EMPLOYER - EMPLOYEE AND CONSTITUENTS RELATIONSHIPS By: Larry Weiss SD LTAP

YOUR ROLE AS A SUPERVISOR You must be a leader with a plan Develop an annual budget Plan ahead for major expenses Oversee township business Oversee township finances Decision making on road and culvert projects To listen to constituents and respond with actions Act and abide by state law governing townships Be proactive in heading off liability claims

ANNUAL BUDGET Do you have a goal or a vision of what you want your township to be You approve an annual budget? Who prepares the budget? Do you take public input prior to the budget? Who approves the budget? Who manages the budget?

EMPLOYER – EMPLOYEE CONSTITUENT RELATIONS

BY THE NUMBERS Only 29 percent of employees are actively engaged in their jobs. These employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. People that are actively engaged help move the organization forward.

Fifty-four percent of employees are not engaged. These employees have essentially “checked out,” sleepwalking through their workday and putting time – but not passion – into their work” “ Never mistake activity for accomplishment.”

Seventeen percent of employees are actively disengaged. These employees are busy acting out their unhappiness, undermining what their engaged co-workers are trying to accomplish How many of you have these in your organization?

“YOU CAN’T EXPECT PEOPLE TO BE COMMITTED, TO BE LOYAL TO AN ORGANIZATION, TO BE ENGAGED IN AN ORGANIZATION, [OR] TO WANT TO STAY IN AN ORGANIZATION IF THE COMPANY DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THEM.”

WHY DO EMPLOYEES LEAVE?

TOP REASONS EMPLOYEES LEAVE Things never change for the better Fail to connect with their bosses as leaders and people. Work environment is not particularly friendly. Do not feel appreciated. Managers will not listen to employees

OTHER REASONS EMPLOYEES LEAVE Limited career growth or opportunity Lack of respect for supervisor Higher compensation Felt their job duties were unchallenging Felt their supervisor lacked leadership skills For better work hours

WHAT IS THE REAL REASON?- LIMITATIONS There is no incentive for employees to explain why they are actually leaving their job. Employees want to leave their job and have that boss as a good reference. Few exit surveys have been done. Last time you lost an employee did you meet with them to understand why?

NEW EMPLOYEES Employees who have worked with an organization for six or fewer months are the ones most likely to leave the company. Those with one to two years’ experience are the next most likely to leave. “On average, the cost of losing an employee is about 150 percent. It’s one-and-a-half times the person’s compensation,”

WHY IS EMPLOYEE RETENTION IMP0RTANT ?

EMPLOYEE RETENTION Employees are the heart and soul of an organization. Employee turnover is costly for an organization. Finding suitable replacements for key employees is difficult. Low employee turnover leads to outstanding performance of an organization.

WHY DO EMPLOYEES STAY?

TOP REASONS EMPLOYEES STAY Have a good connection with their boss Workplace is a team oriented environment Want to contribute, feel wanted Workplace is a “climate for learning characterized by trust and openness” Feel supported Can balance work and life

WHAT DO EMPLOYEES WANT?

THE SECRETS OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION Equity and job security Employees want to be treated fairly and, just as importantly, compensated fairly. Companies must demonstrate more than the minimum obligations to people. Communication Individuals want to understand management’s expectations so they have a clear idea of how their work will be judged. It is important to set measurable goals and evaluate an employee’s performance.

THE SECRETS OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION Pride and teamwork Employees want to feel good about their jobs, have a sense of achievement, and be proud of their accomplishments. Individuals should be properly trained and provided with adequate materials and equipment to complete their jobs successfully. Employees want to work with teammates who are as enthusiastic and competent as they are. Failure to address problem employees communicates to team members that management view substandard performance as acceptable.

THE SECRETS OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION Fun While it’s important that attempts at creating a fun work environment don’t disrupt the overall productivity of employees, making the job enjoyable is beneficial. By never taking time to celebrate, employees are more likely to experience elevated stress and burn-out.

THE SECRETS OF EMPLOYEE RETENTION Recognition “People want to do good work and they want to be recognized for it,” We recommend that recognition be significant, specific and sincere. For example, telling an employee “you’re great” isn’t nearly as meaningful as saying that his/her innovative ideas and work to satisfy a particular tenant or to keep a specific project on budget was terrific.

HOW DO YOU FIND OUT IF YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE HAPPY?????

ASK! Assure subordinates that they are free to express their opinions without fear of negative repercussions. Consider seeking the services of a third party to survey staff. Be prepared to share the survey findings and a plan of action with the team. If you can determine why employees are not happy, it’s likely you can prevent them from leaving by changing practices, culture, and sometimes even your management style.

YOU-AS A LEADER

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERS ( 1)They have open channels of communication that lead to collaboration and inclusion These leaders are open with information, interested in learning what employees think, and incorporate their ideas into doing business. These leaders not only inform people about issues affecting them but involve them in decisions.

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERS 2)They move beyond the status quo. These leader take bold action in support of their people, raising the benchmark.

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERS (3)They are very selective about what to measure and why. Great leaders know what makes their unique culture tick and measure accordingly. A clear and accurate understanding of their culture allows them to choose and reward measures selectively.

FOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF LEADERS “ (4)They are passionate about values and culture. Values are tied to success and measures, and the leaders are very familiar with the values. Their vigor for values and culture is contagious.

HOW DO WE RETAIN EMPLOYEES? Train the Managers. “Employees don’t quit jobs, they quit managers.” That’s an overstatement, but not by much. Top on the list of best practices is regular meetings with employees about performance and expectations.

HIRE RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE Too many employment interviews are about personality: whether the job candidate matches the manager’s personality. Focus more on job skills and you’ll get a better fit, which is more likely to lead to a long employment tenure. They were here the longestNo one else applied We had to fill the position Willingness to be micromanagedWe can’t hire anyone that knows more than we do

OFFER EMPLOYEES A PATH TO BETTER PAY, RECOGNITION AND RESPONSIBILITY. Not everyone can rise to a manager position, but every employee can build skills. Find a way to recognize those skill and challenge employees to gain even more skills. That makes not only a better employee, but one who feels a sense of accomplishment and success.

LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE This does not make a good decision making tool

THOUGHTS Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them John Maxwell Failure can be divided into those who thought and never did and into those who did and never thought. Reverend W. A. Nance

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. John Wooden You manage things; You lead people Grace Murray Hopper

A WORD WE OFTEN FORGET

THANK YOU! Questions or comments