It’s early 2013. You’re a University of Iowa department head reviewing results from the fall 2012 Working at Iowa survey. You spot a few areas you’d like to address—where can you turn for support?
Organizational Effectiveness (OE), a unit of Human Resources, provides a starting point.
“We’re here to help units improve their cultures, operations, and planning,” says Teresa Kulper, director of human resource services for Organizational Effectiveness/Organizational Development. “This includes addressing issues that affect both people and processes.”
Your chance to be heard
The Working at Iowa survey runs through Oct. 30. With only 20 questions, the confidential survey takes as little as five minutes to complete.
Faculty and staff who haven’t already completed the survey will receive a reminder email this week. The email includes a special link—click it to begin the survey.
More information on the Working at Iowa website.
Using individualized training, team building, process assessments, or one-on-one coaching, OE can tailor programs that address all kinds of workplace and leadership challenges.
Making the call
A phone consult is the best place to begin. OE’s Supervisory Helpline—319-335-2085—can get units headed in the right direction.
“We walk callers through a triage process,” Kulper says. “Together, we may determine that we need to focus on assisting a whole unit or working with individuals.”
Kulper and colleagues take a holistic approach, assessing how organization, direction-setting, people, and processes all relate to a unit’s vision and mission. At the start of any consultation, they define goals, success measures, and an action plan.
Common issues include change management, performance coaching, communication, strategic planning, leadership development, and dealing with conflict. Exactly what strategies units use to address these issues can vary.
Shaping leaders
For some departments, management team coaching may be the way to go. OE staff help groups assess their members’ communication styles, personalities, and individual and collective strengths.
The idea is to establish a leadership team that works cohesively toward common goals.
“We don’t think of training in these contexts as an event, but a process that aims to generate and sustain cultural change,” says Nikole Mac, manager of UI Leadership Development for OE. “A typical consultation will run 3 to 6 months.”
Individuals also can connect with leadership resources through OE. One option is the UI LEAD (Leadership Education, Assessment, and Development) program, which typically draws experienced managers wanting to take their leadership skills to a new level.
Focusing on leadership helps units maintain direction, especially in times of change.
“We often consult with units on succession planning,” Mac says. “We want to help them identify people with leadership potential and build their bench.”
Fixing the process
When process is the problem, OE programs like Lean and Workplace Redesign can provide the solution.
Introduced at the UI during tight budget times in 2006, Lean aims to fix specific problems while encouraging ongoing attention to inefficiencies. The process began in manufacturing industries, but has expanded to health care, higher education, and other fields.
“Lean seeks to improve business practices, eliminate waste, and make processes as effective and efficient as possible,” says Richard See, manager of UI Business Process Improvement for OE. “It also aims to encourage a culture in which employees feel comfortable challenging the way they do things.”
Workplace Redesign addresses similar issues, aligning expertise with goals. “We help units focus on mission-critical areas and how best to get their work completed with the available resources,” See says.
More on OE resources
Additional info about some of the programs mentioned in this story:
UI LEAD: Assessment and training for experienced leaders
Lean: Structured review of business processes and opportunities to cut waste
Workplace Redesign: Aligns faculty/staff effort with unit goals
Workforce and Workload Planning Toolbox: An introduction to concepts that can help balance workloads in times of tight resources
Supervising@IOWA: Course series for both new and experiences supervisors
Advanced Management Series: Course series on core management topics, with personalized leadership-style assessment and goal setting
Building your skills
OE’s Learning and Development unit provides skills training for everybody, covering just about every workplace topic—running meetings, delivering presentations, facilitating decisions, and more.
In-person classes, online modules, and sessions customized for groups and departments offer options for professional development. The ever-evolving selection is built on the knowledge that people are the university’s most valuable resource.
“If we don’t invest in good people—and make them feel invested in return—we’ll have trouble keeping them,” says Sean Hesler manager of UI Learning and Development for OE.
Series of targeted courses include Supervising@Iowa and the Advanced Management Series, both aimed at developing unit leaders. Other series target topics like performance management and human resources fundamentals.
Taking action
The revised Working at Iowa survey emphasizes items that help departments plan specific actions. OE is gearing up to provide full support.
“Honestly, we hope we get flooded with calls. We really want units to act on what they learn,” Kulper says. “Our assistance may be as short-term as offering options over the phone, or it may lead to ongoing consultation and coaching.”
She emphasizes that taking action doesn’t only mean addressing problems.
“We’re encouraging units to celebrate what they’re doing well, to look at where they’ve improved,” she adds. “In past surveys, we’ve seen that the vast majority of respondents say they’d encourage other people to consider working at the UI. That level of engagement alone is something we can take pride in.”