Managing Government Employees

Managing Government Employees

by Stewart Liff
Released February 2007
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: 9780814437223

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Book description


Managing government employees presents unique challenges. Government managers may feel that stringent and convoluted regulations mean they "can’t do that". Some others may use that perception as a crutch. But the truth for all of them is, yes, they can "do that" -- and they’d better. "That" means managing employees as proactively and decisively as their corporate counterparts, and holding their staffs, teams, and departments accountable for productivity and results. Managing Government Employees offers dozens of techniques for meeting the challenges and stressful situations supervisers face on a daily basis. Major topics include how to:

* get maximum dedication and productivity from employees
* improve results of poor performers and discipline or fire them when necessary
* deal with union and EEO issues
* cut through the red tape of government employment systems

For managers frustrated by government bureaucracy, this book lets them know they have more power than they may think.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Chapter 1. Overview
    1. Introduction
    2. What Is Different About Working for the Government?
      1. The Private Sector Is in Business to Make a Profit
      2. Government Organizations Are Run by Elected Officials
      3. Government Organizations Generally Require a Higher Degree of Bureaucracy
      4. Government Organizations Typically Receive More Scrutiny
      5. Government Employees Are Often Paid at a Different Rate
      6. Government Employees Usually Have Better Job Security
      7. Most Government Employees Do Not Have the Right to Strike
    3. Why People Come to Work for the Government
      1. They Want to Make a Difference
      2. They Want the Total Package of Government Pay, Benefits, and Retirement
      3. They Want the Job Security Offered by Government
      4. The Government Can Offer the Right Job and Training
      5. The Government Offers Many Opportunities to Advance
    4. Why Do Government Personnel Systems Make Things So Difficult?
      1. History of the Civil Service
      2. Perception
    5. What Can Be Done?
  7. Chapter 2. Guiding Principles of Managing People in Government
    1. Overall Philosophy
      1. Most People Want to Do a Good Job
      2. Most People Want to Be Part of a Winning Organization
      3. Always Treat People with Respect
      4. Apply the Golden Rule
      5. Many (Not All) Problems Are Caused by Management
      6. Look at Your Management Systems
      7. Make Sure Your Systems Are Reliably Applied
      8. Always Remember that Your Decisions Affect People’s Lives
    2. The Objective: Performance
    3. The Workforce
      1. Winning the Battle for Hearts and Minds of the Middle 80 Percent
      2. Avoiding Confrontation with the Bottom 10 Percent
      3. Don’t Rely Only on the Top 10 Percent—Pull Others Up
  8. Chapter 3. Strategies and Tactics for Managing Government Employees
    1. Communicate with Employees as Much as You Can (Visually, Whenever Possible)
    2. Teach Them the Big Picture (The Political Climate)
    3. Teach Them What’s Going On in the Local Organization
    4. Give Them Feedback as to How They Are Doing
    5. Manage by Walking Around (MBWA)
    6. Ask Your Employees for Advice
    7. Say “Thank You” as Often as You Can
    8. Be Sensitive to People’s Sensitivities
    9. Your Human Resources Management Advisors
      1. The Two Types of HR Specialists
      2. Getting Good HR Advice Is Harder than Ever
  9. Chapter 4. Dealing with Difficult People
    1. Overall Philosophy
      1. A Problem Employee Tends to Stay a Problem Unless Handled
      2. Beware of the Employee Who Continually Uses the Same Excuses
      3. You Can Successfully Deal with a Difficult Government Employee
    2. Tactics
      1. Utilize the Probationary Period
      2. Keep It Simple, Stupid
      3. If Poor Employees Never Cross the Line, Change the Line
      4. Make Sure You Control the Situation
      5. Bring Your Problems to a Head
    3. Fear
    4. The Key Players in Having an Effective Program of Discipline
    5. Lessons Learned
      1. Document, Document, Document
      2. You Don’t Need a Perfect Case to Take Action
      3. Avoid Third Parties When You Can, but Don’t Be Afraid of Them
      4. It’s Better to Lose an Occasional Case than to Never Take Action
      5. Let Them Fight You from Outside the Organization
  10. Chapter 5. Performance Management
    1. Principles
    2. Goals
    3. Involvement
    4. Performance Appraisal
      1. What Is It?
      2. How Does It Work?
      3. What Is It Used for?
      4. What Is in a Performance Plan?
      5. How Do You Write Performance Standards?
    5. Dealing with Problem Employees
      1. Identify Them Early and Let Them Know There Is a Problem
      2. Always Make a Good-Faith Effort to Help Your Employees
      3. Don’t Wait Too Long to Take Action
      4. Document Your Actions
      5. Keep Your Focus
    6. Best Practices
      1. Examine the Performance Trends
      2. Look for Common Causes of Performance Problems
      3. Use Spreadsheets to Track Employee Performance
      4. Post Performance Data
      5. Issue Monthly Performance Report Cards
  11. Chapter 6. Rewards and Recognition
    1. Overview
    2. Nonmonetary Recognition
    3. Monetary Recognition
    4. Alignment
    5. A Simple Rewards System That Works
      1. Results of This System
      2. Why Did This System Work So Well?
  12. Chapter 7. Attendance Management
    1. Tours of Duty
      1. Flexible Work Schedules
      2. Compressed Work Schedules
      3. Considerations Regarding Flexible and Compressed Schedules
    2. Alternate Workplace
      1. Work at Home
      2. Out-Based Locations
    3. Leave Administration
      1. Principles of Leave Administration
      2. Annual Leave
      3. Sick Leave
      4. Leave Without Pay (LWOP)
  13. Chapter 8. Labor Relations
    1. Overview
    2. Overall Philosophy
      1. Keep the Union Informed
      2. Treat the Union Well
      3. Let the Union Have Some Victories
    3. Negotiations
      1. Be Prepared
      2. Stay Cool
      3. Understand the Long-Term Impact of an Agreement
      4. Frame the Issue
    4. Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Charges
    5. Grievances
      1. Grievance Procedures
      2. How to Handle a Grievance
    6. Lessons Learned
      1. Build a Personal Relationship with the Union
      2. Use Humor
      3. Be Wary of Union Factoids
      4. Learn to Think Like the Union
  14. Chapter 9. Equal Employment Opportunity
    1. Overview
    2. Philosophy
      1. Be Honest
      2. Look at Things from the Other Person’s Perspective
      3. Know Your Statistics
    3. The Most Common EEO Issues
      1. EEO Issues Involving the Disabled
      2. Sexual Harassment
    4. Strategies and Tactics
      1. Rally the Workforce Around the Mission and the Metrics
      2. Be Careful What You Say
      3. Don’t Act in a Vacuum
      4. Make Sure Your Supervisors Are Sensitive to Their EEO Responsibilities
    5. How to Handle Filed Complaints
      1. Stay Calm
      2. Settle Case Where Appropriate
      3. Pick Your Battles
    6. Final Thoughts
  15. Notes
  16. Index

Product information

  • Title: Managing Government Employees
  • Author(s): Stewart Liff
  • Release date: February 2007
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: 9780814437223