TIP: The Elements of a Competency Model

Though the elements of a model vary, there are usually three main components.

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  • A title and definition. A title might consist of “Being a team player.” The definition should describe what a team player should be. Descriptions could include “Treating others with courtesy, Working to resolve conflicts, etc.”
  • Descriptions of activities or behaviors. Link the description to the competency. In this case, what are the activities and behaviors of a team player? The list might include “Capitalizing on strengths of others, Motivating others to contribute, etc.”
  • A diagram of the model. A diagram helps everyone visualize the competency and grasp the model. You can see various models diagrammed on this page.

For more information on Competency Modeling and Training, contact LMJ&A at leah@lmja.com. We can help your organization successfully employ competency modeling in the workplace. Working with you step-by-step, we will support and guide your organization through each component of the process. Give us a call at 301-670-0051.

Finding Purposeful Work

PassionMy friend Rachel always told her kids that they would probably have 3-4 careers during their lifetimes. Having worked in the same field my entire life, that always seemed like odd advice. It felt to me that she was giving her kids the privilege to jump around, to try different jobs and different companies. Would they ever settle down? I mean really, what’s wrong with one line of work?

Somewhere along the way, I discovered what she meant. Rachel always strived to find meaningful work. For her, meaning and purpose are core motivators. That thinking is validated by Daniel Pink, author of “Drive” whose book examines 50 years of behavior science to get at the real truth around human motivation. Rachel has always been wired to find work that is meaningful. Now, I wanted that. My job had become less than satisfying and I wanted to feel like I was doing something important.

I mentioned my struggle to Rachel and she said, “Try something different!” She said to me that she thought people changed as they went through life. Things take on different levels of importance during different times. And that’s why she told her kids that they would probably have more than one career. Finances take on different meanings. Families change. Our needs change. And our values change too. We want our jobs and our lives to take on different meanings.

It’s true, that trying something different can have drastic results. We have responsibilities. Most of us need to be fiscally responsible. We can’t just “check out!”

What is meaningful work? I had to do a bit of soul searching. What was I looking for? I thought that meaningful work meant being paid for work that I love. And in my case, that meant creating value for others. I wanted to gain the respect of my peers and find value in what I do. Meaningful work, I was sure, would make me happy. Here’s what I learned.

Rungs Of A Ladder. Finding meaningful work can be a process. For some, it may mean that we take on a second job, or we volunteer after work. We find something that we are passionate about – something that gives us pleasure and makes us feel good about ourselves. The rungs of a ladder work parallel to each other. This is true of our job and our purpose in life. For most of us, as we seek meaningful work, what we do for a living and what we are passionate about often run parallel to each other. But as we strive for meaningful work and focus on our vision, they often merge.

What if you haven’t found purposeful work yet? How do you start? Is it possible to find meaningful life without quitting your job? Finding meaningful work is a process. There are things we can do to help us determine what is purposeful.

  1. Take time to stop. Think about what you are doing and whether or not it satisfies your need to provide value.
  2. Rethink your position. As we grow, as we age, things shift. You may find that what was very important at one time, is no longer important. Is your job still purposeful?
  3. Know that your search for meaningful work may not be a straight path. We have obligations we can’t ignore. We may be pressured to follow a certain path. And we may be competitive – with ourselves and others. The trick is to exercise patience and don’t give up.
  4. Tune into the mission of your work / organization. Depending on the mission, you might see something that is essential for enhancing your purpose in life.
  5. Set reasonable goals and then realize what you’ve accomplished, even if it’s taking longer than you wanted.
  6. Perform random acts of kindness. Helping someone lifts a mood and adds purpose. That might mean taking a meal over to a family where someone is going through medical issues. It might mean helping a co-worker on a project.
  7. Take time for mental thinking. Focusing on the future and planning your next move help to keep us on track.
  8. Develop a code of ethics to live by. Establish values you can uphold.
  9. Volunteer a portion of your time to something you are passionate about.

The steps we take now help us stay more positive. And as we become more positive, we leap over obstacles.

Want to find purposeful work? Try these tips.

FamilyMillennials are good examples – they choose meaningful work over money. Millennials often have two jobs – one that brings in money, and one that is meaningful. Often, when people take this route to finding purposeful work, the source of income and the source of meaning start to merge. Millennials are also good at multi-tasking, so they thrive on variety.

There are many benefits to purposeful work, including psychological wellness, productivity and creativity.

Generally speaking, finding purposeful work depends on four contributions:

  1. Give back. By serving others, you find purpose.
  2. Contribute to family. Identifying how you can best serve your family and close friends brings enjoyment.
  3. Commit to the future. We need to grow. Practicing self-improvement in order to reach a better future motivates us.
  4. Code of ethics. Develop a set of values and steadfastly follow them.

Finding the passion to contribute to yourself, your family and friends, as noted above, moves you forward to a future of purposeful work.

Stealth Startup

photodune-4048532-technology-xsIt’s a very intriguing name for Obama’s quest to recruit top talent from the likes of Google and Facebook. While this article in Fast Company is long, it’s a very interesting one, focusing on the mission of these top recruits – to “reboot” how government works.

Most of these recruits are young professionals that were on successful career tracks with public companies. What made them take a salary cut, move from one coast to another and work for the government is brilliantly explained in this article. Without a doubt, the transfixing power of creating technology that will make life easier for millions of people, had a lot to do with the decision to take a technology job in Obama’s administration. The article explains what inspires these young men and women and helps us more fully understand their work ethics.

We highly recommend that you put some time aside at lunch, or at the end of the day to read the entire article, but here are some of the high points.

  • Healthcare.gov – remember when the site just didn’t work? People were getting locked up and the site froze from too many visitors. It wasn’t the result of a dearth of engineering talent in the DC area, but rather the technique they used to build the site. Instead of one huge project, the fix-it team rolled out the site in stages – testing it, improving it and repeating the process to get the right outcome. It’s a strategy used by most public companies in order to build software that works. It’s called building “agile” software.
  • Making Government Work Better – The young people recruited for these government projects aren’t just software engineers, but according to the article, “they’re data scientist, user-experience gurus, product managers and design savants.” Making the user experience better on any platform is what they strive for. “Fixing bugs” for software companies is not very inspirational. But solving problems that have plagued the government for years is both satisfying and intriguing. These young professionals are uniquely capable of handling these “planet-sized” websites, since they’ve worked on huge sites solving various problems while creating extraordinary growth for their former companies.
  • Changing Minds About the Slowness of Government – According to this group of talented professionals, “Everything else is getting done faster.” The technology industry is built on the belief that processes can become twice as efficient every two years. Because that belief is so integral to their work, these professionals have a hunger for increased performance. If what we do online every day is completed far faster than before, then the same should be true for the Federal government.
  • Washington, the “Go-To” Place for Technology Gurus – The folks now being lured to DC are arguably among the very best. Talent is extremely important, but so is attitude, patience, collaboration and the ability to work within the structure of the government. According to the article, candidates are screened for EQ – that is, emotional intelligence. The workload within the Federal Government is huge. Can this team create enough momentum, before Obama’s second term ends, to achieve a stable environment and re-energize government agencies?

These technology gurus believe they’ve already had an impact. They can gauge improvement on various sites – from the Immigration site to the Veterans website. Interestingly enough, the recruitment team is not expecting these young professionals to make a career out of the Federal Government. But rather to enlist them for a year or two to accomplish real change. As a result, there is now a third option open to technology gurus – a start-up, a big company and now, Washington.

Tip: Making Incremental Changes

Steps to the sunThe healthcare.gov site successfully deployed by making incremental changes, testing the changes and making improvements. Can this process of incremental change work at your organization? Here are some thoughts that might lead to success.

  1. Making incremental changes is not as disruptive and typically does not significantly threaten existing structures.
  2. Incremental changes are typically slower, but can move a team steadily forward. Incremental gains prove better than none at all.
  3. Often, the magnitude of a change will dictate how employees react. Employees will often react positively to a change that does not cause them to move too far from what they know.
  4. Incremental change is often determined by the gap between the current state and where you want to end up. If the gap is large, incremental changes may not be possible. But incremental changes require less change management – you’re asking your employees to make a smaller leap from what they know, to what they are comfortable with.

Change and change management can be taught. LMJA works with organizational challenges. If you need help or would like to discuss your options, give us a call at 301-670-0051, or email me at Leadership@lmja.com.

The Work Habits of Millennials

Team young professionals having casual discussionThe world we live in is automated. Technology continues to develop at a rapid pace. Companies often outsource needs. And inflation continues to rise. Compared to the world many of us grew up in, our environment today seems anything but stable. To thrive in present circumstances, workers must be flexible and adaptable. Indeed, millennials may be uniquely suited to thrive in the modern workplace.

How is it that millennials are at ease in this economy? Their work habits are different than earlier generations. Here’s how.

  • Millennials expect to balance work and life. They have no intention on working for one company during their lifetime. In fact, they expect to be mobile. Working from home, a coffee house, the gym – it all works for them. In fact, they believe they are more effective working from home.
  • And work hours? Definitely not normal! Working late into the night outside the normal business hours is just fine for millennials. They actually feel more productive!
  • Moving on to the next opportunity is also their mantra. Most millennials don’t expect to be at their present job for more than three years. And many of them plan to work on their own in the very near future.
  • This is the generation of free-lancers and entrepreneurs. Many millennials hope to turn their hobby into some kind of money-making venture. At the very least, they expect to supplement their income with some kind of business of their own.
  • Millennials like to telework – and they are good at it! In fact, most millennials EXPECT to telework.
  • The lines between personal and professional are blurring with this generation. Think about it. Smartphones make work a constant. Social media is used for both professional and casual posts. And research is done almost entirely through the internet!

If the millennials in your organization prefer video meetings, have a “side” job of some sort, prefer apartments to houses and believe office attendance is unnecessary – there’s a reason. Millennials grew up in a changing environment and are completely comfortable in one. Check out our tips for ideas on working with Millennials.

If you would like more information on training millennials and giving them the skills they need to become leaders, please give LMJA & Associates a call at 301-670-0051 or email us at Leah@LMJA.com. 

Tips for Engaging Millennials in the Workplace

  1. It’s a one-on-one relationship. If you want to work with millennials in an effective manner, get to know them! Where are they coming from and what do they want to do with their lives? What do they need to get there? Then help mentor or coach them to that goal.
  2. Provide training. It once was a given in our workforce, that we trained mid-level managers for the job. Diversity training, Communication skills, Team-building, Leadership skills – these are all training programs that were part of our workforce. They seemed to have disappeared over the last decade. And right when we need them the most! Equip your millennials with the skills they need to be leaders.
  3. Adopt frequent performance management reviews. You’ve heard the comments about how millennials were always given rewards – even when they weren’t on winning teams! Perhaps there’s some truth to that, because indeed, millennials like and need on-going performance management – not just a once-a-year review. Find a way to provide frequent feedback to the millennials in your workforce.

Shrinking Space

photodune-3951848-office-working-space-xsThe OMB, Office of Management and Budget, is putting federal office space and excess property into a deeper freeze. Announced Wednesday, April 1, OMB is requiring civilian agencies and the Defense Department to create a plan for reducing their footprint over the next 5 years. David Mader, the OMB controller announced two mandates: Set a target for reduction in square footage and adopt space design standards for any future development.

One Tactic. Reducing the total real property footprint will most likely result in more expanded teleworking for agencies and the DOD. If agencies cannot lease or buy new space, they must consolidate. The reduction plan has already had positive results since it was announced in 2013. This five year plan will likely shrink the overall footprint even more.

Successful Teleworking. So how do agencies heed this call for a smaller footprint? Achieving a successful telework program will certainly help. And according to the Report to the Congress on the 2013 Status of Telework in the Federal Government, most successful telework programs have been achieved through organizational change. When agencies actively work toward change management, goal setting becomes an essential practice. Goals that are SMART, that is, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, help provide the motivation to facilitate progress. So an agency that is serious about promoting a change in work toward teleworking can gauge its success and effectiveness of the program by setting SMART goals.

Measuring Success. What goals can your agency use to measure its success? Here are some examples.

  • Increase the eligibility for telework positions
  • Set a number (percentage) of the employees that you expect to telework consistently in the coming year
  • Set a number (percentage) of the employees that you expect to telework during certain situations in the coming year
  • Develop and monitor a survey quarterly to measure the effectiveness of teleworking
  • Measure the cost savings of telework
  • Add a telework performance goal to employee reviews
  • Identify Best Practices of telework employees and publish

Proof of Success. Over the next five years, as OMB requires agencies to reduce their footprint. Assessing your goals and results will be key. Developing clear goals, and meeting them, is possible with the right focus.

Need Help? Leah M. Joppy & Associates can help your agency identify needs and solutions. Then we’ll put together the right program for you – and get results! Give us a call at (301) 670-0051 to discuss an approach that will work for your agency.

Tip: The Secret to SMART Goals

Most goals aren’t SMART – not because they are hard to write, but because most people don’t ask enough questions. Follow these steps to create clear and specific goals!

  1. Write your goal. Then ask: Is this goal as detailed as you can make it?
  2. Define how you will measure your progress. Do the steps you’ve created set a clear path from where you are today to where you want to be?
  3. In order for a goal to be achievable, there should be periodic checkpoints leading up to the goal. What milestones can you expect to reach to ensure that the goal you set stays on track?
  4. Make sure that you have the tools you need to accomplish your goal. Is training needed? Does your employee have time to do the necessary work? What will you do if individuals don’t respond?
  5. Set a date to reach your goal – one that is reasonable and within reach. Do you have updates scheduled during that time period? It’s more likely that the goal will be accomplished if there are intermediate activities that must be met.

When goals are achieved in the workplace there’s a feeling of control and fulfillment. Employees are more likely to feel empowered and more satisfied in their work. If you need help setting SMART goals to achieve standards mandated throughout your organization, please give us a call at 301-670-0051. Let’s discuss your needs.

Telework – What Happens?

Man typing at computerWhat happens when employees telework? Since telework has become an important organizational change, not only in the Federal Government but also in the private sector, it’s important for all organizations to envision the success of the effort and measure the results. In a recent report, “Status of Telework in the Federal Government – Report to Congress,” the US office of Personnel Management noted an improvement in employee attitude as a result of telework capabilities.

Measuring the Improvement in Employee Attitude. The Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) shows the potential for telework to influence important employee attitudinal and perceptual variables. The survey looked at employees who telework, those who don’t because of a barrier of some sort, and those who do not telework by choice. Demonstrated in the report is the value of autonomy – “I get to make the decision, to telework or not.” When employees have a choice, job satisfaction increases. Those employees who face barriers to telework reported lower job satisfaction scores. Typically, their attitudes toward the organization and their supervisors are less positive.

Academic research indicates that telework program participants are more likely to exhibit job satisfaction and improved performance. The FEVS survey noted similar findings. There was a larger percentage of teleworkers who reported satisfaction with their jobs than those who were not able to telework. In 2011, those figures were 75% vs 68%, and in 2012 the figures were 73% vs 65%. The survey seems to suggest that existence of telework policies benefits the entire workforce in indirect but positive ways.

In the 2012 FEVS survey, 68% of the respondents reported satisfaction with their jobs. And 15% reported dissatisfaction. The results also show that there is a decline in the percentage of job satisfied employees between 2012 (68% ) and 2011 (71%). This general decline is also reflected in a comparison of teleworker job satisfaction data – reporting 68% job satisfaction in 2011 and 65% in 2012.

Please click on the chart below for more information on job satisfaction.

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