If You Teach a Man to Fish... Understanding How to Become a Human Manager If You Teach a Man to Fish... Why to Teach for the Hunger Instead of the Food GROUP 5 - Team CST Ryan Bauman, HDR Carl Saxon, Des-Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Aleka Simmons Harvey, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Amy Snyder, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District

Understanding Young Professionals In order to become the leaders that we desire to be, we first have to become great managers. We decided to look at what young professionals view as a good manager. Discussing traits that determine a great manager from the eyes of a young professional What makes a great manager great? Keeping employees engaged and motivated How do we foster engagement and growth? Looking at what really matters to young professionals How do we keep the good ones? Focus on humans How do we do what’s best for our employees while keeping interest in the company?

Purpose of our Presentation UNDERSTAND How to become an effective human manager How to measure if you are being effective as a human manager The importance of an engaged workforce

TYPICAL EARLY CAREER MEMBER SURVEYED Class Survey TYPICAL EARLY CAREER MEMBER SURVEYED The Early Career Program Members were surveyed to find information representative of the transit industry's future managers. The typical person we surveyed has worked for a public agency for 4 years and if they have direct reports they have 9. The typical person has also worked for 2.5 companies in their professional career and most commonly the longest they have been with a company is 6 years.

Traits of a Great Manager ORGANIZED FLEXIBLE Traits of a Great Manager LEAVES ME ALONE SUPPORTIVE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNICATION APPROACHABLE GROWS EMPLOYEES KIND ENCOURAGES OWNERSHIP KNOWLEDGEABLE APPRECIATIVE CONFIDENT SHARES INFORMATION GOOD JUDGEMENT RESPECTFUL PROFESSIONAL CLEAR VISION HUMBLE COMMUNICATOR NOT A BOSS TRUSTWORTHY SUPPORTS GROWTH DOESN’T HIDE ACCOUNTABILITY LOYAL TO THE TEAM REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS INCLUSIVE SUPPORTED MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE A PART OF THE FAMILY ASKS QUESTIONS When asked what the top 3 traits are of a great manager within your organization survey shows… TRUSTWORTHY, HONEST, COMMUNICATION, KNOWLEDGE HONEST COLLABORATIVE HELPFUL FUN INTELLIGENT MOTIVATOR WORK LIFE BALANCE LISTENS PASSIONATE HARD WORKING RATIONAL STANDS HER GROUND DECISIVE DIRECT OPEN MINDED TRANSPARENT PROBLEM SOLVER THOUGHTFUL FAIR EMPATHETIC PROACTIVE

Two Key Takeaways Overwhelmingly the number 1 thing that keeps you motivated to succeed at work is... HAVING A SENSE OF PURPOSE (73% of responses) Money and Acknowledgement did not receive a single vote

When asked what was the primary reason you left an employer the survey says: Again lack of recognition and salary were on the bottom

As Managers we are the top reason people stay with their companies and it’s our job to engage and inspire our work force. Engaging workforces stood out as something that does not happen or does not happen well. Those who were engaged listed events like luncheons, potlucks, Donuts and Dialogues with the CEO/GM, transit related site visits, Happy Hours, TED Talks, holiday parties, Operator’s Day, or community outreach. Inspiring employees common theme was “growth.” Taking an interest in your employees career naturally encourages a sense of purpose. The more we can do to highlight the importance of an employees roll and how it fits into the success of a project or vision will keep an employee motivated to succeed in their role. Money and awards are surprisingly not what motivates us. They may help and be benefits attributed to engaged employees, but are not what drives us. In addition to that an engaged workforce is going to want growth in their careers so if the company cannot support that these employees may go elsewhere. Other alternatives listed were cross training employees with other disciplines or simple items as staff meetings. Communication between employers and employees was a common theme.

What is an Engaged Employee? “State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement” Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Metric Actively Disengaged = unhappy employees; act out of their unhappiness; undermine what coworkers accomplish Not Engaged = checked out employees; sleepwalking through work; putting time but not energy or passion into work Engaged = passionate employees; feel a profound connection to company; drive innovation and move organization forward

Questions to Determine Engagement Level Q1: I know what is expected of me at work. Q2: I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right. Q3: At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. Q4: In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. Q5: My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person. Q6: There is someone at work who encourages my development. Q7: At work, my opinions seem to count. Q8: The mission or purpose of my company makes me feel my job is important. Q9: My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. Q10: I have a best friend at work. Q11: In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress. Q12: This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

Results: By Occupation 13 Occupation Categories Studied Inherent disadvantages for transportation occupations. Physicians are ranked second, nurses are third, teachers are fourth.

Strengths Orientation Index Report studies value of focusing on employee strengths “Every week, I set goals and expectations based on my strengths.” “I can name the strengths of five people I work with.” “In the last three months, my supervisor and I had a meaningful discussion about my strengths.” “My organization is committed to building the strengths of each associate.”

Results: New Employees “Honeymoon Period” of engagement in the first six months. Engaged employees at 52%. Capitalize on built-in advantage, increase investment in onboarding. Focus on which variables of the Q12 they're missing: “...less likely to have a best friend at work, believe their opinions count, feel their contributions are recognized.” You hired them, right?

Benefits of an “Engaged Employee” Committed and happy in their work. 1st Feels empowered to do their best. 2nd Retainable and committed to their organization’s success. 3rd Employee engagement isn't just about attitudes in the workplace: It can have a serious impact on a company's bottom line. - The Essential Guide to Employee Engagement.

Takeaways The workforce is shifting and as managers, we must adjust to the new climate. Lack of purposes causes bulk of departures Employees need feedback to be engaged - good or bad. Engaged employees will invest in an organization that invests in them.