. Supervisor that's on the 21st. Hopefully some of you started already and that's pretty much it. Yes, so that's pretty much! It um are there any questions about. What's yes,.

C

Yes, thank you.

A

All right, thank you, any other questions, any I mean. Are there any examples? You know I kind of wanted to be a little bit of an open form. You know: does anybody have examples or anything that they want to discuss? It can be hard rating. Your team I've been with teams where folks were all my folks, pretty much were fours and it gets really hard on evaluating them. So the big thing is trying to be as specific as you can with the tasks, the actions that they are doing to make sure you can.

D

We have one and two and then you skip three and we have four conversations, five questions um in weeks, because it seems like they're kind of saying the same thing: guys: annual performance, reviewed and employee evaluations.

A

So, basically so one and two so on the growth and feedback, you know the first question is: what do you think is a good way you could grow professionally or personally, I, don't know. What's the best way to answer this Ben.

B

But but the mayor sent out before was that six growth and feedback questions and what DPW is doing different than the rest of the city is we replaced the first two questions uh that was six growth and feedback questions with that performance review. I, don't know who asked that question, but uh yeah does that make sense. So there were six in that that list of.

D

Things or um so we're just addressing those two questions in the annual performance review, but we're not changing anything about our annual performance review questions from last year. It's just the same questions, I, don't I, don't know what one or two were.

B

They were, there were questions related, so you can see it from that video link. If you watch the video link, you will be able to see all six questions fully detailed, and hopefully you will agree with me that our performance review asking discussing the five performance areas do uh adequately address the one and two growth of feedback questions. We reviewed this with Daniel at HR. That was his recommendation as well. So those questions one and two from the uh six growth and feedback questions our five performance review process we feel adequately. It covers those spots.

B

If there's anyone has any questions. You're certainly welcome to add more stuff to the other four of growth and feedback questions, just a method of trying to figure out how to tie the two together and still get everything done for the 244 people. We have in public force and get this move through.

D

And then the next question is it actually three through six I guess online? Yes, okay, okay, I think.

C

That was just I think that was just dismissed on the slide.

C

So when you watch the video, for example, if they are sent out, he blessed out or and then there's one that HR sent out, that actually lists out six of the questions in that seven minute, video, the first two of those because I think the intent hr's intent was urgent. Feedback for a lot of for a lot of departments is happening outside of the time when evaluation, Works evaluations have just been completed a year ago.

C

The thought was, let's go ahead and see how it works to incorporate the two things together for public works, and so that's the reason why I'm numbered one and two really their redundant questions. If you were to do the employee evaluations and then sit down right after that and ask the employee to six for feedback questions, HR sent out, you would be asking questions one and two. um The same issues then argument dealt with on the evaluations, so we're essentially because we're doing essentially concurrently, then that that means.

B

D

And then, on the second page of the performance evaluation, it sets goals that we have for them, but questions three through six of growth and feedback really wants to know what the employee has as a result. Right so do we once we meet our goals for them, based on what their pros and feedback was.

C

So I think the answer I'll start out with part of this in New York for Champion, so because of the way it almost works, porn had already did this together and we already had essentially these things already on the back, and they were part of what we did. That's the reason why we're piloting them together has only four questions instead of six, so think of more along the lines of the front. Part of the sheet is employee evacuation of what they've done.

C

The person feedback is about looking forward to the future, which is what the intent behind the City Vibe versus feedback, so I I, don't I, don't think we're it's not fill out the front and the back and then sit down and ask the same questions and do the same thing all over again. It's really do the front and you're doing the back. Those two things together are employee evaluations in a group of people. That's not that's.

C

My understanding is that this looks like what we did before, because it is what we did before, but that's the reason why ours is different. A lot of Public Works in the pilot, instead of instead of just seeing only these four questions.

A

So your question is: are you responsible to make their uh growth feedback there? uh The things their goals try to help them accomplish their goals? Is that.

A

Right I mean that's essentially, I mean your goals that you have for them. As a supervisor is critical. You have to have that, so they have some ways of getting better at whatever it is they do whatever those goals are, whether it's improving their performance, their technical capabilities, whatever it is, but for the growth and feedback it's to understand what they want to do so yeah. So maybe you can tailor a little bit or maybe you can help them as in just giving advice, I mean it's not intended on.

A

You have to help them make uh reach their goals. It's to give you to make you understand what their goals are and then kind of direct them, because it might not. You might not be able to do anything with it. I mean there might be things completely off the ball like. Maybe they want to learn how to make pottery or something like that.

A

I, don't know it's just one of those things where you want to have a conversation with them, just to kind of know where they are and how you can help them as a supervisor. I'm. Sorry Pottery is cool. I know but foreign, so it's really it's really. It goes back to that emotional intelligence. You need to have a conversation with them to understand what is it that they are trying to accomplish, because we have some folks out there that are perfectly happy staying where they are and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

A

There are some folks that want to go far, and you need to know that, because, if you're not challenging them, they might become an underperformer and become disgruntled, but um but with our Network here. If you find somebody that wants to do something and you can't really help them, but you can let somebody else know that so-and-so is interested in. You know doing something that you don't have any experience in, or knowledge in you can direct them.

A

That way, and one thing I forgot to mention I'm glad you brought up is the mentorship piece is whenever you have these conversations.

A

One thing you should ask your folks, especially the ones that you know, want to do a little bit more ask them if they have a mentor, and it should be somebody probably not within their supervisory chain of command um it can be, but my recommendation is that they should reach out and talk to somebody that has uh something similar with those goals, whether it's the position that they want to go in or career field. They want to go in.

A

So the whole point of the growth and feedback is to let them know that we have a vested interest in them, making the goals they want to, especially if it benefits the city, because there's folks that want to move up through the city and stuff- and there is a benefit to having folks that come from the ground up.

A

um It's a long way of answering your question. Is that answer it you're happy with it, but we can talk later. We can talk later all right. Does anybody have anything? Yes, I.

D

Think we're going to get questions about.

A

Any guidance on how so I think the answer is yes. Is that right then, so this this one.

B

Right, so uh very likely will be the next performance review happening sometime around the end of the year.

B

So definitely the answer. The answer is no for the August of July uh review, but I went forward. This is what we're looking at doing so that's kind of looking at what make sure people are giving honest reviews and if we see everybody that says apply the one you have, people don't be looking at them race. Everybody.

A

A

That's a very good point, and so, and also good caution too, make sure you evaluate folks correctly, because if there are, if you say a four now but then next time it's a three that doesn't look really good and of course people will be upset about that anytime. You drop somebody on a rating they're, definitely not going to take that. Well, especially if you don't have very good documentation, so very good questions, so thanks Ben for that. So yes, eventually it will be not at this point in time.

A

um I uh yeah I had too many stories any other questions before we dismiss for this time for this training, and this isn't the only time if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me, and let me know if questions you have or concerns and we can address them before you go on this journey. I know a lot of this. Isn't your first rodeo so, uh but just let me know if you have any questions or if you have any uh lessons re-improve. So with that, that's it! Thank you! Everybody!

A

C

Laughing come on because.

A

I got it under well: I almost had it under 30 minutes.