DIRECTOR'S CORNER
….. from John Halikowski
With the Leadership Conference just a couple of week's past, I am still pumped up about the enthusiasm and focus I saw in your faces and heard in conversation during those two days and since then. The tremendous effort to bring everyone together is such a great opportunity for all that attend. It is energizing just to be there with all of you as we began the development of action plans toward achieving our results.
There is never enough time to get a chance to talk with each person individually, but I really do enjoy spending time with all of you. Your positive feedback and comments are already a part of the plans that have begun for next year's conference. The culture we are evolving is making a difference in revitalizing ADOT and providing opportunities we've never had before, and some we are bringing back.
I want to remind each of you in leadership positions, we are here to grow our people first. We must focus on what we CAN do, be innovative and BE there for each other to achieve the best. We are in this together for you, for your families, for your ADOT family and for Arizona. It is a heavy lift and I am proud you make it all happen every day with me in all you do toward the ADOT we own.
Congratulations! Agency Awards
The Green Shop Awards
ADOT understands the importance of being environmental stewards. We strive each day to make a positive impact to the environment, our customers and to the citizens of Arizona. Since 2008, the ADOT ASD Equipment Services Green Shop program has served as method of recognizing our staff as they work to deliver a safe, efficient, and cost effective transportation system.
Through the program, each equipment shop is encouraged to create action items and innovate new ways to "Go Green", while at the same time improve efficiencies along with customer service.
At the end of each year, the best ideas are highlighted and shared with all Equipment Services' shops and together we celebrate the Green Shop Program's impact.
The
Show Low Equipment Services Shop was presented the 2013-14 Green Shop Award for Main Shops. Supervisor
Gary Hamilton and his team:
Maria Lane, Marcio Gomez, Bobby Seitz, Aaron Jumbo, Robert Gillespie, Robert Van Cleave, Dean Linne, and
Kenny Witt have done an incredible job with this shop.
ASD Director, Sonya Herrera visited the shop to celebrate at their award ceremony on August 14. "I had not visited this facility in a number of years and it didn't even look like the same place. This team faced some significant challenges; the primary one being that their facility is over 60 years old and in need of repairs. They did not let this discourage them. They are a great example of being innovative and creating a positive work environment despite obstacles. I'm incredibly proud of them. I also want to give a shout out to Gary for his initiative in reminding his team and customers about the ADOT values by stenciling them above his doorway so that everyone who comes into his office is reminded daily, " said Herrera.
View more information on the
Green Shop Award.
Procurement awarded the O4
On August 5, 2014, the Procurement group won the Outstanding Agency Accreditation Award, the OA4, from the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.
This award formally recognizes excellence in public procurement by establishing a body of standards that should be in place for a solid purchasing operation. The ADOT Procurement Group responded to the rigorous challenge of a detailed application that required substantial documentation and a demonstration of best practices.
Many governmental agencies have attempted to achieve this Accreditation status—only to realize that their practices fall short of the required standards of performance. While the NIGP membership represents over 2,600 governmental agencies throughout the United States and Canada, only 130 governments have attained this distinction.
Clearly, the ADOT Procurement Group belongs to an elite group of purchasing organizations that represent the highest sustained standards of quality and efficiency in government!
Growth
Two Mentoring Myths Busted
From "A thought paper by Management Mentors" Management Mentors, Chestnut Hill, MA
MYTH #1: In order for a formal mentoring relationship to be successful, mentors and mentees need to have chemistry.
BUSTED: We hear this one a lot. At first blush, it seems like a correct statement, doesn't it? Mentors and mentees need chemistry in order to work together effectively, don't they?
Nope. To understand why this is, let's first define chemistry. Chemistry is an intense, very personal feeling—an initial connection or attraction between two individuals that may develop into a strong, emotional bond. Unstructured and unpredictable, it is the basis for an
informal mentoring relationship, but it's not necessary for a
formal mentoring relationship where people typically work together for 9-12 months. Now, let's talk about a "c" word that does matter:
compatibility. Compatibility occurs when individuals work together in harmony to achieve a common purpose. With formal mentoring relationships, compatibility is a must-have because the mentor and mentee need to work together towards goals they set at the beginning of the relationship. While chemistry is nice to have, it's far from a deal breaker.
MYTH #2: Buddy systems and mentoring programs are the same thing.
BUSTED: Organizations typically use buddy systems to help new employees adjust to their jobs during the first few months of employment. Buddies are most often peers in the same department. They assist new employees for short periods. Buddies usually don't require any specialized training. Mentoring is a more complex relationship and focuses on both short- and long-term professional development goals. Though a mentor may be an employee's peer, most often a mentor is a person who is at least one level higher in the organization and who is not within the mentee's direct supervisory line of management. We recommend
training for
mentors, mentees, and
mentoring program managers.
Ideas With Legs: FIT MENTORING!
Join up for "on the spot" mentoring that uses your legs. You'll get a workout for your brain and body by hooking up with a lunchtime mentor at the Capitol Complex.
Be the first to sign up for this new twist on mentoring opportunities. Yes, if you can walk and chew gum at the same time, you can move and mentor. Contact [email protected] |
Dedication
EmployeEs Brave the weather
The late summer storm that hit Phoenix on September 7 and 8 will certainly generate several notable stories for ADOT, both in the local media and here at IGNITE. We received this photo on the morning of the big storm and just had to share!
We are hearing about the ADOT employees who braved the storm in order to get to work, knowing that citizens were depending on ADOT to do everything possible to react and manage the massive flooding. What was the craziest thing that happened on your commute that day?
Do you know of a co-worker who went out of their way or above and beyond to help people? Tell us about it! [email protected]
Recognize great accomplishments
Phoenix Maintenance District: Saving time and money!
Phoenix Maintenance District currently holds 48 Maricopa County non-Title V air quality permits for water pumping stations. In August a team from Phoenix Maintenance and Environmental Services (now called Environmental Planning Group, Compliance and Reporting) prepared applications and documentation to convert 45 of those non-Title V air quality permits to general permits, which will result in significant savings of time and money for ADOT.
Each current non-Title V air quality permit costs $650 annually, for a total of $31,200 per year in fees paid to Maricopa County Air Quality Department. By converting 45 of those non-Title V permits to general permits, with annual fees of $350, ADOT will save $13,500 per year in fees paid. In addition, because the general permit requires fewer inspections by Maricopa County, it will save time for Phoenix Maintenance staff members that accompany the inspectors at each pumping station.
A shout out to everyone involved, especially Vanessa Philipp, Patrick Shannon, Richard Price, Lisa Andersen and Steve Koebler from Phoenix Maintenance; and Ken Morris, Andrea DeCarlo and Darcy Anderson from Environmental Services. Excellent work!
Special thanks to MVD for stellar Special Plate Testing work from Maddie Kinder:
I would like to thank MVD for all your help and support with the special plate testing. With the excellent work of the testers Angelica Richardson, Robert Dunahee, Vanessa Nunez, Holly Benson, Elizabeth Roman, Fatima Arias, Loretta Hanna, and Juan Macias we have completed 90 % of our testing in 2 weeks instead of 4. Great job!
The Women's Information Network, a Leadership, Networking & Education Brownbag Lunch program, meets bi-monthly in Phoenix and at least
once per year in Tucson and Flagstaff.
All ADOT female managers and supervisors are invited and encouraged to sponsor as guests staff that are not in supervisory positions.
Mark your calendar for future WIN dates:
September 24, 2014 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.
Women in Transportation
November 12, 2014 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.
Did You Know?
December, 10 2014 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m.
WIN Open House
April 22, 2015 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
'Wear This not That'
For more information, contact
Mary Currie.
Several ADOT Divisions and Work Groups publish Newsletters specific to their area of work. Are you interested in what's going on around ADOT? Here is another avenue to explore.
MPD: Connect
ITG: Coming soon!
Does your Division or Work Group publish a newsletter that we can provide a link to or info on where to find it? Send us the details:
[email protected]
Did you know?
ADOT hosts a new intern program
Did you know that the Arizona Department of Administration offers internship programs? ADOT already participates in Arizona Interns-In-Action and is very excited to be participating in the pilot phase of the Management Intern Program through ADOA.
The program is oriented to attracting, developing and retaining highly talented college graduates who have an interest in public service, particularly those who have a focus on a management/leadership career in state government. Aside from the personal benefits to the selected interns, the state stands to benefit by having increased access to smart and motivated talent to meet the needs of the public and the demands on our agencies.
While the Arizona Interns-In-Action and the Legislative Internship programs offer students (and some graduates) rewarding experiential learning opportunities, the State of Arizona Management Intern Program is designed to provide meaningful assignments for graduates with a clear intent to evaluate the interns for possible future employment.
On August 18, 2014, three MIP interns started their internship in the Civil Rights Office. Bradley Saran is assisting Kerry Bernard with the ADA program, Kimberly O'Banner is assisting David Eagles
with Affirmative Action and Desiree Benet is assisting Lucy Schrader with Title VI. Please join us in welcoming them to the ADOT family.
All three of our newest ADOT employees are recent graduates of Summit Law School and recently sat for the bar exam. We are excited to have each one of them to focus on individual Civil Rights program requirements. We very much look forward to making the ADOT experience an exciting and rewarding time for them, and they are equally as eager to jump in and get to work! Welcome to Bradley, Kimberly and Desiree!
Celebration
Awards and Recognition
Monthly Service Awards
Each month this section features the 20+ year awards. Are you interested in seeing all the Service Award information? Awards beginning with 10 years of service are on the ADOT Intranet at
ADOT Awards and Recognitions.
20 Years
Employee |
Org Name |
| Jerome A Kline |
ITD |
| Kathy A. Bailey |
TSG |
| Marland Billie |
ITD |
| Michelle M. Fink |
Communications |
| Peggy J. Ebert |
MVD |
| Timothy J. Williammee |
ITD |
25 Years
Employee |
Org Name |
| Holly L. Upshaw |
ECD |
| Isabel M. Perez |
MVD |
| John D. Livingston |
ITD |
| Sandra Y. Brumbaugh |
ITD |
| Teresa A. Kabana |
ITD |
| Tomas Pino |
ITD |
30 Years
Employee |
Org Name |
| Henrietta A. Fernandez |
MVD |
| Jeff S. Mitchell |
ECD |
| Michael Thom |
ITD |
| Pedro M. Gonzales |
ITD |
| Randy N. Smith |
ITD |
| Ronald O. Lee |
MVD |
| Shahriar S. Farahzadi |
ITD |
| Sharif M. Azamy |
ITD |
35 Years
Employee |
Org Name |
| Roman G. Rodriguez |
ITD |
40 Years
Employee |
Org Name |
| James M. Hampshire |
ITD |
| |
|
| |
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what's coming up at ADOT
See what's coming up and contribute your important events:
ADOT Events Calendar.
|
You Said THIS We Did THAT
Programs and changes based on employee feedback
You said this… "Our computer equipment is old and the network is really slow – this impacts my productivity."
We did that… The executive team is committed to improving the health of ADOT's infrastructure, and two huge initiatives are currently underway to do just that.
The active PC refresh project will replace nearly 4,000 computers, older than three years, in FY 15. Many resources are focused on making this top priority a reality, and deployments are planned to start in the first quarter of calendar year 2015.
ADOT's satellite offices are currently receiving network upgrades that increase the speed and performance of applications, email, Internet access and other online services
The Information Technology Group is hard at work delivering these important projects. Thanks ITG!
Loop 303 'Open House' gives local residents a closer look at soon-to-be-opened interchange with I-10 in West Valley
PHOENIX – Valley residents and other guests had a chance to walk, jog, bike and even skate on part of the soon-to-be-opened Loop 303 interchange at Interstate 10 in the West Valley.
The Loop 303 "Open House" event was held in Goodyear on a section of the new I-10 frontage road that travels beneath two elevated ramps that will soon provide connections between the two freeways, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Governor Jan Brewer took part in the celebration, and was joined by a group of Valley mayors,
including Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The local leaders marked both the upcoming interchange completion, scheduled for September, and ADOT's recent series of projects to improve Loop 303 into a six-lane freeway between I-10 and Grand Avenue.
"I can't overstate the importance of all the work that has gone into planning, designing and now building the Loop 303 into a freeway that improves business access over the coming decades," said Director Halikowski.
The completed ramps connect north and southbound Loop 303 with eastbound I-10.
Two more ramps on the interchange opened just a week later, on August 24. One ramp connects westbound I-10 to northbound Loop 303 while the second ramp links southbound Loop 303 to westbound I-10.
Read the
full article on the ADOT web site under Media.
Pull Aside Stay Alive campaign makes national news in the New York Times
In her August 29th article
Swirls of Dust and Drama, Punctuating Life in the Southwest, New York Times writer Fernanda Santos featured the ADOT
Pull Aside Stay Alive campaign. We can't underestimate the importance of everything ADOT does to keep drivers safe on Arizona roadways, from road maintenance to media campaigns.
ADOT plans to run the campaign into the fall this year. As temperatures begin to cool, the number of out of state drivers increase. We all know what to do when a dust storm hits, and ADOT staff is here to make sure everyone on the road gets the message: Pull Aside, Stay Alive!
Read the full story at
The New York Times, Swirls of Dust and Drama.
Learning takes place in all sorts of environments, both in and out of the classroom. Toastmasters is an option that you can take advantage of outside of work hours!
Survey after survey shows that presentation skills are crucial to success in the workplace. Many people pay high fees for seminars to gain the skill and confidence necessary to face an audience. Toastmasters provides an option that is held in high regard in business circles and is less expensive. This organization has been around for more than 84 years and offers a proven – and enjoyable – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.
Did you know that more people are afraid of public speaking than of dying? Through a time tested program, Toastmasters offers a friendly, positive way to overcome public speaking fears. The program walks you through a progression of 10 speeches, each building upon the last. You are allowed to progress through the manual at your own pace. Each speech is evaluated with positive feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Capitol Toastmasters has just celebrated their 41st anniversary as a club serving the Capitol complex. The club has a very warm and friendly environment.
Capitol Toastmasters meets every Thursday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 am at 1739 W. Jackson, modular D in the Arizona room. Visits are free and you can visit as often as you like.
You will…
- Learn to communicate more effectively
- Become a better listener
- Improve your presentation skills
- Increase your leadership potential
- Become more successful in your career
- Build your ability to motivate and persuade
- Reach your professional and personal goals
- Increase self confidence
How you do it…
- Build speaking and leadership skills with time-tested methods
- Focus on areas of interest in a self-paced curriculum
- Receive suggestions for improvement through constructive evaluations
Toasters programs are…
- Supportive
- Interactive
- Friendly
- Convenient
- Inexpensive
There are many past and current Capitol Toastmaster members who have been promoted within their organizations and now have impressive careers. The Toastmasters program has played a large part in their advancements. They have learned leadership skills through participation in meetings, organizing functions and mentoring.
What are your dreams?
Think about your biggest dreams and how joining Capitol Toastmasters can help you achieve them. Contact
Karen Escott, President, at 602.712.8216 for membership information.
Looking for a chapter in another area of Arizona? Go to
http://www.toastmasters.org/
The Key to Changing Organizational Culture
by John Kotter for FORBES
John Kotter is the chief innovation officer at
Kotter International, a firm that helps leaders accelerate strategy implementation in their organizations, and is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership Emeritus at Harvard Business School.
The
Boston Globe ran a front-page story in their "Ideas" section on organizational culture, inspired by some depressing events involving the Boston University hockey team. It was much more impactful than the average writing about culture, and raised the important question: Why do conversations about an important topic like culture typically go nowhere, leading companies to waste time and money with "cultural change efforts" which very seldom work?
Here is the problem: First, virtually no one clearly defines what they mean by "culture," and when they do they usually get it wrong. Second, virtually no one has read the original research that shows why culture — when clearly defined — is so important, how it is formed, and how it changes.
Definition: Culture consists of group norms of behavior and the underlying shared values that help keep those norms in place. Take your work, for example, a place where almost everyone shows up between 8:55 and 9:05. Why? Not because the CEO has decreed it, or because people are fired if they
don't do it. That's just the way it is! That is a group norm. Why does it exist? And why doesn't it go away when Gen X or Y individuals are hired? My guess: People are hired who embrace the value of respecting others, including other people's time, so they also show up to meetings on time, and anyone who doesn't gets a glaring look from everyone else.
Where does culture come from? It usually comes from the founders of the group. For whatever reason, they value certain things and behave in ways that seem to help the group succeed. Success is key. So it seeps into the group's DNA.
How does culture change? A powerful person at the top, or a large enough group from anywhere in the organization, decides the old ways are not working, figures out a change vision, starts acting differently, and enlists others to act differently. If the new actions produce better results, if the results are communicated and celebrated, and if they are not killed off by the old culture fighting its rear-guard action, new norms will form and new shared values will grow.
What does NOT work in changing a culture? Some group decides what the new culture should be. It turns a list of values over to the communications or HR departments with the order that they tell people what the new culture is. They cascade the message down the hierarchy, and little to nothing changes.
In summary, that's the whole story.
Who's here to help us improve the ADOT culture?
If you read the IGNITE RESEARCH article this month, you may be asking the above question. The article talks about culture changing when employees begin to act differently, and enlist others to act differently. That can begin now, with YOU! We understand that this can be a challenge and the Leadership and Employee Engagement team is here to help. LEE is dedicated to enrich and expand our experience as ADOT employees. United, the LEE programs provide the tools we need to embrace AIR throughout our work lives: our ADOT values of Accountability, Integrity and Respect. This is the change vision for our agency as defined by our Executive Team.
Visit the
LEE intranet page to learn more about this team and what they do. From the ADOT home page, on the left navigation bar, hover over ADOT Organization, then Director, then click on Leadership and Employee Engagement.
