DIRECTOR'S CORNER
….. from John Halikowski
ENCOURAGE IDEA GENERATION
The encouragement of new ideas is essential to an agency seeking to do better today than it did yesterday. As we seek constant improvement, it is incumbent upon us to nurture and support creative individuals in search of solutions. We are committed to allow our people room to conceive and try things and foster ideas from everyone, knowing that the "same old" won't cut it.
Our employees create change, disrupt stale practices and implement improvements when they have the freedom to think, devise and act, plus the time to step back from the day to day. Identify those who are passionate about innovation and encourage them to come up with their own designs, empower them and urge them to pursue initiatives with energy.
Remember that idea generators can be found at all levels, from our managers to our front-line staff. Establish goals and allow folks to figure out how to achieve them. No matter where they are in our agency, employees are eager to stretch, so challenge them:
- Ask staff to come up with ideas for a new product, service or way of doing things
- Offer people a chance to lead a team or workgroup
- Give them a goal, and let them figure out how to accomplish it
- Recognize accomplishments
- Promote pilots and prototypes
Be proactive in support of committed contributors. Spur improvement by protecting and facilitating those who are eager to test new ideas. Support those who tried, stumbled and failed in earlier efforts and allow all to learn from past mistakes with an aim of achieving constructive progress. Remove any obstacles blocking the quest for sustained progress.
With support, these strategies drive and promote efficiency, identify outdated procedures, and help develop more effective processes. By taking action, our entire agency is motivated to participate in innovative endeavors and we achieve our shared goals.
Leadership and Employee Engagement
Ignite analytics are here! Thanks to our awesome ITG team, we can now track our readership. April was our best month yet, with 1,530 individual readers and 2,316 total visits to the issue, meaning readers go back to continue reading as they have time or return to view specific information again. Keep reading and share with your co-workers. Spread the word and get this great information out to even more employees. Thanks for the clicks everyone!
See what's coming up and contribute your important events.
Growth
We Invite ALL ADOT employees to grab a lunch, bring an open mind, and join us for an open, interactive discussion. There is so much to learn at ADOT, but where do you start? We have a recommendation.
We offer a safe space to speak your mind, articulate change, and share information with others. Engaging in civil discourse and exchanging ideas are the first steps toward leading the change you wish to see! The Brown Bag Idea Exchange (BBIE) is facilitated by our very own Leadership and Employee Engagement team and is open to all ADOT employees.
BBIEs allow for employees to network, brainstorm and problem solve in a
relaxed atmosphere during the lunch hour. These informal roundtable sessions enable attendees to learn from peers, share best practices, ask questions and test ideas in a welcoming environment. Here you are encouraged to communicate new knowledge, offer opinion(s) and provide valuable feedback to other participants.
What is in it for me?
Brown Bag Idea Exchange provides individuals the opportunity to transfer knowledge, build trust, establish social or networking links, promote social learning, and brainstorm.
How does it work?
Show up for any and all scheduled Brown Bag Idea Exchanges and listen actively, share willingly, and absorb as much as you can. BBIE’s take place during lunch time, and often participants bring their own lunch, often packed in brown paper bags - giving the name to the event.
These groups meet regularly at least once a month. The exact place, time, and topic will be updated on the
ADOT event calendar.
The Buddy Program is designed to aid new employees during their first months of employment. The program's primary goal is to help new employees feel at home within ADOT by helping them understand the organizational culture and quickly become successful within our agency.
A buddy can provide an amazing amount of support for a new employee, including:
- Easing a new employee's transition into the new work environment and decreasing stress
- Providing a single point of access to necessary information
- Providing the right support and just-in-time feedback
- Helping affirm the decision to join ADOT
Supervisors are responsible for identifying buddy candidates and offering a buddy to all new employees immediately upon starting work. Buddies should serve voluntarily and be colleagues of the new employee selected for their positive attitude and willingness to share information. A buddy is not a substitute for the supervisor, but is someone who can answer the new employee's questions accurately and in an encouraging way.
A buddy program benefits all. Buddies help employees be happy in their roles and productive in the short term. In the long term, turnover is lower, recruitment needs are lessened, and stronger teams are built. It is a win-win for all.
For more information on how you can bring the Buddy Program to your work group, contact
Javier Ramirez or
Vinny LaBella in Leadership and Employee Engagement (LEE) or visit the
LEE website on ADOTNet.
The Women’s Information Network, a Leadership, Networking & Education Brownbag Lunch program, meets bi-monthly in Phoenix and around the state.
All ADOT managers and supervisors are invited and encouraged to sponsor non-supervisory female staff members to attend the events. What does that mean? Tell your female staff about WIN and encourage them to attend. That's it! An easy, empowering way to offer employee engagement opportunities to your staff and the women you work with.
Need another reason to attend or spread the word about WIN? A report by the Congressional Joint Economic Committee estimates that nationwide only about 14 percent of engineers in the work force are women. Each of our employees play a vital role in achieving the mission of ADOT, but the nature of our business requires a LOT of engineers. Women in the workforce play a vital role to the health of society. Our workforce is heavy on science and engineering fields, thus it behooves our agency to pay attention to supporting this effort. Would you like to learn more about this topic? Visit these links to read all about
how to attract Female Engineers via the New York Times and
Using the Strength of Women to Rebuild the World Economy via Ernst & Young, global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.
Upcoming WIN Events
All events are held from 12 PM to 1PM and participants are encouraged to bring their lunch.
| June 17 |
SMAART Employee Evaluations - MAPping your Progress
Carrie McClure, Section Manager, Right of Way and
June McEntire ASO, Bridge Group
LEE Conference Room, 2739 E. Washington St.
|
| August 19 |
Succession Planning
Jodi Rooney, Manager, ITD Project Office
LEE Conference Room, 2739 E. Washington St.
|
| October 21 |
Is It What you Say or How You Say It?
Deborah Mayers, Finance Manager, Facilities
LEE Conference Room, 2739 E. Washington St.
|
| December 16 |
WIN Open House and Mentoring Program
Moderator(s): TBD
LEE Conference Room, 2739 E. Washington St.
|
You may have heard the buzz of excitement coming from HRDC last month, when WIN hosted the annual Wear This, Not that Event on April 22. The event hosted 122 ADOT employees who enjoyed a fantastic day, themed "Developing your Professional Image". Guest Speaker Deb Sydenham, FAICP, Executive Director Urban Land Institute Arizona gave the Keynote "Lasting Impressions – Seeing the World Through a Lens of Opportunity". A former ADOT employee, Deb was informative and inspiring. Participants visited the Clothing Exchange, information tables from the State Employee Assistance Program Compsyc, Mary Kay, Fresh Start Womens Foundation, Arizona State Credit Union, the SECC, the Leadership and Employee Engagement group and the ADOT Research Center. Representatives from Human Resources provided
personalized resume support and 'Interview Rock Star' tips while Communications provided one on one professional networking with social media help. Back by popular demand was the Professional Wear Fashion Show, where the WIN innovators and a few volunteer models took to the runway in professional wear outfits of $20 or less, shoes and accessories included! No surprise, the what 'not' to wear examples got some good laughs. New this year was the 'Image Makeover' where two ADOT women won a morning with a professional stylist and had their new looks revealed by walking in the fashion show. All in all it was a great day. Plans are already in the works to make the event even bigger next year - stay tuned for news on the ADOT Women's EXPO April 27, 2016.
IGNITE the Media features media stories that might be FAQ's of ADOT employees as well as stories that highlight our success and bring our challenges to light. How many times have you been asked an 'ADOT question' by family or friends that you had no idea how to answer because it has nothing to do with your work? Here is your solution. Information sharing and transparency are said to be key to employee engagement and results, find out more in this month's IGNITE Collaboration Piece. Each month you can take a look at some top media stories here and become informed.
ADOT expands privatization of driver's licenses
The Arizona Republic, April 28, 2015
PHOENIX - The state is making driver's licenses available at four new privately owned businesses across Arizona as part of an effort by the Arizona Department of Transportation to privatize some of its services. The program makes driver's licenses more accessible — but also more expensive.
Find out WHY the third party locations are more expensive by reading the full article
here or visit azcentral.com and search for Arizona ADOT expands services.
ADOT urging car buyers, sellers to be cautious
KTAR-FM, April 15, 2015
PHOENIX - The Arizona Department of Transportation is reminding car buyers and sellers to beware if they are performing transactions outside of dealerships.
Each year, ADOT receives hundreds of complaints from people who have bought or sold a car privately and have had problems later, according to ADOT spokesman Harold Sanders.
"There are a number of fraudulent schemes out there," he said. Read the full article
here or visit KTAR.com and search for ADOT urging car buyers to learn how to protect yourself and share the info with others.
How might you benefit from a Colors Work Coaching Session with your team? One of the tips in a recent article from Entrepreneur Magazine ‘How to achieve an Engaged Workforce and a Gossip-Free Office’ is this:
Use different strategies to engage different types of employees. No two employees are the same, and all of your people should have the option to receive clear, transparent communication in a way that
resonates with them. This is one way to increase engagement and the way each employee ultimately collaborates with the rest of the team.
Read the full article
here and take action by scheduling a coaching session
now, or suggesting to your supervisor that your team could benefit from a session. This does NOT mean your team is deficient or 'broken'! We are all about continuous improvement, right?
From Cassi Hollins, ASO for MVD Dealer Licensing and Driver Services: “The colors coaching session proved instrumental in helping us improve our overall communication with each other, allowing us to identify which color we are presenting during our engagement and make the appropriate adjustments.”
Refresh your knowledge of Colors Work and learn to apply the tools to specific situations with co-workers and teams. Schedule a Colors Work Coaching Session! We will work with individuals or teams to help you improve communication, address individual challenges and develop situation specific solutions using the Colors Work tools.
Contact
Mj (
[email protected]) to schedule a coaching session for yourself or your team.
You Said This, We Did That
Meet the ADOT Family
Don't let the June issue run
with our mystery man!
We can't meet you if you don't speak up for yourself and your co-workers! Many of you read this story last month and thought, oh, gee, no one wants to hear my story. We are here to tell you that's not accurate. People love to hear each other's stories. One of our facilitators related a fascinating story told to her by a student recently, and it would have made a GREAT piece. Sadly, the employee thought it mundane and not worth publishing. Come on ADOT - celebrate YOU, celebrate your staff!
The Ignite mailbox has received lots of requests to provide employee spotlights, features on outstanding employees, unique personal stories and a place to celebrate our staff. To serve this need, each month moving forward Ignite will feature an employee in this new Meet the ADOT Family section. This offers a great opportunity to share unique stories, accomplishments, hobbies or talents. Recognize the accomplishments of another staff member by nominating them for a feature. Nominate yourself, a co-worker or your staff to be featured in this section. All parties will be contacted prior to the feature running in Ignite. Some of you might get selected to be in a new ADOT Video project. The details of that project from Communications Creative Services office will be released at a later date, but this, my friends, is your chance to shine!
Nominate today at
[email protected]
Employee Retirement Process
When an employee decides to retire from state service the employee’s supervisor OR division/program administrative assistant/ASO should complete the
Retirement Certificate Form linked here or found on the Retirements and Departures web page listed at the bottom of the ADOTnet home page. The Awards and Recognition Office encourages that submission for retirement request be submitted at least 15 business days prior to the retirement date.
Once the retirement request is completed, the retiring employee will receive an email with link and password to place their gift order from the representative with MTM Recognition.
We have many employees retiring from state service and we want to be able to honor them all with a certificate signed by the Governor and Director, as well as the appropriate retirement gift of their choice. This is impossible without the proper notice. Please, let us know and help us wish our retirees a fond departure.
For request made less than 15 business days, please contact Awards and Recognition Program, Administrative Assistant at 602-712-8733.
State Employee Appreciation Day
Governor Ducey proclaimed Wednesday, May 6, 2015 to be Arizona State Employee Recognition Day. In appreciation of ADOT employees, Director Halikowski delivered the following message, "I am consistently inspired by your determination and dedication to serving the people of this great state, and I wish to thank each and every one of you for your efforts."
ASD Director Sonya Herrera got into
the spirit by serving at one of the
Capitol Complex pizza stations
On behalf of Director Halikowski, the Awards and Recognition program organized a pizza lunch to say 'thanks for all you do'. ADOT employees from across the state enjoyed pizza with their colleagues, and several offices enhanced the celebration by bringing in salad or cookies to complete the meal. A total of 340 pies were delivered to various ADOT facilities from Yuma to Flagstaff! Over 400 people came out to the Capitol Complex pizza stations with several executive team members on hand to provide personal thanks for the hard work and commitment that our teams offer each day.
Training is meant to be empowering. Training strengthens your skills, prepares you for new changes, and reinforces your ability to do your job effectively.
The statewide implementation of the new central financial system, Arizona Financial Information System (New AFIS), has the potential to impact how you do your job. Just how much depends on your role and responsibilities. ADOT is working with ADOA to build the training program for the new AFIS Solution to promote an understanding of Arizona's policies, procedures and uniform skill sets across agencies. A smooth transition to the new central financial system and streamlined work processes are our ultimate goals.
The ADOT BREAZ team has reached out to those who will be directly impacted by the new financial system and will be required to take training prior to Go-Live on July 1, 2015.
There is also training available on ADOT Learning Center regarding the New Chart of Accounts (Fund, Activity, Org, ect.) in New AFIS. This training is recommended for everyone here at ADOT. Simply look for GEN1205 and join the ADOT BREAZ team to learn about the new accounting structure.
We welcome all questions, thoughts, and concerns. Please contact the ADOT BREAZ team at
[email protected].
June 11 Lonnie Hendrix
Asst. State Engineer, Maintenance Group
Topic: Building Trust at Work
Location: Research Conference Room, 206 Bldg.
Time: 12 P - 1P
July 23 Dr. Tom DeCoster
Topic: TBD
Location: HRDC
Time: 7A - 8A
August 6 Scott Omer
Deputy Director for Operations
Location: ADOT Auditorium, 206 Bldg.
Time: 12 P - 1P
Joan Marques
Woodbury University's
School of Business
When I was asked to do a presentation for women in career transition last year, I wanted to prepare something that would, a) come from the heart, b) be easy to understand and remember, and c) would be useful for men and women alike. I believe that, while there are clear differences in some of the challenges that men and women face in the professional arena, there are some overarching themes that are useful to all. I came up with COURAGE, which is the acronym for seven mindsets or behaviors that can make a world of difference in how we perceive our personal and professional path, and the leadership measures we take in response to that. Courage is a strong concept in itself. We need it to make decisions, and leap into areas where others don’t. Courage is one of those terms that seems to be self-explanatory when we think about leadership. Whether we perceive it as an act toward our own behavior or in interaction with others, leadership requires courage.
With this foundational thought explained against the backdrop of life’s unpredictable turns and the numerous times we face unexpected surprises to which we have to formulate instant answers, I felt confident about developing “COURAGE,” which comprises Choice, Open-mindedness, Usefulness, Reality-check, Attitude, Genius, and Education.
Choice
The two most important facts every leader should remember in this regard is that, 1) there is always a choice, and 2) success often depends on what we do after we made our choice. Regarding the first fact: While the alternatives may not always be attractive, they still exist, so to say that we don’t have a choice merely means that we don’t consider the alternatives viable. More important, however, is the fact that we always make choices with insufficient information, so it’s not the choice itself that leads to success or failure, but the actions we undertake afterwards. This entails that even a poor choice can become useful in the long run, based on our follow-up actions.
Open-mindedness
Leading without an open mind has always been an inhibiting process, but today it is a downright disaster. Those who want to remain closed-minded will find themselves fallen by the wayside, chasing a dream or opportunity that never materializes. When we practice open-mindedness, we dare to accept options that we previously failed to consider, because we may have considered them to be above or below our level, outside our comfort zone, or against our traditional perceptions. Practicing open-mindedness means that we regularly have to inspect our principles in order to find out whether they are built on convictions that matter to us here and now, or were adopted along the way without deeper considerations. You would be amazed to find out how many biases we hold, and how limiting those are to our perceived options.
Usefulness
The best way I can explain this is by referring to Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech, in which he explains how he discovered later in life what the purpose of earlier experiences was. He called it, “Connecting the dots”. Jobs referred to a calligraphy class he took in college without any reason or intention, only to realize much later that taking this course enabled him to come up with the idea of multiple fonts on computers, an option we all happily use today. Leaders should realize that even setbacks will once turn out to be useful. Once this awareness has sunk in, they will feel less devastated when things seem to go awry.
Reality-check
We all have our view of reality, influenced by our culture, religion, upbringing, education, character, and other determining factors. What we perceive may not be the same as what others see, even when we look at the same situation. Leaders should keep this in mind at all times, as it can help them better understand, or at least try to, where others come from. The difference in views of reality explains why some people can smile about something while others feel offended or disinterested about the same thing. Understanding that we all have our own mental model, which we call “reality”, can make us more open and understanding to viewpoints from others, and can therefore guide us to a broader spectrum of alternatives.
Attitude
Attitude is one of the strongest assets of a leader. Even in the direst of times, it is the only thing we have in our control. Our attitude cannot be taken away from us. We have the power to decide what it shall be. Our attitude is influenced by our mental models and our choices. How do we choose to look at the things that we encounter? Do we have a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty attitude? Do we find a solution for every challenge or a challenge for every solution? Do we see the clouds before the sun, or the sun behind the clouds? There are numerous ways to present this question, but it boils down to one thing: we cannot change the setbacks that life will present us, but we can decide what we will do once they have manifested themselves, because then we can decide whether we want to dwell on them and wallow in our misery, or pick ourselves up, dust off our clothes, and move on with a new lesson under our belt and a stronger backbone.
Genius
Whether you want to accept it or not, there is a genius in each of us. The only problem we have is that life has beaten our inner-genius down so many times that we may think it has perished. Formal education, societal rules, pressure from work and relationships, they have all curbed our natural inner-genius. Yet, we can revive it if we choose to do so. It starts with the realization that our inner-genius exists, followed by the will to accept and explore it. Open your eyes to the things you have taken for granted. Every day presents us thousands of miracles, which we no longer see. Give yourself a break from your computer and mobile device now and then. Do something out of the ordinary. Go somewhere different. Talk to someone you’ve never talked to before. Gradually, the well of creative thinking will resurface and be replenished.
Education
Regardless of the type of education you choose, keep obtaining it. Follow a course, or teach yourself by surfing the Net. Education is the vehicle for leaders to stay ahead of the crowd. The more you learn, the sharper your critical and creative thinking skills will get, the broader your scope will become, and the more possibilities you will see and create for yourself. We live in exponential times, where continuing our education is no longer considered inappropriate. It is quite the contrary: Failing to continuously educate yourself will rob you from ceasing opportunities that others learn about.
Several of the behaviors and mindsets in COURAGE are interrelated. Education can help you reignite your inner-genius, which can make you more receptive to the differences in mental models (reality check). Practicing open-mindedness reveals more choices, and helps you see the usefulness of experiences more clearly. And an open mind is also a great foundation for a constructive attitude, which can encourage you to explore more choices, and revive your inner genius.
Things Great Leaders Don't Do
Clara Wong
Great leaders treat their people as their most important resources, which can be continuously nurtured, shaped, expanded and maximized, through careful efforts.
HR is in a unique place to get to know the great and less great things leaders do in workplace. In my 20 plus years as HR of different companies, I learned about the many great things leaders do. I also suggest a list of things that great leaders don't do in workplace.
The first point applies to those who manage managers. Great leaders would not manage their people's people. Rather, they hold their managers accountable for managing their own people well. With that they show huge trust in their managers' capability and judgment, even if some decisions their managers make about their own people seem risky and unpopular. Great leaders will take the risks. And their managers will need to own the results, either good or bad, and learn and grow. And most importantly, the managers will feel trusted and motivated and will stay long and work even harder. A manager who often gets phone calls from his own boss about how to promote or demote or fire his own people, would give up his accountability, and become either lazy or frustrated and leave.
Secondly, great leaders would not rely on or over promote expertise. Being an expert is a dream for many people (including HR, definitely!). It motivates people to get better and better in their own areas. However, the danger of experts is we might treat views that are different than ours as nonsense and stupid. Over time, we become closed and stop listening. Leaders should maintain a balance between expertise and common sense, between specialists and generalists, and should ask for the same from their managers.
With this here comes the third point: great leaders would not over rely on tools. We always feel excited with great tools. As HR I feel so at home when I heard terms about competency model, assessment tools, compensation design models, leadership development tool and so on. But tools, no matter how great they are, would never be able to replace a mind of curiosity and good common sense. Managing people and things with tools is like drawing pictures with computer-aided program. We all know that would not make great pictures.
The last point sounds simple but tricky. It is not against leadership authenticity (which we will discuss later),but good leaders would not make their points too casually, or too early, in front of a group. Imagine on your way to lunch, in the elevator, you make a remark about an ongoing project. And three days later the project stops and one manager comes to you and reports the latest changes based on your approval (or disapproval). And you asked: " When and what did I say?" Leaders' words and behavior are being put under microscope by many. So be careful. Watch your words and behavior.
Write to me at
[email protected] if you would like to discuss about leadership or HR, and if you have any training or coaching needs that I might help.
Have a Nice Day!
INQUIRING MINDS: notes from the library
Public Speaking – tips from the pro’s that you can use for any size audience
How you would handle this situation?
“A woman who is a highly admired author of Christian books was the featured speaker at one of Billy Graham’s crusades. The master of ceremonies gave her a glowing introduction to an audience that numbered in the thousands. She rose from her seat and started to walk up the steps that led to the speakers’ platform. Half way up, the heel of her shoe caught in the hem of her full-length formal dress. She stumbled and fell, splat, right on her face. A hush fell over the crowd.
Billy Graham rushed over. He took hold of her arm to help her to her feet, but the heel had become entangled in the hem. She tripped again. After what must have seemed an eternity to her (although it was really only a matter of seconds), she finally made it up on her feet.”
Public speaking is a challenge when things go smoothly. Lani Arredondo gives tips on how to handle the unexpected in chapter 7: “Dealing with Difficulties, or Mastering the ‘Uns’” of her book
How to Present Like a Pro: Getting People to See Things Your Way. She also shows ways to deal with equipment failure and disruptive behavior.
In the case above, Arredondo recommends humor. “She [the speaker] walked gracefully to the podium and looked steadily out at the audience. In a tone of mock seriousness she said: ‘Well, now all of you know the truth. I’ve fallen for Billy Graham.’ The audience roared with laughter. Her presentation was a great success.”
Is public speaking a skill you need do develop – for professional advancement or personal satisfaction? ADOT’s Library has Arredondo’s book and others on public speaking. We can also help you find magazine articles about effective public speaking. If making a presentation fills you with dread, but you have to do it anyway, these books and articles may give you tips you need to develop skills so you can approach the task with greater confidence in your abilities. Stop by the Library in the Research Center to see what is available to you.
Six tips to achieve a ‘Killer Presentation’ from the experts at Forbes Magazine:
- Frame the story: determine where to start. Begin-develop arc (a journey); i.e., problem—solution; “here is an idea that can benefit us all”
- Substance and passion: introduce the topic, explain why you care (importance),convince the audience they should care too
- Bring to life with examples: stories/anecdotes (persuasive, dramatic)
- Use bullet points to map out what you want to say
- Limit your swaying, odd movement (stand still)
- Spoken words should be different from PPT words
Want tips on giving a technical presentation? Look at
Technically Speaking: Proven Ways to Make your Next Presentation a Success by Jan D’Arcy, available at the ADOT Library.
