Student Employees in the Mail Center Ronnie W Farris CPU Manager Lipscomb University Nashville, TN

1. Student Employees in theMail CenterRonnie W FarrisCPU ManagerLipscomb UniversityNashville, TN

2. Student Workers

10. Supervisor�s Responsibilities Policies Train by setting standards Develop good relationships Serve as a role model Motivate Performance standards Discipline

11. Job Descriptions Policies and Procedures Have a job description. Written policies and procedures. Signature of both student and supervisor when policy and procedure statements have been read.

12. Orientation Necessity for proper understanding. Highlights the important aspects of the job. Orientation has long-term benefits. Focus on what matters. Emphasis on departmental mission, purpose and it�s interaction with other areas. Overview of the functions of your department and services provided.

13. Training Program Gives students skills needed for the job Written policy and procedures, references materials Training is an on-going process Learn by doing � hands on experience Multiple training sessions Cross-train Good suggestions come from students There are many things available to the supervisor that help in training: USPS publications, magazines that deal with personnel training, CUMSA and NACUMS list serve. I don�t know about you, but training is hard! I do not like to talk constantly for up to 10 hours per day! But training MUST be done and it is constantly going on.. They say, �A picture�s worth a thousand words.� I say that Hands On is worth a thousand words! Learn by doing. It�s much better to have multiple training sessions. I call them either an In Service or Employee Enrichment. The more an employee knows, the more valuable that employee becomes to your mail center. Cross train on most jobs is a vital key to the success of our office. You find out the individuals strengths and weaknesses, where they are the most valuable to you or the organization. If you�re like me, I don�t have all the answers! Many good ideas, ideas that work come from the students, those who do the job. There are things which can not be changed due to USPS regulations, there may be things which may be tweeked, changed or added which make the job run more smoothly or even better than before. Examples include: Re-Assignment of Faculty mailboxes and sequence of boxing administrative mail for actual delivery. There are many things available to the supervisor that help in training: USPS publications, magazines that deal with personnel training, CUMSA and NACUMS list serve. I don�t know about you, but training is hard! I do not like to talk constantly for up to 10 hours per day! But training MUST be done and it is constantly going on.. They say, �A picture�s worth a thousand words.� I say that Hands On is worth a thousand words! Learn by doing. It�s much better to have multiple training sessions. I call them either an In Service or Employee Enrichment. The more an employee knows, the more valuable that employee becomes to your mail center. Cross train on most jobs is a vital key to the success of our office. You find out the individuals strengths and weaknesses, where they are the most valuable to you or the organization. If you�re like me, I don�t have all the answers! Many good ideas, ideas that work come from the students, those who do the job. There are things which can not be changed due to USPS regulations, there may be things which may be tweeked, changed or added which make the job run more smoothly or even better than before. Examples include: Re-Assignment of Faculty mailboxes and sequence of boxing administrative mail for actual delivery.

14. Develop Good Relations The relationship is basic: supervisor and student. Show respect for the student, develop an interest in student as a person, gain mutual trust Share everyone�s goals � student, supervisor, department and university Treat the student as an adult! They have come to you for hire and they have the desire to work for you in the mail center. They look to you as the authority and are seeking direction in this job. Show a genuine interest in the student as a person, treating them with respect. Get to know them, show interest in things that they do; club, church, relationships they have with other students. Be careful not to judge them from you ADULT-PARENT viewpoint. Gain their trust by your genuine interest. Do things with them, share lunch-time with them, provide dinner for them or a surprise break. Let them know what you like, dislike; what your goals are for the job, department and university.Treat the student as an adult! They have come to you for hire and they have the desire to work for you in the mail center. They look to you as the authority and are seeking direction in this job. Show a genuine interest in the student as a person, treating them with respect. Get to know them, show interest in things that they do; club, church, relationships they have with other students. Be careful not to judge them from you ADULT-PARENT viewpoint. Gain their trust by your genuine interest. Do things with them, share lunch-time with them, provide dinner for them or a surprise break. Let them know what you like, dislike; what your goals are for the job, department and university.

15. Serve as a Role Model Teacher, advisor, mentor, friend, and substitute parent. Find proper balance with these roles. Take a look at yourself! How do student workers see you? Good work habits? Responsible? Fair?

16. Three Steps to Motivating Students Employees Help student employees develop the CONFIDENCE needed to get the job done. Establish two-way TRUST. Make it possible for student employees to find SATISFACTION in their jobs. When the students have been trained, you have given them confidence that they CAN do the job, assure them they CAN! You�ve established that Two-Way Trust! When they know they CAN do the job and you have confidence in their ability, this gives the students personal satisfaction they can succeed in the job.When the students have been trained, you have given them confidence that they CAN do the job, assure them they CAN! You�ve established that Two-Way Trust! When they know they CAN do the job and you have confidence in their ability, this gives the students personal satisfaction they can succeed in the job.

17. Motivation Set realistic goals. Give timely and meaningful recognition for job performance. Encourage self-development. Provide appropriate training. Recognize and reward accomplishments. Goals must be realistic. Recognition is needed at the proper time. Timing is everything! Encourage them to be the best they can be, not only in the job but in their personal lives! Best training is appropriate. In addition to yourself, use your experienced students to teach the operation and concepts of the job. Reward a job well done, tell others about what the student has done. Good news should travel fast!! Goals must be realistic. Recognition is needed at the proper time. Timing is everything! Encourage them to be the best they can be, not only in the job but in their personal lives! Best training is appropriate. In addition to yourself, use your experienced students to teach the operation and concepts of the job. Reward a job well done, tell others about what the student has done. Good news should travel fast!!

18. The Top Ten Tactics To Boost Morale Sponsor a �Noon Movie�. Set up a �Humor Corner�. Get out of the Office! Sponsor an �Interesting Pizza Day�. Liven up your memos.

19. The Top Ten Tactics To Boost Morale Run a �Guess the Baby� contest. Have �Late Day Mondays�. Take pictures! Play with the dress code. Bring the smile to work.

20. Performance AppraisalsTry to Do Three Things Measure Performance Provide the basis for Compensation Set Goals for Development

21. Performance Standards On-going process. Written appraisal each term/semester. Signed by both the supervisor and student. The goal is improvement. Evaluate using realistic expectations. Show the Student Worker Evaluation form. Do other schools do this? This does not have to be extremely detailed, but enough for you purposes. Discuss the evaluation with the student, each one signing � student and supervisor. The goal is to make the student the best they can be in the job that is to be performed. I doubt that we are all the absolute we can be, so our goal is improvement, be the best possible each of us can be! Being realistic in our expectations of the students is a MUST! We obviously must set goals, but we must remember that we are in the Mail Center all day long and know what needs to be done. Remember the student may only be at work a couple of hours a day or a few hours a week, so don�t set unrealistic expectations of them. Did you know that Employee Appreciation Day is the second Friday in March? (I missed it! BUT, I tell my workers EVERYDAY that I appreciate what they have done that day. It�s genuine! Without them my day would be hours longer!)Show the Student Worker Evaluation form. Do other schools do this? This does not have to be extremely detailed, but enough for you purposes. Discuss the evaluation with the student, each one signing � student and supervisor. The goal is to make the student the best they can be in the job that is to be performed. I doubt that we are all the absolute we can be, so our goal is improvement, be the best possible each of us can be! Being realistic in our expectations of the students is a MUST! We obviously must set goals, but we must remember that we are in the Mail Center all day long and know what needs to be done. Remember the student may only be at work a couple of hours a day or a few hours a week, so don�t set unrealistic expectations of them. Did you know that Employee Appreciation Day is the second Friday in March? (I missed it! BUT, I tell my workers EVERYDAY that I appreciate what they have done that day. It�s genuine! Without them my day would be hours longer!)

22. Performance EvaluationsSome Keys to handling a tricky process Evaluation phase Short-term memory. The Halo effect. The Horns effect. Gunnysacking. Too soft or too hard? Often � especially in yearly reviews � the events of the last couple of months are in the front of our minds. Be careful to include as much of the year as possible. Don�t get carried away with the employee�s one spectacular success during the year, and overlook areas that need improvement. The Horns effect � opposite of halo effect � overemphasizing the workers miscues could be a blow to morale. Gunnysacking � saving up your complaints about the employee and then dumping on them all at once. Try to maintain a balance to get an accurate view of the employee�s strengths and weaknesses. Often � especially in yearly reviews � the events of the last couple of months are in the front of our minds. Be careful to include as much of the year as possible. Don�t get carried away with the employee�s one spectacular success during the year, and overlook areas that need improvement. The Horns effect � opposite of halo effect � overemphasizing the workers miscues could be a blow to morale. Gunnysacking � saving up your complaints about the employee and then dumping on them all at once. Try to maintain a balance to get an accurate view of the employee�s strengths and weaknesses.

23. Discipline Let student employees know up front what is expected of them. Be fair and consistent. Document behavior that is not appropriate. Discipline in private; do not discipline in front of other employees. If improvement can be made, give the student the opportunity to do so. Document the discussion and actions taken to correct the situation.

24. Discipline � It� Necessary! Discipline is necessary for the sake of all employees. If you fail to discipline, other student employees may break rules or lose respect for you as the supervisor.

25. Effective Discipline Correcting the problem rather than punishing the offender. Maintain student employee�s dignity and self-respect. Provide for increasing serious steps if the problem is not resolved. Result in the student employee�s changing behavior and becoming a good performer.

26. Three Categories of Discipline Problems Poor Performance Misconduct Attendance Keep records when it comes to discipline. You do not want it to come back on you later. Remember that more information � especially written � is better than less! Written records are the key, plus you have a record covering the situation. Keep Records! You�ll be glad you did.Keep records when it comes to discipline. You do not want it to come back on you later. Remember that more information � especially written � is better than less! Written records are the key, plus you have a record covering the situation. Keep Records! You�ll be glad you did.

27. Effective Communication The art of listening involves your eyes, too� Active Listening Rubbing one eye � could show one is having trouble inwardly accepting something. Tapping feet � possible lack of confidence in what is being said. Staring and blinking � idea is under consideration. Crooked smiles � If a smile is noticeably crooked or remains longer than a moment or two, you�ve got grounds to question the person�s veracity. Frequent rubbing of the nose � may be telling that the person is not telling the truth.

28. Acknowledgements Tammi King, CMM, Berry College Dana University Business School Education Program 1/03 �Thorough Orientation Brings Workers Up to Speed Quicker�, Gannett News Service, Jerry Langdon �The Top10 Tactics to Boost Morale�, The Managers Intelligence Report, Issue MR903 �Three Steps to Motivating Employees�, Thad Green �Performance Reviews: Do and Don�ts � What�s Working in Human Resources, Tim Gould, editor �Work Evaluations that Work�, Knight Ridder News Service, Harry Wessel A Good Student Employee, Student Worker Handbook, Indiana State University