How to Set Meaningful Performance Goals: Do, Not Be
Are you a finisher? Do you love the feel of completing a task and checking it off your list? Goal completion is a strong human motivator. Yet, writing significant goals that have a positive impact on the work environment can be tough. Here’s a framework to...
How to be More Available to Your Staff: Take a Break to Recharge
In today’s busy world of cell phones, email, text messages, voice mail, instant messenger, and who knows what else, it’s easy to get sucked in to being “on call” all the time. When we are available and responsive at all times, we think we are...
Give the Gift of Employee Recognition
The holidays are gift-giving time. In the workplace gift-giving doesn’t mean you have to spend money to acknowledge the good works of employees. With reduced budgets and stretched resources, this is the perfect time to give what employees crave most. According to...
How to Get an Employee Talking in the Performance Evaluation Meeting
In the employee performance evaluation meeting you probably have the urge to do all the talking – to tell the employee what the evaluation document says (or worse yet, read the document to the employee). You tell the employee what you think of their performance. You...
How to Set Performance Goals
The end of one year provides us with a wonderful opportunity to start fresh in the New Year. In many public agencies a fresh start means new annual goals. Many managers see goal setting as the opportunity to list the classes the employee will attend for the coming...
Five Ways a Public Sector HR Department Can Earn Respect
Human resource (HR) departments in public agencies are fighting for credibility. Pressure to contain costs, engage employees, and be strategic has led many HR departments to flounder. HR wants to be seen as a resource and a trusted advisor to management. HR needs to...
3 Strategies to Engage Employees
Working in the public sector today is challenging. Fiscal pressures, political winds, and shifting priorities can make the most devoted public servant question their commitment. Yet, engaging employees is at the top of the agenda for most public sector human...
How Public Sector HR Professionals Can Get Management to Listen
For years the human resources (HR) professional has been taking about becoming a strategic partner with management. HR professionals say they want to “have a seat at the table,” “to be a strategic business partner,” and “to add value” to the organization. Yet, many...
