#04 - PW Operational Assessment Recommendation

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24 CITY OF LAKE ELMO, MN LEADERSHIP Recommendation 11: Obtain leadership training for those in supervisory roles Within the public works industry, people all too often are trained in the technical skills required of their roles as they promote through their careers but receive little to no leadership or supervisory training as they promote into positions of authority. This is an area in which many organizations struggle to provide appropriate resources. Larger cities and organizations are more likely to have formalized development programs for their leaders and supervisors. In contrast, smaller organizations are more likely to seek ad hoc or external training programs. As a city grows, one unexpected side effect is the strain on supervisory roles as the need for supervision becomes more prominent. More staff means more supervision, and there is a different level of skill required to supervise two staff members compared to 10. The Operators’ Union has filed several grievances regarding the workplace environment and management's behavior. Morale is low among operators, some of whom report high levels of work-related anxiety. This observation is included not to validate those complaints or assign blame, but to illustrate what sorts of things that may be alleviated with improved supervisory skills. Raftelis recommends that workers in supervisory roles, including Lead Operators, as a matter of policy, be provided with periodic leadership or supervisory training. The soft skills developed through these training courses can help to improve workforce morale. Just as importantly, this sort of training is a vital component of succession planning. Given the City’s size, it is likely that most training will need to be sourced externally. There may be some areas where internal training would be indicated, such as if the City wishes to have a consistent application of employee appraisal metrics. The elements of the training should include:  Effective Leadership – Training on effective supervisor leadership to include topics like situational leadership, work planning, communication, building and motivating strong teams, coaching, and conflict resolution.  Efficient Work Execution – Training Lead Operators and others on best practices and efficiency standards for the use of equipment, coordination of resources, and assignment of the number of workers who should respond to different types of jobs.  Focus on Safety – Setting clear expectations regarding a culture of safety and performance of work according to established and required safety practices.  Performance Expectations – Communicate how to consistently apply performance appraisal metrics tied to expectations for specific job categories. SAFETY Recommendation 12: Work to instill and sustain a culture of safety During the interview process, there were consistent concerns raised regarding safety issues, in a manner indicating a culture that prioritizes efficiency and productivity over safety. In part, Operators are concerned that job tasks are assigned with fewer staff than recommended by knowledgeable third parties. Furthermore, if staff are routinely placed in unsafe situations due to low staffing, it becomes difficult to hold them accountable for their unsafe actions, which can place the organization at unacceptable exposure to risks that could impact it in a number of ways, up to and including significant financial risk. This is why organizations speak of cultivating a “culture” of safety. It is a recognition that if one aspect of safety is ignored, other aspects of safety are more difficult to maintain.