1 / 22

REFOCUSING ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS More about the “how” than the “what”

REFOCUSING ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS More about the “how” than the “what”. MASPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – NOV 30, 2012. REFOCUSING ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS. Union employees feel under continued attack due to reduced funding, concessionary contracts and continued legislative and policy changes.

conroy
Download Presentation

REFOCUSING ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS More about the “how” than the “what”

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. REFOCUSING ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPSMore about the “how” than the “what” MASPA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – NOV 30, 2012

  2. REFOCUSING ON EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS • Union employees feel under continued attack due to reduced funding, concessionary contracts and continued legislative and policy changes. • Non-union employees feel under continued attack due to reduced funding, concessionary contracts and continued legislative and policy changes • We in Human Resources must find ways to re-establish or re-focus on our working relationships with our employees. • I will share some ideas on how to use our positions to strengthen those relationships.

  3. LEADERSHIP STYLE • Servant Leadership – Robert Greenleaf – Effective leadership emerges from a desire to help others. • Instead of occupying a position at the top of a hierarchy, the servant leader is positioned at the center of the organization. This implies that the servant leader is in contact with all aspects of the organization & the individuals within it as opposed to interacting with a few high-level managers who also occupy positions in the upper strata of the hierarchy.

  4. LEADERSHIP – What is your style? • Servant Leadership (School Leadership that Works by Marzano, Waters & McNulty) • The central dynamic of servant leadership is nurturing those within the organization. Consequently, critical skills of servant leadership include the following: • Understanding the personal needs of those within the organization • Healing wounds caused by conflict within the organization • Being a steward of the resources of the organization • Developing the skills of those within the organization • Being an effective leader

  5. MORE ABOUT THE “HOW” THAN THE “WHAT” • The “WHAT” – all of the technical knowledge and skills we have • The “WHAT” – determining staffing levels & employees identified for layoff; administering FMLA; evaluating staff; managing the employee absence policy; communicating critical information to employees; training / educating staff • Be technically on top of our game – know the fundamentals of the HR game – That is the “WHAT”! We have spent the last day learning a lot about the “WHAT” , so now let’s talk about the “HOW”. • State Championship (What’s the secret?) & 1st Year Teachers

  6. MORE ABOUT THE “HOW” THAN THE “WHAT” • The “HOW” – “HOW” we implement all of the technical knowledge and skills we have • The “HOW”– determining staffing levels & employees identified for layoff; terminating employees; administering FMLA; evaluating staff; managing the employee absence policy; bargaining contracts, communicating critical information to employees; training / educating staff • The “HOW” is having your heart at the center of our game – have your heart in the right place and your thoughts, words, and actions follow: That is the “HOW”!

  7. IT STARTS WITH YOUR HEART • “Believe with the heart . . . .” • New York City Police Officer in Times Square • Todd Whitaker – treating all employees as if they were good • “Beware that your hearts do not become . . .” • Think about a situation that could have ended differently if your heart wasn’t in the right spot or think about a situation that ended badly that in retrospect could possibly have turned out better if your heart had been in a different spot.

  8. THINK LIKE A TEACHERHow many teachers in the room? • We are all, in some way, responsible for the teacher evaluation process. One critical skill for a teacher is developing relationships with students. • Think about what you did as a teacher to develop relationships with students, what you did as a principal to help a teacher develop relationships with students, and what you have done as a human resource administrator to help a principal develop a teacher’s IDP when their deficit area is in developing relationships with students. Write / Talk

  9. Thinking like a Teacher • Danielson’s Domain 2 - The Classroom Environment: 2A - Creating an Environment of Respect & Rapport DISTINGUISHED: Teacher interactions with students reflect GENUINE RESPECT & CARING for individuals as well as groups of students. Students appear to TRUST the teacher with sensitive information. Students demonstrate genuine caring for one another & monitor one another’s treatment of peers, correcting classmates respectfully when needed.

  10. Thinking like an HR Administrator • HR Domain 1 - The Work Environment: 1A - Creating an Environment of Respect & Rapport DISTINGUISHED: HR Administrator’s interactions with employees reflect GENUINE RESPECT & CARING for individuals as well as groups of employees. Employees appear to TRUST the HR Administrator with sensitive information. Employees demonstrate genuine caring for one another & monitor one another’s treatment of peers, correcting peers respectfully when needed.

  11. ACTIONS THAT DEMONSTRATE THIS • Teacher – Greet students at door – use students’ names; HR Administrator – Greet employees by name • Teacher – Go to the hospital if student is sick; HR Administrator – Go to the hospital is employee is sick/injured • Teacher – Go to funeral home if student has a loss in the family; HR Administrator – Go to funeral home if employee has a loss in the family • Special events, birthday, etc. • Admin - More events than anyone else – knew names

  12. BUILDING TRUST • Building Trust – Following Through • Say what you’re going to do – Do It • Say what you’re going to do – Do It • Say what you’re going to do – Do It • Say what you’re going to do – Do It • Say what you’re going to do – Do It What if you realize you can’t do it? Apologize, if appropriate – explain why. Then say what you’re going to do next – then Do It

  13. BUILDING TRUST • Be Open-minded • Make sure actions taken are always after getting the whole story • Don’t jump to conclusions • Find common interests and build on those • Care about people

  14. COMMUNICATION • Direct – The sandwich philosophy • Open • Honest • Prompt • Appropriate for situation – email, phone, in person • Appropriate parties in the communication – don’t‘ cc, bc unless proper or purposeful

  15. SPECIFIC TASKS / STRUCTURES • COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE - FORMAL • Monthly Head Secretary Meetings • S.A.C. (Superintendent’s Advisory Committee) • Purpose: For the leadership of the ECEA Teachers and ECSD Management Team to meet monthly (October-May) to discuss joint topics, issues, and information pertinent to the District. • T.A.C. (Transportation Advisory Committee) • Purpose: For the leadership of the ECSD Bus Drivers and ECSD Management Team to meet quarterly (3 times per year) to discuss current events, concerns and future projects/issues in the District.

  16. SPECIFIC TASKS / STRUCTURES • COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE - Informal • Weekly meetings with ECEA President • Access to you – open door policy, not just the door open • Be visible. Plan to be at buildings at key times, i.e. drivers’ lounge at 9-9:15 • LISTEN – Be okay with hearing about the unpleasant feelings, i.e. devalued, disrespected, discouraged, frustrated, overworked – guard against getting defensive • What happens when we really listen – from the heart – like you would with a family member you love? • Common error: letting the prior meeting/appointment impact your next meeting/appointment

  17. WHAT - HOW • What – Social Committee Events • HOW – Involve everyone – make it fun – listen - $ • What - Know Staff • HOW - Have an intentional way of knowing all staff • Write it in directory; Use your SmartPhone; Add their kids’ names when they’re born; etc. • What – Send Birthday Cards • HOW – personalize them – know the staff

  18. IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT NOW? • We’ve talked about developing relationships. You are probably doing all of those things already. So is there anything we should do differently now – with the negative things impacting education? • Become intentionally aware of how employees are feeling. Select words thoughtfully – reduced hrs, lunch time, contribution to gifts

  19. IS THERE ANYTHING DIFFERENT NOW? • Give them a little time to settle in and then keep our high expectations with support & training – custodians. • Listen to input & make changes that are possible – timely. • Employees want to feel empowered now more than ever as they feel that most of their power has been revoked.

  20. We’re All in this Together • We have all been impacted by legislation, Michigan’s economy, reduced funding, etc. Bind together around a common goal – lobby Lansing, write legislators, grass roots efforts • Feeling of equity – fairness; do a critical review of equity within the District; be an advocate for justice • TEAM - Use our mission & common interests to bind us together – identify, speak it, plan it

  21. DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS • GENUINE CARE • TRUST • COMMUNICATION • SUPPORT • RESPECT

  22. Closing… Be very competent at the WHAT but always remember…. It’s in the HOW that employee relationships are developed.

More Related