We all have an “attitude” problem at times. You’ve probably even had employees who you’ve described as having a bad attitude. However, focusing on the attitude of an employee while trying to influence his/her work performance is a bad idea. No one wants to be labeled and no one wants to be judged. When you […]
Have you ever received the “inheritance surprise?” No, not the one that comes after probate proceedings. “Inheritance surprise” is the surprise you get you get a new employee and find their performance is not up to expectations. Managers inherit employees in two ways: when the supervisor is new to the work group or when the […]
The reality of today’s job market is that workers are expecting more from their employers and are not afraid to move on if their needs are not met by your organization. How do great public agencies maintain low levels of turnover and high levels of employee satisfaction? The answer is found in one word: culture. […]
Study after study has proven that engaged employees, employees who care, lead to increased productivity, better customer service, and increased commitment to the mission. As a result, efficiencies increase, waste decreases, and citizens are happier. If you don’t believe me, check out Kevin Kruse’s compilation of the employee engagement research. So how do you create […]
Every organization has a set of beliefs, or norms, that guide day-to-day interactions and processes. Organizational beliefs help to frame our decision-making and allow us to be consistent and efficient. In local government, there are a lot of them. Sometimes, however, our beliefs become so ingrained that we use them as an excuse for not moving […]
Pension reform, budget cuts, restructuring, doing more with less. . . all of these modern-day public sector realities have had a tremendous impact on the level of trust in our organizations. Gone is the era of lifetime employment. Today, organizations consider themselves lucky to retain an employee for five years. And, when we analyze the […]
All the practice, preparation and knowledge in the world cannot prepare you for an audience who does not like you or your message. Many of my clients face public audiences who are hostile or who do not want to hear the message that is being delivered. At City Council meetings, public hearings, and community events, […]
The success of managers in government organizations is defined by their ability to achieve results and drive change. Results and change come about through conversation and it’s not always easy to initiate the conversations that are required. In fact, many managers would prefer to avoid the tough conversations altogether. Still, managing the performance of employees […]
A recent IPMA-HR member poll reported some good news about the state of the public sector workforce. The poll had some bad news as well. The good news? In the survey 81% of the respondents said that their agency was no longer conducting layoffs. This is a welcomed turnaround from a few years ago when […]
This is the time of year when many public employees are struggling to set performance goals for the coming year. Are you staring at the computer screen wondering where to start? Here are four kinds of goals that you might consider when establishing your performance goals. 1. Essence of the Job Goals – These are the […]
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