Leading The Way

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Engaging First Level Supervisors
Leading The Way
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Panel Members

• Joe Levy
• Acting Director, East Region, Assistant G-1
• Department of the Army
• Al Rich
• Vice Director, 76th Maintenance Wing, Tinker Air
  Force Base
• Department of the Air Force
• Shirley Scott Moderator
• Director, HR Systems
• Program Executive Office, NSPS

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First level supervisors pave the way for an
effective pay for performance system.
Setting the Stage

• Supervisors
• Work with employees to establish their
  performance plans and clearly communicate
  expectations
• Meet with their employees on a regular basis
  throughout the performance cycle to effectively
  monitor performance and develop and enhance
  competencies and skills
• Evaluate their employees performance and
  articulate their employees contributions during
  the pay pool process
• Participate in decisions of ratings, share
  allocations and performance payout discussions
  during the pay pool process
• Discuss results of the pay pool process with
  their employees

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Leading Performance Discussions
Communication is critical throughout the entire
cycle.

• Plan
• Establish performance expectations
• Align employee objectives with organizational
  goals

• Reward
• Participate in pay pool process
• Communicate rating of record and performance
  payout

• Rate
• Review employee self-assessment
• Evaluate performance
• Recommend rating and performance payout

• Monitor/Develop
• Check progress
• Provide feedback
• Identify opportunities for growth
• Modify plans

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Engaged Supervisors

• Understand all aspects of the pay pool process
• Roles and responsibilities
• Pay pool and sub-pay pool structures
• How share values are calculated
• Pay pool business rules
• Have meaningful involvement in the pay pool
  process
• Avoid disenfranchisement
• Are the best equipped to understand and
  articulate an employees value to the
  organization
• Are trusted by their employees to effectively
  advocate for them
• Are confident of their own abilities and acutely
  aware of the critical role they play

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Feedback from Supervisors
Spiral 1.1 supervisors expressed concern over

• Being given the opportunity to provide additional
  justification for recommended ratings
• Feel they were left holding the bag when
  providing feedback or explaining ratings
• Not receiving timely information or that
  information often changed
• Feel as if the rating and rewarding process was
  too complex
• Perceive the pay pool process is done in secrecy

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Colleagues from Spiral 1.1 have lessons to share.
For Discussion

• How do you ensure that supervisors feel engaged?
• How do leaders foster environments that support
  supervisors with their enhanced responsibilities?
• What type of training and support do supervisors
  need to effectively manage performance under
  NSPS?
• How do you keep first level supervisors engaged
  if they are not part of the pay pool panel?
• How do you create a pay pool process that is
  perceived as fair and transparent by employees
  and supervisors?

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Engaging First Level Supervisors
Al Rich
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For Discussion

• How to ensure supervisors feel engaged?
• Continual candid communication
• Most 1st line supervisors are sub-pay pool panel
  members
• Empowered with shared understanding
• 2nd line supervisor chairs the sub-pay pool
  panel maintains consistency

Shares

Level by responsibility /
position in pay band Level by functional
responsibility (skill)
Ratings
Share Value
Pay Out Distribution
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For Discussion

• Ways to foster a supportive environment for
  supervisors with their enhanced responsibilities
• Continual communication up and down management
  chain
• Provide center and wing guidance
• Pay Administrator role - crucial to pay pool
  success
• Communication/hands on system functionality and
  navigation
• Communicate / advise guidance and process
• Pay Pool completion
• Task Tracking
• Training
• Encourage participation in available training /
  subsidize with specific topic training

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For Discussion

Center Implementation Lead Center Performance
Review Authority (PRA)
Executive Steering Group
AF IPT
NSPS Program Office
AFMC IPT
Organizational POCs
Tinker IPTs
OC-ALC/DP
Program Management
Staff (PA, FM, JA, IT, DP)
TRAINING
COMMUNICATION
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For Discussion

Center Implementation Lead Center Performance
Review Authority (PRA)
Executive Steering Group
AF IPT
NSPS Program Office
Organizational POCs
Tinker IPTs
AFMC IPT
OC-ALC/DP
Wing IPT
Program Management
Pay Pools
Sub Pay Pools
Staff (PA, FM, JA, IT, DP)
TRAINING
COMMUNICATION
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For Discussion

Executive Steering Group
Chair NSPS Program Office Membership -
Personnel Experts - Wing POCs - Functionals
Organizational POCs
Tinker Center IPT
Information Guidance Overarching
Management Objective Mandates
Web Based Updates (NSPS Home Page)
Chair Wing NSPS Mgr
Membership - Wing Personnel Experts - Pay
Administrators - Group/Office POCs
Wing IPT
COMMUNICATION
Wing Information Wing Guidance Sample Templates /
Objective Mandates
In-House Training Sessions
Pay Pools
Pay Pool Manager Guidance Pay Pool
Information Objective Guidance
Pay Administrator Hands-on Training
Sub Pay Pools
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For Discussion

Most valuable provided training Human
Resources, Performance Management, Pay Pool
Management, SMART Job Objective Writing,
Interaction Skills
Enhanced / subsidized
training Job Objective and Assessment
writing skill improvement Provide general topic
job objective templates individualize Center
developed robust overarching guidance iSuccess
tool (USAF interactive computer-based training
center mandate for supervisors / voluntary
for employees)

Additional training needs
Pay Pool Management for all supervisors
IT Tool hands-on training (My Biz/My Workplace)
Organizational Guidance manage
internally
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Transparent / Fair Pay Pool Process
For Discussion

Employee/ Supervisor
Equitable
Fair
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Transparent / Fair Pay Pool Process
For Discussion

Produced Center and Wing Guidelines Directing
Fair and Equitable Treatment
Guidelines Reinforced During Pay Pool
Discussions
Employee/ Supervisor
Equitable
Fair
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Transparent / Fair Pay Pool Process
For Discussion

Produced Center and Wing Guidelines Directing
Fair and Equitable Treatment
Wing Guidance To rater Prior to the Annual
Feedback
Guidelines Reinforced During Pay Pool
Discussions
Employee/ Supervisor
Equitable
Fair
Dos / Donts for Annual Cycle Feedback Session
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Transparent / Fair Pay Pool Process
For Discussion

Produced Center and Wing Guidelines Directing
Fair and Equitable Treatment
Wing Guidance To rater Prior to the Annual
Feedback
Guidelines Reinforced During Pay Pool
Discussions
Employee/ Supervisor
Equitable
Fair
Communicated Annual Cycle Rating Results
Nothing Hidden
Dos / Donts for Annual Cycle Feedback Session
Center/Wing average Rating, Share and Payout in
Dollars
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For Discussion

Lessons Learned
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For Discussion

communication COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
Lessons Learned
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For Discussion

communication COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
Lessons Learned
HUGE Paradigm Shift
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For Discussion

communication COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
Lessons Learned
HUGE Paradigm Shift
Time Management
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For Discussion

communication COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
Lessons Learned
Fairness and Equity
HUGE Paradigm Shift
Time Management
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For Discussion

communication COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION
Mock Pay Payout
Lessons Learned
Fairness and Equity
HUGE Paradigm Shift
Time Management
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Engaging First-line Supervisors
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Challenges

• Shortened rating cycle
• Developing procedures and business rules on the
  fly
• Standardized objectives and payout process
• Developing a shared understanding of levels of
  performance
• Inexperience with the pay pool process
• High supervisory ratios

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Actions Taken

• Senior management involvement is key
• Leadership Meetings
• Performance Objective Rollout/Supv Trng
• Mid-cycle of second rating period
• Mock Pay Pool Exercise
• Assessment Writing Tips
• Mock Pay Pool Lessons Learned
• Pay Pool Process Business Rules
• Opportunity for additional justification
• feedback from panel if ratings are changed
• Panel members serve on a rotating basis
• Reconsidered use of sub pay pools
• Reevaluating supervisory ratios