Starlight Star Bright: Making the most of your talented staff

1. Starlight Star Bright: Making the most of your talented staff Sarah Reding V.P. of Conservation Stewardship sreding@naturecenter.org Jenn Wright V.P. of Education jwright@naturecenter.org

2. A.K.A. How to Keep Heads From Exploding!

3. Culture + Leadership + Management = Success! • Defining the culture • Finding talented staff • Training your team • Evaluation • Conflict resolution • Communication across generations

4. “The specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization” Ravasi and Schultz (2006) How does your organization define its culture? Defining the Culture

5. The Leader… innovates is an original develops focuses on people inspires trust has a long-range perspective asks what and why has eye on the horizon originates challenges the status quo is his or her own person does the right thing. The Manager… administers is a copy maintains focuses on systems & structure relies on control has a short-range view asks how and when has his/her eye on bottom line imitates accepts the status quo is the classic good soldier does things right Manager vs. Leader

6. Finding Talented Staff

7. Clearly Defining the Position • Create clear job title. • Understand and clearly articulate responsibilities of position. • Define the skills or qualifications needed to complete responsibilities. • Determine what previous experience position requires. • Identify special skills needed (specific computer skills, training, certifications, etc.). • List physical demands and work environment. • Add equal employment opportunity employer clause. • Define the proper method of communicating with the organization.

8. Finding the Perfect Candidate: Things to consider when posting a job • Internal Advertising: Post internally first. • External Advertising: Target your search to reach anticipated audience (ex. ANCA for Executive Director position, local business college for an entry level clerical position) • Keep organizational list of places the positions have been posted to alleviate future work. Include in this list, specific login names, passwords, contacts, etc. What are your organization’s most commonly used posting sources?

9. Screening Resumes • Acknowledge receipt of resumes. • Notify candidates of hiring timeline. • Have an organizational standard of how to evaluate applicants. • Develop checklist of specific search criteria based on the job description. • Create a search committee if needed. • Review resumes and set aside those that fail to meet minimum requirements or lack professional standards. • Notify candidates who are chosen to move forward in the process.

10. Drilling down to the details! Each group will get a copy of a job description to review and then using sticky notes come up with 5 interview questions that would allow them to get to know the candidate in 10 minutes.

11. Conducting Interviews • Select an interview process which fits with the position and the organizational culture. • Examples of Interviews: • Phone/Video Interviews • Individual Interviews • Team Interviews • Groups Interviews What interview techniques have you used?

12. Do’s & Don'ts of Interviewing Do… • Allow the candidate plenty of time to talk. • Use open-ended questioning. • Give the candidate a clear picture of the position including the not so exciting parts. Don’t… • Ask the candidate about age, family, handicap, martial status, national origin, race or color, religion or sex.

13. The Reference Check✔ • Use an organizational reference questionnaire. • Note that some employers will only confirm that the person was employed there, time period and rate of pay. • Learn to ‘read between the lines’ of the responses. • Ask if the person would hire the candidate if given the opportunity. What are your favorite Reference Questions?

14. Training Your Team

15. Setting the Stage: Day One! • The first day of employment should be a general orientation of the organization, staff, and job responsibilities. • Involving the rest of the staff in this process helps build working relationships. • Give a full tour of the site, facilities, off-site locations, etc. • Using an Orientation Checklist is a good way to identify all of the areas that should be covered in the first days of employment. Remember, you are defining the organizational culture throughout this whole process!

16. Orientation Checklist

17. Setting the Stage: Day Two and Beyond! • Soon after start date, supervisor should sit down with new employee and define S.M.A.R.T. performance goals based on the position. • Think of the first year of employment as the learning curve year and build on that. • Provide opportunities for professional development at whatever level your organization can afford.

18. New hire checklist First Aid/CPR Interpretive hosts Customer service Safety training (weather, emergencies) Vehicle training Personality Testing Program observation Organizational orientation Peer visits & networking Specific job skill training (interpretation, Rx fire, management skills) What does KNC do to Train Staff What training does your organization offer?

19. Why Evaluate Staff? What forms of evaluation have you used?

20. The Two-Way Evaluation • Important to set expectations. • Develop S.M.A.R.T. goals. • Clearly define evaluation procedures. • Use evaluations as something to help staff thrive in their job. • Conduct evaluations in a neutral, quiet place. • Supervisors who look for the positive attributes of staff are better at giving constructive feedback. • By use a process that allows both parties the opportunity to provide feedback, the responsibility of employee success is shared. • Always ask staff what you can do for them!

21. KNC Critical Achievement Form

22. Steps to Conflict Resolution • Step 1. One-on-one discussion with the individual to clearly state the problem and discuss steps and timeline for resolution. • Step 2. If no progress is made, set up a meeting and include a neutral party to help evaluate and observe. Re-state the problem and create a document defining the steps and timeline for resolution which each party signs and acknowledges. This document goes into their personnel file. • If there is failure to meet the defined goals then proceed with termination. Clearly Document Every Step!!

23. When to Cut Ties • If no improvement, the decision to terminate the employee lays in the hands of the supervisor. • In most cases you will find that once this decision is made and carried through you will look back realize that it was the best for the organization. “Problem employees inhibit otherwise effective co-worker” The Nonprofit Handbook

24. Reality Check: Sharing your Stories!

25. Communication Across the Generation “Nearly 60 percent of HR managers at large companies say they’ve observed office conflicts that flow from generational differences, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.” CNNMoney.com “When organizations create a space where the strengths of each generation can flourish and are aligned with the vision/mission, they meet with success beyond comprehension.” Misti Burmeister

26. Generational Roleplay Scenario: Your CEO has just informed you that your department must cut 25% of your budget in order to balance for the year. How will you come up with a plan and present that to your staff?

27. Baby Boomers 1943-1960 Core Values: Optimism, team orientation, personal growth, involvement in profession Assets: Team player, willing to do what’s necessary to get the job done, great relationship builder and team player Liabilities: Spenders, uncomfortable going against peers or dealing with conflict, less willing to give feedback and sensitive toward receiving feedback. Matures, Veterans, Greatest Generation 1922-1943 Core Values: dedication, conformity, follows rules, respect, patience, duty before pleasure, honor in their profession Assets: Stable, detail oriented, thorough, loyal, hard working Liabilities: Inept with ambiguity and change, reluctant to buck the system, uncomfortable with conflict, reticent when they disagree. Generation X 1960-1980 Core Values: Diversity, thinking globally, balance, informality, self-reliance in their profession Assets: Adaptable, technoliterate, independent, uninitiated by authority, creative Liabilities: Impatient, caught in the middle, inexperienced, cynical Generation Y, Millenials, Eco-Boomers 1980-2000 Core Values: Optimism, civic minded, inclusive, achievement oriented, confidence, sociability, morality, diversity in profession Assets: Sociable, optimistic, talented, well-educated, collaborative, open-minded, positive attitude and achievement-oriented Liabilities: Distaste for “menial” work, poor people skills, impatience, need for structure and supervision, inexperience, confidence

28. Tips for Success! • Managing up! • Regular communication (e-mail, staff/team meetings) • Get and give constant feedback • Celebrating success (award nominations, peer awards, etc.) • Good Show! Bad Show! • Making effective evaluation part of culture • Fish Philosophy - Have Fun!

29. Setting Goals: the follow up!

30. Thank you! Sarah Reding V.P. of Conservation Stewardship sreding@naturecenter.org Jenn Wright V.P. of Education jwright@naturecenter.org