HEO SERIES PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Office of Human Resource Services Fall 2011

Agenda Opening - Introductions, CUNYfirst - MSS Purpose and Outcomes Barriers – Are you an Enabler?; Rating Perils Other considerations in Performance Management Review job description Identify goals & objectives PE Form Competencies within the HEO Series Identifying Competencies Core and Profession Specific (Domain) Conducting Evaluation Conference Wrap-up – Questions & Answers

CUNYfirst Manager Self Service Establish your User ID Review Manager Self Service Review Reports-To Information

Purpose To provide a review of the competency based performance evaluation tool, suggestions for preparing for the performance evaluation meeting, reviewing job descriptions, the schedule of activities and due dates for performance evaluation processes.

Outcomes Better understanding of the steps involved in conducting and completing competency based performance evaluations.

Managing Work Rules and “The People Factor”

Barriers - Are you an Enabler? Confrontation is part of being a manager. However, too often a manager’s aversion to confronting a problem employee results in accommodation of bad behavior. In a typical scenario, the problem festers for months, even years, until escalation of the issue reaches a tipping point. By this time, the problem has been established as “past practice”, becomes horrendous and more difficult to address. Behaviors such as tardiness, taking excessive breaks or poor attendance can be destructive. A common example: An employee arrives late 15 – 20 minutes at least three times each week. The supervisor does not want to appear to be a “by the book” manager or “nit picking”, so s/he ignores the problem every day. When the situation gets too far out of control, the supervisor is forced to play the bad guy, and everyone suffers a loss in morale.

Common Rationalizations for In-Action: Maybe the problem will correct itself if I just leave it alone. Perhaps I will be relocated or promoted soon, and the next person can deal with this. The problem existed when I got here, why should I be the one to address it. Confronting the issue would be so traumatic that it would do more harm than good. We have found viable workaround measures. We have bigger problems. Exposing this situation would be a distraction from critical work. The employee has 13.3b – what’s the point !! Once you let an employee get away with inappropriate behavior, it becomes harder to address the next time. For that reason, intervene when the issue first arises. As a supervisor, you need to make the rules known and follow them yourself with few and well-justified exceptions. It is not possible to treat everyone the same at all times, but you must enforce the rules consistently in a way that people recognize as appropriate.

Barriers – Rating / Evaluation Perils Halo/Horn Effect – rate employees the same on every trait Central Tendency – lack of differentiation between employees Leniency – avoids honest ratings to avoid conflict Recency – narrow focus on recent events Similarity/Like me – favorable rating to employees who have similar values or interests to the rater Constancy – rate employees via rank order

Avoiding Rating / Evaluation Perils Make objective statements Consider the totality of the employees performance Adequate record keeping – provide specific examples Establish milestones for progress reviews Discuss specific performance issues and behaviors objectively Maintain clear and open communication channels Do not inflate performance ratings Avoid specific connotations which are connected to: age, race, sex, religion, national origin, veteran or a specific disability.

Avoiding Rating / Evaluation Perils Solicit constructive employee action plan to resolve or ameliorate the performance failures or behavioral issue. Recognize performance management is a continuing process to assist everyone in enhancing performance and development. Maintain open communication channels to ensure that issue are elevated quickly and resolved expeditiously. Coach, assist, and/or re-direct employees who request assistance and those who are failing to meet standards

Dis-Enabling If you recognize one or more of these situations happening in your department, you can get back on track. In addition to dealing with the problem employee one-on-one, address all employees in a meeting to signal that the enabling will stop. In this meeting, review policies, ascertain understanding and solicit questions for clarification of the rules. Ask the group how policies could be misunderstood or abused and for suggestions to close those loopholes for consistency. When people have a hand in creating the rules, they tend to remember and follow them better. As a leader, taking responsible action can help foster credibility and respect. Handle problems early when they are easier to correct, and employees will no longer constantly push the boundaries of acceptable business behavior.

Other Considerations in Performance Management Job Descriptions CUNY Job description templates document the general nature of the work to be performed. They include general responsibilities. They are used for job classification and as a basis for position descriptions. Campus specific information/position descriptions customize responsibilities to campus/departmental needs including supervisory relationships. They should focus on outcomes and accountabilities rather than duties. They should define the employees specific duties and be used to manage performance. Review employee job descriptions, if the duties and responsibilities changed and that change has been continuous over time, then you should contact Human Resources for a consultation to determine if the change falls outside the scope of the position classification.

Other Considerations in Performance Management Setting Goals and Objectives Goals Objectives General Intangible Broad Abstract Strategic – long-range direction set by top executives (S) Specific (M) Measurable (A) Achievable (R) Realistic (T) Tactical – short-range direction set by managers to accomplish goals

Other considerations Specific and Measurable Objectives: Identify goals and objectives and how they will be measured in the next review including projects, new initiatives and process improvements related to the department, College and University goals and objectives. Specific objectives are concrete, detailed, focused, well-defined, straight forward and action oriented. Measurements for objectives help you know when you have accomplished them. If you set an objective that is measureable, when you complete it you have tangible evidence of completion.

Other considerations Achievable Objectives: Achievable objectives are those that you can actually accomplish (something you can really do within the time frame set) and not an aspiration or vision. Achievable objectives need to challenge individuals, but not so much so as to be unattainable or to cause frustration in being unable to complete

Other considerations Realistic Objectives: Realistic objectives are those that you/employees have the resources to accomplish including, skills, funding, equipment, staff. When setting objectives that are specific, ask: Do I/we have the resources? Do I/we need to rearrange priorities? Is it possible to complete this objective?

Other considerations Time-Oriented Objectives: Time-Oriented objectives are those which have deadlines for completion. The time frames create sufficient urgency and lead to action. The deadlines, just as with overall objectives, must be achievable and realistic. For a complex objective, break into small parts with a date for completion for each.

What is a competency? A competency defines what a person should know, be able to do AND a pattern of behavior that represents what the best people do most often to achieve superior results.

Types of Competencies Core competencies for HEO series employees represent those patterns of behavior related to performance that apply to most HEOs. Profession Specific (Domain) competencies are those patterns of behavior related to performance that is more closely associated with one’s professional area of expertise, e.g.. Institutional advancement or facilities management.

Value of Using Competency Based approach Easier to give employee feedback on expectations and outcomes. Facilitates discussion of professional development A behavioral allows for better understanding of how the performance of the job differs from one person to the next.

Value of Using Competency Based approach Helps clarify what doing the job well looks like. Provides a common language for describing behaviors and attributes associated with successful performance. Focuses on behaviors, not personality.

Summary of Competencies Competencies are a way to define patterns of performance and behavior in a way that allows for discussion of desired and expected performance, potential areas for development and gives the employee a clearer picture of what is defined as doing the job well.

Preparing for the PE Meeting Review last year’s evaluation. Review job duties and responsibilities. Create list of special assignments or projects, whether completed and how well accomplished. List out examples that illustrate core and domain competencies.

Preparing for the PE Meeting Determine where the person is doing well and where there are performance gaps. Think about possible developmental activities such as coaching, reading articles, attending lectures or workshops. Give employee notice of the meeting Meet, be open to the other’s point of view Do not prepare the performance evaluation form before the meeting. If you take a copy of a “blank” performance evaluation form to the meeting to use as a guide --- clearly mark the document as a DRAFT.

Preparing for the PE Meeting After the meeting, when preparing the evaluation form, include comments from the discussion. Schedule a meeting with Human Resources to review a draft of the evaluation where it is determined that the overall employee performance rating is “needs improvement” or “unsatisfactory” Within 10 days of the evaluation conference, provide the employee a copy of the evaluation form for review, comment and signature. Submit the completed evaluation form to Human Resources.

Summary The competency based performance evaluation for HEOs is intended to give more clarity to the discussion of performance standards, facilitate the evaluation process and encourage more meaningful developmental activities. Questions and Answers

If You Need Help or Have Additional Questions Please contact: Gwendolyn Harewood, Deputy Director of Human Resources Jeannie James-Simmons, Human Resource Information Systems Specialist Barbara Manuel, Executive Director of Human Resources and Labor Designee The Office of Human Resource Services extension 2135