Employee Non-performance: Training Issue or Operations Issue

Determining the best approach to address employee non-performance is the source of many discussions in organizations.  Many training departments function on the premise of teaching employees based on “ideal” situations while operations staff manages employees in the not so ideal reality.

An employee uses a cell phone while driving a company vehicle.  An employee is repeatedly late for work.  An employee fails to report an inappropriate incident.  An employee is insubordinate.  These are just a few examples of how an employee may be deficient in performing his or her job.  Many managers confuse whether to address as training or an operations issue.   I might be partial, but as a training administrator for over 10 years, I propose using the following thought process to determine which approach is best.

1.    Are there written policies or procedures that prohibit the deficient behavior?  ___Yes ___No
2.    Is the behavior expectation addressed in a formal training program?  ___Yes ___No
3.    Did the employee complete the training program?  ___Yes ___No
4.    Has the employee received formal or informal counseling and given an opportunity to improve?  ___Yes ___No

YES to questions, 1-3;  indicates an Operations issue
NO to any of the questions indicates a Training issue
YES should always be the answer to question 4

Your HR/training department will appreciate that you took the time to evaluate the situation to determine how to address the employee’s non-performance.

Can you think of ways in which operation issues can be better communicated to training staff to improve training program content in your organization?  What are common barriers to overcome?

Let’s not Forget the Haitian Children

There is no single day that I don’t wish to go to earthquake-hit Haiti and serve those homeless and helpless orphan children who are living an impoverish life under an open sky with an almost empty stomach and seeking emotional aid from strangers as they strive to overcome the dilemma of living alone. Haiti is now crowded with international aid agencies, emergency hospitals, doctors, nurses and a world of people who are volunteering their valuable time to reach out to those who are left with nothing but a shocking memory of the past. This past is almost a month old, but recovering from it seems like a life-long process for those who are greatly affected by the devastating earthquake. They now get startled by a leaf spiraling down from a tree. These victims of nature, especially the orphan children need to be nurtured with a long-term recovery plan. Only a family and home, can heal the psyche of these Haitian children.

Kudos to this high-tech media age which presents real stories of these vulnerable children and inspire us to behave like a responsible global citizen to rebuild its future on the rubble of its past. But what will happen to these children when the media leaves, when Anderson Cooper leaves?  Will Haitian children fade away from our memory?

No questions asked to anyone entering and exiting the country in this chaotic moment when relief efforts are at its peak hour. In other words, it is almost impossible to discern who is truly interested in adopting the orphans and who the child traffickers are. UNICEF reports indicated that children have been missing from hospitals and community centers and it gets worse with the news when the Idaho group was found involved in taking  a busload of children out to the Dominican Republic illegally. Groups like UNICEF and Save the Children put a halt in the adoption process to prevent possible smuggling of children out of the country. Even an independent committee like Joint Council of International Children services is formed to create a standard procedure so those who really want to adopt are bound by legal obligation. Probably this is the right time to identify the loopholes of the whole adoption process before it goes out of control threatening the well-being of the innocents.

Before the earthquake, there were about 380,000 children living in orphanages across Haiti, and now the number is close to 600,000. No one is sure as to what will happen to these children. Not all of them will have a home, not everyone will be lucky to receive parental love and motherly care once again. The question of legality, a major concern, to save the children from the hands of traffickers requires most attention, but more important is to find a right match for these children. I am not advocating for adoption biases based on races. What I am saying is that these children are already orphans and unless authority undertakes a detailed understanding of the new adopter’s capacity to take over this innocent’s life there is every possibility for them to become orphans for the second time.  It is better to remain in the waiting list for them than to be cheated with love.

Fear of child traffickers and requirements like background checks may take a whole lot of time now than expected. Caught in this waiting dilemma, the authority must not deny these children from opportunities like education. Time heals everything and it will heal the intolerable pains of being orphans too. But refusing their rights of education and economic opportunities would be a grave mistake for the ones who are now responsible to determine the fate of these children. Be it a year or two, or more than that, the international community must not turn their back from these children. Putting bandages or digging graves is not the end of this show. It is like a movement to help these children by developing a long-term recovery plan that will take account of economic, emotional, and educational aspects of each orphan’s well-being.  Media might take off, but human spirit must not fade away from Port-au-Prince.

Reefa Mahboob, M.P.A

Don’t Know Much About Government? (We might start out that way)

In this week’s online management newsletter from Governing Magazine, Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene would like to know if readers can share information on any “excellent civics education efforts” around the country. They correctly link current lack of awareness of what government does (“…who is responsible for picking up the trash….what does a city manager do…does state government have anything to do with education?…”) with civics education in our schools.  Some early research is revealing that the situation is quite bad indeed.

In the wake of No Child Left Behind many states scrapped their civics curricula to dedicate resources to reading and math. (What gets measured, gets done.) In late 2007, Mitsakos & Ackerman (2009) found that only 27 states retained civics in their public school curricula. More disturbing are findings that there is variation in the type of civics education being provided, depending upon the community. In 2005, Julie Jenkins presented at the Western Political Science Association annual conference on her research that showed that in wealthy communities, public schools taught very active forms of citizenship. In contrast, students living in poor communities were given instruction that socialized them to be passive rather than active citizens, suggesting that even if public schools in your area offer civics (and they may not), the message given may not be to participate, be active, or that young people can have a voice in governing. Gravois’ 2006 study showed that four years of college fails to improve civics knowledge in any measurable way, either.

Why does this matter? Would you pay for something if you had no idea what you were getting in return? I wouldn’t. And no wonder so many of our fellow citizens balk against taxes (even in good times), vilify a government they don’t understand, and join movements like the Tea Party.  It appears that this lack of understanding begins early.

Get in touch with Katherine or Richard if you have a good civics education model underway where you live.  No Child Left Behind should absolutely include civics, for without a broad understanding of the nature of democracy and government, we are all left behind.

Anita Larson, Research Fellow and Doctoral Student, St. Paul, Minnesota

Mapping Haiti

On Tuesday, January 12th, I heard the same news as everyone else in the world: a horrendous earthquake – 7.0 in magnitude – struck less than ten miles from the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  I felt the need to do something beyond donating money – something that would have a meaningful effect for people; something that would save lives.   My husband, a nurse and former search and rescue professional, was constantly being asked if he was planning to travel to Haiti to assist with rescue efforts.  In contrast, I felt less than useless.

It was hard to listen to the news of the devastation in Haiti, and know that my skills wouldn’t be needed until the rescue was done, and even then, there are a lot of people out there with more practical public administration skills that would help more than mine would.  I struggled to think of a way that I could be useful.  I couldn’t possibly imagine what I could do from 1,500 miles away. 

I received an email from my agency director, a few days after the earthquake. The email outlined some ways that people from our agency could assist efforts in Haiti, including Doctors without Borders, the Red Cross, etc.  At the end of the email was a link to Crisis Commons, looking for people with technical skills to meet on an appointed Saturday for an all day session of “civic hacking”.  They were looking for people with all kinds of technical skills, including telecommunications, networking, and yes, mapping skills.

Along with other like-minded technical professionals, I spent the day at “Crisis Camp” mapping roads, buildings, and other features that would help rescue organizations like the Fairfax County Urban Search & Rescue Team (USA-1) navigate through areas that were damaged or otherwise inaccessible.  Along with 20+ other people at our particular event, and many people around the world, I continued the process of building an open source map of Haiti using Open Street Map.  (According to some sources, there are no complete, current maps of Haiti, aside from some old maps that the CIA created at least 20 years ago.  This is the first effort of this kind, possibly ever.)

The Crisis Camp was much more than just mapping.  There were people building language translating applications, helping develop a wi-fi network in Haiti, and many other extremely technical projects.  It was amazing to me to see all of these technology wizards, project managers, and other interested folk working together to accomplish feats that would take years and many millions of dollars in the “regular” world.  There have been two other Crisis Camps in DC (that I know of), many others across the U.S. and internationally, and more events to come.

I feel good about my efforts with Crisis Commons.  I have done something useful that has meaning beyond this single event.  I have learned some new technical skills, and gained experience with a technology/tool that will have an impact on other similar efforts,and in my regular work. Out of tragedy comes action and education.  I could not ask for a better way to make a difference in the world.

Crisis Commons

Open Street Map Project

Doing less with less, and being happy about it

My husband is in the Air Force. Meanwhile, in the past nine years (since getting my Masters), I have held a non-grant funded position. Not just grant-funded, but all federal monies (or, in one case, federal funneled through the state). So you could say I have a vested interest in big government. But I am also a tax-payer. And perhaps inordinately enamored with effectiveness and win-win situations.  It turns out, then, that I have a biding interest in big-enough government. As should we all.

What constitutes big enough is a fascinating question, but one unwieldy for a humble blog post. Even if I had a thorough, thoughtful, evidence-based answer, I have no expectation that the appropriate changes would be subsequently made. But I do what I can, which is this: think about the appropriateness of the size of the slice of government I do have a say over.

The Pareto Principle tells us that about 20% of our efforts will yield about 80% of our results. It probably applies to this blog: ~ 20% of the posts get 80% of the traffic. It applies even more drastically to the foods we eat: about 20 of the 287,000 flowering plants in the world account for 80% of the calories consumed by humans. It certainly applies to programs and problems.  Additionally, the next 20% of our efforts will give us the next 80% of our results. To wit, 36% of our efforts (more or less) give us 96% of our results.

And yet, we spend ~ 63% of our time, money, and other resources, on that piddling 4%. Of course, sometimes that 4% is crucial, and should not be ignored. (For instance, we should probably not be satisfied if  4% of terrorist plots succeeded or if 4% of commercial airplane mechanical issues led to crashes). But in many, many instances, that 4% is as trivial as it sounds and can be safely relegated to a low-priority “if time and money allow it” status. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what work functions or programs provide bang for the buck and which fizzle.

So what do you do? Measure, measure, measure. (But measure the right thing, and no more than is necessary. Otherwise, that becomes part of government bloat, as well). Off the top of my head, a few trivial examples:

• Before your organization puts up billboards, figure out what it is you hope the billboards will achieve. Name recognition? Usage of a hotline number? What? Get a baseline for the before. A couple of months down the road, get a count for the after. No change? Stop making the billboard companies rich; spend the money elsewhere. (A similar phenomenon happens with brochures).
• In designing a website, use google keywords (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) to see what kind of information people are actually searching for. Also, use a phone log to find out what kinds of phone calls you get, and from what kinds of people. (i.e., if people who are calling don’t have access to the internet, then you can’t expect web content to affect call volume). At any rate, make sure to include relevant (yes, actually evidence-based) information on your website.
• If 80% of the seat-belt law violators are rural passenger truck drivers, don’t “widecast” your public service announcement.  Or, heck, think of a more compelling intervention than a PSA.
• If you are starting a new project, don’t make it more daunting than it has to be. Focus on what you think that 20% thinks really counts.  Put that most important 20% in place, and you will be 80% of the way to the finish line.  I have had the good fortune of being able to do this more than once — as well as the more typical and daunting experience of starting a new project without prioritizing.

Start looking around. Look at your budget, time spent, personnel, outcomes. Be brave enough to wonder what effect things are having, and to be willing to eschew the things that don’t work. Ask that most heretical of questions: Why are we doing this? It can mean ignoring what others tell you you should do (out of convention’s sake), but at the end of the day (or the year), the results are worth it.

Estela Kennen, MA

Doctoral Student,

Valdosta State University

Speaking The Language

A couple of weeks ago, I received notification that my organization received a grant for our Language 4 Life program.  The objective of this program is to provide  a six week intensive spanish language learning module for small business owners/entrepreneurs who would like to extend their goods and services to the hispanic community.

Although I am very excited about this venture, I can not help but think about the fact that programs such as this is needed on such a wider level. Of course, you know I am talking about those of us that are public administrators.  The U.S. is one of few countries that does not require proficiency in a second language, however; because we are such a welcoming country it is getting to the point that if you do not speak a second language you are not marketable or competitive in the job market or field.

How ironic is this?  When I was growing up, French was the language that everyone wanted to learn.  Spanish was a close second, but not that important, now it is imperative.  However; Arabic and Chinese are also becoming essential languages to Americans for various reasons.

As a public administrator, it is essential that we are able to communicate, but this is becoming a very difficult task because of the barrier of languages. PA is a field that resonates throughout the world, and although we as individuals can not master all languages, there are some that we should consider crucial.  Spanish is my number one priority; and I have resolved to take classes, read books, listen to CD’s and download lessons on my iPod.  My goal is to learn to speak, read and write in Spanish.  This, in my opinion, will expand my capability as a practitioner and as a human being.  I will be able to connect in ways that I can not at this very moment.

My call to action is for more programs such as the Language 4 Life program for practitioners.  It’s important! In order for the viability of our field and the expansion of services and true globalization, we must learn to speak the language.

Vanessa S. O’Neal PhD Candidate

Founder:  Families 4 Life, Inc.

http://www.families4lifeinc.org

A Brief Look at Study Abroad for Public Administration Graduate Students: A Student Perspective

I recently returned from a two week research based trip to Romania with six other American graduate students. The purpose of the trip was to research topics with Romanian graduate student partners. As much as the entire group was prepared for the exchange, such as what to expect culturally, what to bring, and so on; no description could come close enough to the actual experience.

Aside from the cultural differences which, surprisingly, were fairly easy to adjust to, the first major stumbling block in preparing the research was actually finding any research in the first place. I recalled a conversation I had recently with my mother where I said “It’s 2009; if it’s not on the internet then it doesn’t exist.” I said this in jest, but quickly found it was oddly appropriate. My university’s library subscribes to hundreds of journals on topics ranging anywhere from public administration to psychopharmacology to literary criticism. Naturally, my preliminary research on my topic, freedom of information and government transparency, started here. It was also the point in the process where I realized things were not going to go as smoothly as I had thought. For one, academic papers on Romania in any subject were severely lacking. Those few that I could find focused more on Eastern Europe in general or states like Poland or Hungary.

After overcoming that roadblock, thanks in no small part to my Romanian colleagues, we were able to develop interview questions to ask as part of the research. The interviews, at least for my project, ranged from city staff to prefect staff to NGOs and university faculty. The development of questions and actually doing the interview was the easiest part of the whole experience. I have a feeling that may be because I do interviews at my full-time job on at least a weekly basis, if not more.

Upon our return to the U.S., I was struck by several things that I had failed to notice before. Not just the military personnel walking around the airport with submachine guns in Bucharest. We had been advised to take travelers checks along since we would most likely not be able to use our bank cards. This turned out to be true; out of the 7 students and 2 professors who went along; mine was the only bankcard that worked. Along this same line, the Romanian bureaucracy (at least in the banking sector) required 45 minutes to exchange 10 traveler’s checks. I decided after that ordeal to not cash in the rest of mine and rely on ATMs for the rest of the trip. Exchanging the checks in the U.S. took all of 5 minutes, 4 of which were spent signing them all.

Perhaps more importantly from an academic point of view, I was introduced to the difference between publishing for a narrow audience and publishing for a wide audience. In the United States, we take it for granted that everything that’s published is in English. In Romania, publishing a paper can take two routes; Romanian or English. A paper published in Romanian will be accessible largely only to those in Romania, Moldova, or to anyone who can read Romanian. Publishing in English results in the possibility of a paper being read anywhere in the world.

I must also point out that the Romanian colleagues with whom we worked, and the Romanian people generally, were possibly the kindest and most generous people any of us had ever met. In comparison to my other study abroad experience to France in 2004 as an undergraduate, this experience, despite being only two weeks long, taught me more about a different culture and more about the topic at hand. I’ve been told that public administration study abroad programs are far and few between. I feel that this is a disadvantage in a world that is becoming increasingly globalized to the point where questions about the Greek economy affect financial markets around the world. It’s one thing to study differences in administration and policies between Los Angeles and Chicago or California and New Jersey; it’s quite another to look at the differences between the U.S. and Romania.

Appealing Past the Generation Gap: Our Public Sector Workforce

Much has been written in recent years about the large numbers of government workers who are retiring and the lack of sufficient qualified replacements in our agencies and departments. In addition to the institutional memory and experience that are exiting our doors, we are facing a crisis in confidence on the rewards of public sector work. Younger generations, it is said, do not have the same commitment to public service, more willing to work for a private corporation than toil in the cubicles and warrens that typify so many government offices and for what is now becoming fewer benefits, less pay and most of all, scanty recognition.

Perhaps the issue is not so much a crisis in confidence, though, as our own inability to create a newly appealing message about the value of public service. Baby Boomers, raised on the service environment of parents impacted by wars and drawn to public causes and definitions of new freedoms, felt a moral obligation to make the world a better place. Many found public service as a means to continue these visionary trends even as they settled into midlife and long-term work commitments. The period of societal change and government growth that followed matched public service together well with their crusader characteristics.

How then do we reach out and attract the generations that follow them to public service? Gen X’ers appreciate liberty and honor and all that these terms stand for. Liberty is not only the freedoms in our country, but also the freedom to make decisions and take actions, and that translates into workplace flexibility and opportunities for collaboration. Appealing to not only their national honor, but also their desire to have personal leadership in their work routines, something difficult to achieve in many regulation-heavy jobs, may work well in attracting Gen X’s.

Millennials or Gen Y’s are attracted to a different set of criteria. While their predecessor generation actively seeks leadership roles, they are less inclined to be motivated by this and more likely to pursue autonomy in a more casual style. As evidenced by the current trends in social networking and communications, they appreciate community and technology in ways that were not obvious or fully defined before. Their sense of loyalty is to their team or community, and they value affluence. Reaching these upcoming and future workers may involve thinking about new processes that cross discipline and technology boundaries as well as rewarding achievements in a monetary fashion.

There are not absolutes, and certainly each generation is more than this simplified explanation. If we examine our traditional ways of doing business in recruiting and retaining our talent, though, perhaps we will do a better job of tailoring our message to what is expected of today’s and tomorrow’s public servants. If we do not, we run the risk of vital tasks left undone and empty desks, missing opportunities to continue the best of all traditions: public service for the people of our country.

By Yvonne J. Kochanowski, DPA, MBA
yvonne.kochanowski@capella.edu

Notable African American Public Administrators

As we celebrate Black History Month, it is very appropriate to look at the influence and involvement of African Americans within the field of public administration.  This is no easy task, considering that American public administration is relatively modern with most of the academic development occurring during the 20^th century.  Public administration in the U.S. is usually traced back to 1887 with Woodrow Wilson’s publication of “The Study of Administration.”  African American involvement is not comprehensively documented and therefore difficult to trace.  Consequently, this account is incomplete, and only comprises a few persons and events, which I believe encompass significant milestones for African Americans in the field.

The first person I wish to highlight is Alexander Twilight (1795-1857), who holds the distinction of being the first African American to earn a degree from an American college or university (Middlebury College, 1823).  Though not directly involved with the field of public administration, Twilight was a minister, educator / headmaster, and was also the first African American elected to public office (1836), serving as a state legislator in the Vermont General Assembly.

Within the federal government, William Cooper Nell (1816-1874) became the first African American to serve in the United States Civil Service in 1861.  Nell was installed as a postal clerk in Boston, MA.  Equally notable was Robert C. Weaver (1907-1997), who was the first African American to be a U.S. Cabinet Secretary.  Weaver was appointed the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966.

With regard to municipal or urban affairs, it should be noted that Robert C. Henry (1921-1981) was the first African American mayor of any American city, being appointed by the city commission of Springfield, OH in 1966.  Subsequently, Carl B. Stokes (1927-1996) was the first African American elected mayor of a large city, serving as the Mayor of Cleveland, OH, from 1968-1971.  Another mayor of note was Doris A. Davis who became the first African American female to serve as the chief executive of a metropolitan city.  Davis was the mayor of Compton, CA from 1973-1977.

Specifically related to city management, I was not able to find the first African American to hold such a position, but a person who should be noted is Robert C. Bobb, who was the longest serving African American city manager in the U.S., and a previous president of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.  Bobb has served as a city manager for Kalamazoo, MI, Santa Ana, CA, Richmond, VA, Oakland, CA and served as City Administrator in Washington, D.C.  Most recently, he was elected president of the District of Columbia Board of Education, and currently serves as the emergency financial manager for the Detroit Public School System.

On the academic front, it is appropriate to highlight two public administration educators, who rose to become a university president.  The first is Adam W. Herbert, Jr., who was the first African American president of Indiana University serving from 2003-2007.  Herbert, was previously chancellor of the State University System of Florida, and taught political science at Howard University.  His credentials include a B.A. in political science and a M.P.A. from the University of Southern California, as well as a Ph.D. in urban affairs and public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.  Additionally, another academic to note would be Walter D. Broadnax, who currently serves as the distinguished professor of public administration at the Maxwell School (Syracuse University).  Broadnax was previously the first African American Dean at the American University (School of Public Affairs), and served as the second president of Clark Atlanta University (2002-2008).  His education included a B.A. from Washburn University, an M.P.A. from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University.

I am sure there are others who could be listed in this company.  African Americans have reached significant milestones in the area of public administration serving as civil servants, city managers, elected officials, and academics.  I am fully aware that other “firsts” have not been included in this list; however, my goal was to highlight a few of the lesser known individuals who have made contributions to the discipline.  My hope is that you have become more aware of our professional history, and inspired to continue serving in your various capacities.  As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, I hope that you will come to learn more about these individuals, and even discover other African Americans who have dedicated their lives to advancing the field of public administration.

By Marlon I. Brown, M.P.A.

Shoes for the People of the Cheyenne River Sioux

        Today, in America, we have thousands of people who have been without electricity, food, heat –or even shoes!-  for two weeks, when a snowstorm hit the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, South Dakota.  News from the Huffington Post states that the power outages “forced 35 kidney dialysis patients from the tribe to temporary relocate to Rapid City, and the reservation requires glucose strips, first aid kits and even children’s medicine.”   Additionally, a private donor has created a matching fund to help the emergency relief there, for shoes, propane and food. They have asked for support, but the Red Cross has had its attention diverted to Haiti. The U.S. government , well, it still has not responded! 

        In the meanwhile, there are an estimated 7 million people unemployed in the United States today.  The National Health Interview Survey, reported guesstimates that the percentage of persons in 2009 who had a usual place to go for medical care was 86.4%, decreased from 87.9% in 2003.  Politicians are playing games with filibusters, keeping policy from being approved, or from routine business from being completed.   And,  the average citizen continues to try to move forward, with or without work, with or without health care, through the snowstorms, the mudslides, the earthquakes, the tornadoes.

             We must act now. We cannot continue to sit and watch the suffering of our own people. We must respond to the needs. That is our charge: basic survival needs, and then, create and support the public policy that develops an infrastructure for its future well-being… We are responsible to use the research,  knowledge and skills we have to better our society.  We network, we collaborate, we push forward, with or without Congress.  Just as we feed without the Red Cross when we must,  we continue with our true charge:  the well-being of our people and nation.  We did it for Katrina. Similarly, we support the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in their fight for basic survival. Then we shall inform, educate, develop, and expect, the change necessary for the health and well-being of our people.

After all,  that is what we do. 
Mail checks to:
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe/2010 Disaster Account
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman’s Office
Attn: Ice Storm Emergency Fund
PO Box 590
2001 Main Street (Tribal Offices)
Eagle Butte, SD 57625