1. Coaching & Mentoring Employees: The Skillful Leader
Mauricio Arellano
Assistant Superintendent
of Human Resources
Palm Springs Unified School District
January 9, 2016

2. Objectives Supervisor Integrity Traits Employee Evaluation Purpose
Employee Evaluation Philosophy & Calibration
The Skillful Leader
Employee Assistance
Documentation & File Building
Collective Bargaining Agreements
Honest & Direct Conversations
Pink’s Elements of an Effective Message
Union Representation

3. The Supervisor
Adherence to policies, regulations, laws, mission and district goals.
Evaluate employee performance.
Enhance employee capacity and/or correction of performance and/or behavior.
Promotion of satisfactory employees and/or dismissal of unsatisfactory employees.
Build Employee Capacity
“Inspect what you expect” Dr. E. Neal Roberts Retired Superintendent

4. Leadership Fair Honest Good intentioned Even Tempered Transparent
Clear Communicator
Direct & Honest Conversations
Coaching: Reinforce & Motivate
Honest and Ongoing Self Reflection
HUMBLE

5. Professional Self Reflection
Identify Your Strengths
Leadership Traits
Skill Strengths
System Strengths
Support each strength with true evidence (Don’t Embellish)
Identify Your Areas for Improvement
Lack of experience
Lack of knowledge
Outside your comfort zone
Weak trait/characteristic
Support each area for improvement with a plan of action
ACTIVITY: Graphic Organizer (Thinking Maps – Bubble Map)

6. Employer “moral” and “ethical” obligation
To inform employees of their performance in a clear and timely manner.
Fairly and accurately reflect the employees total performance for the year.
Factual evidence provided to support performance ratings.
NO SURPRISES!!!!

7. Common Performance Concerns
Absenteeism
Tardiness
Discourteous Treatment of Others
Dishonesty
Incompetency
Inefficiency
Insubordination
Misuse of District Property
Negligence of Duty

8. Classified Evaluations
Purpose
Praise and encourage good performance using evidence.
Provide the Personnel File with evidence of performance.
Identify areas of improvement supported by evidence.
Accurately convey deficiencies supported by evidence.
Effectively and skillfully recommend methods for improvement.
Assist the employee skillfully in making improvements.
Generate evidenced-based documentation for discipline/defense if performance does not improve

9. Classified Evaluations
What it should not be:
An annual process to be done without the respect and effort it deserves.
An event that happens every three or four years.
Completed without multiple sources of evidence.
Done as a substitute for counseling employees concerning performance issues or concerns, writings to employees such as conference summaries, letter of warning and/or letters of reprimand.
“More information (evidence) means more credibility”

10. Collective Bargaining Agreement
What does the Collective Bargaining Agreement state we must do?
Is there a mandatory employee orientation to the evaluation process?
Are there specific timelines associated with the evaluation process?
Are there official forms to be used?
Is there a rubric or formula to be adhered to?
Is there one formal evaluator or does the process allow more than one evaluator to the evaluation?
Is there a contractual expectation or procedure related to employee assistance?
Have we addressed all the possible challenges that could be properly surfaced by the union?
Union cannot grieve the content of an evaluation, however a manger’s integrity can be challenged.

11. CBA: SDUSD Example
“…shall be completed prior to the end of the sixth month, at least one month prior to the completion of the probationary period, and on an annual basis after the process set forth in section D.”
“At the time of hire…each classified unit member shall be given a copy of his/her official job description and detailed information about the District’s Performance Evaluation Report form.”
“Supervisors shall notify and counsel unit members in a timely manner of any unacceptable or deteriorating performance…”

12. CBA: SDUSD Example
“…the evaluation shall include supporting documentation and a written action plan that specifies improvement needed and/or assistance to be provided, with reasonable timelines…”
“At least one follow up evaluation shall be administered to assess the unit members performance within a reasonable period of time…”
“Shall” indicates it is mandatory and the District has the responsibility to ensure the CBA is being met as agreed to by both parties.

13. Evaluation Push Back I did not know I was performing poorly.
I did not know expectation.
No one told me how to correct my performance.
I did not receive any assistance or support.
I did not have ample time to improve.
I was not told if I improved or not.
My supervisor did not follow up with me or did not continue to monitor my progress.
“If it’s predictable, it’s preventable”
E. Neal Roberts Retired Superintendent

14. Skillful Evaluation Process
Formal Observation #1
Formal Observation #2
Final Evaluation
Skillful Evaluation Process
Multiple Aligned Informal Obs.
Multiple Aligned Informal Obs.
Conference Summaries

15. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Evaluation
CLASSIFIED EVALATION TIMELINE
August June
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Evaluation
ON-GOING OBSERVATIONS / SPOT CHECKS
Observation 1
September
Observation 2
November
Observation 3
January
Observation 4
March
Observation 5
May
Data from observations & documentation
gets placed into the evaluation
Performance concerns or performance kudos are documented during each observation.
Meet with employee to discuss the observation
Prepare a Conference Summary to document the meeting
Prepare an Assistance Plan if concerns are not corrected

16. Assistance Plan Clearly identify the concern.
Clearly state the expected improvement.
Provide support and resources.
Provide ample and reasonable time to implement improvement.
Allow for some trial and error.
Monitor closely and consistently.
Communicate if expectations have been met or not.
Assistance Plan Example

17. Union Representation Activity: True or Not True?
Management has the burden of securing union representation?
Employee has the right to secure a specific union representative?
Employee can delay meeting until a specific representative is available?
Employee can invoke their 5th amendment right and refuse to answer?
Union representative is not allowed to speak in a meeting?
Union representative will answer on behalf of the employee?
Employee can have a family member or personal attorney act as the representative?

18. Union Representation Weingarten Ruling
Any meeting that the employee reasonably believes may lead to discipline; Investigatory, Disciplinary or Highly Unusual
Not for “shop floor” meetings or “immediate correction of work technique”
Employee obligation to request union representation
24 hour delay per PERB is reasonable
Employee not entitled to specific union representative
Union representative allowed “active representation”
Management has nothing to hide, if employee wants union representation, let them have it

19. Skillful Leader …Classified
Confronting Mediocre Performance
“If the employee is performing poorly, I can better deal with that than I can deal with an employee who is just doing their job.”
(modified - Confronting Mediocre Teaching - pg.7)

20. Skillful Focus Introduce Skillful Concepts Identify Mediocre Employees
Complete Skillful Reflection
Complete Skillful Roadmap
Workshop Modules - Collaborative Skillful Analysis and Support (Professional Learning Community)
Activity: 3 C’s Supervisor Survey

21. “More information, means more credibility” (p. 72)
Skillful Terms
Leniency Effect & Halo Error
Tentative and/or Mixed Messages
Evaluator Impressions
Evidenced Based Narratives
“More information, means more credibility” (p. 72)

22. Skillful Leader Concepts
Mediocre Employee
Debilitating Beliefs
Unpromising Practices
Confront Institutional Mediocrity

23. Identify the Mediocre Employee
Excellent employees & Incompetent employees share one quality - They are easy to identify

24. Identify the Mediocre Employee
Common Characteristics
They have satisfactory attendance and are pleasant to others
But they are very unorganized and miss deadlines
They assist with school or department activities outside of their job duties (Sports, Parent Activities, Staff Events, etc.)
But they spend too much time socializing during work hours
They possess necessary job knowledge to complete tasks
But they are not accountable, and will blame others when they cannot meet a deadline

25. Identify the Mediocre Employee
Common Characteristics
They appear to care for students
But they show favoritism to certain students
They possess excellent technical skills
But they can be rude to others
They demonstrate initiative while completing tasks
But they do not practice the proper rules of safety

26. Identify the Mediocre Employee
Mediocre Performance (defined): Of moderate or low quality, value, ability or performance. The inability to provide reliable, high quality work on a consistent basis.
Activity: Read Skillful Profiles
Get in groups of 4 – 5
Read the Skillful Profiles
Discuss the characteristics of the Mediocre Employee

27. Identify the Mediocre Employee
Do not point fingers:
All of us must own the problem of Mediocre Employees
Supervisory Shortcomings
Individual Employee
Performance
Problems
Institutional Deficiencies

28. Skillful Leader …Classified
A skillful leader is good at pointing fingers. When things aren’t going well, he/she will point their finger at himself/herself first. When things are going well, he/she will first point their finger to others.

29. Debilitating Belief #1 - Diminished Expectations
Debilitating Beliefs
Debilitating Belief #1 - Diminished Expectations
“What can you expect? She’s been like that for 20 years.”
“He’s just a couple of years away from retirement, we’ll just ride it out.”
“They all like her, there’s no way the union and staff will back me if I make her change now.”

30. Debilitating Beliefs
Debilitating Belief #2 - Diminished Aspirations for Achievement and Opportunity
“Remember we’re just a support department and our jobs don’t pay much. We can’t attract high quality employees...”
“If I could just clone ‘Mrs. Jones’! She’s one of a kind, you can’t expect everyone to be at her level.”

31. Debilitating Beliefs
Debilitating Belief #3 - Inappropriate Problem Definition and Goal Setting
Deciding there is only one way to solve a problem - and that one
way is too difficult to do
“I wish I could fire them all, but I can’t”
Firing is an inappropriate and unrealistic first response to dealing with mediocre performance:
Instead think: “What are the different ways in which we can make it clear that every employee must perform.”

32. Debilitating Belief #4 - Negative Assumptions About Costs and Benefits
Debilitating Beliefs
Debilitating Belief #4 - Negative Assumptions About Costs and Benefits
Supervisor’s fear of fracturing relationships and endangering collegiality - leads to ‘backing off’ or ‘looking the other way’
Fear of staff being ‘devastated’ or ‘destroyed’ if presented with information indicating areas of need for improvement
Afraid of the potential loss of long-time social and professional friendships because recipients will be angry
Fear that staff members will respond with anger, thus disrupting the positive climate of the department or school

33. Debilitating Beliefs Help Promote Mediocrity
Think of a Debilitating Belief that has affected you. Share your experience.
Diminished Expectations
Diminished Aspirations for Achievement and Opportunity
Inappropriate Problem Definition and Goal Setting
Negative assumptions about Costs and Benefits

34. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 1: Transferring Problems
Tailoring Job Duties - hand picking duties based upon the employee’s weaknesses or another employee’s strengths
Transferring Staff - moving the ‘weak links’ to a different desk, area or department

35. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 1: Results? Short-term solutions carry Long-term consequences
Tailoring job duties places the burden on the remaining staff
Transferring staff temporarily minimizes damage, yet mediocre performance continues

36. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 2: Basing Evaluations on Limited Data
Evaluating based on 1 or 2 events or observations all year
Using general/interchangeable feedback terms from one evaluation to the other:
“Mrs. Smith creates a comfortable working environment.”
“Mr. Jones enhances the library experience.”
“Mrs. Gomez is a real veteran security officer.”

37. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 2: Results? - Promotes Mediocrity due to vague, tentative and ‘insecure’ writing
Avoid Evaluator Impressions - ‘Nutshell Summaries’ based on limited to nonexistent data or facts; hearsay or assumptions
Utilize Evidence-Based Narratives - Provide clear narratives of the observation supported by evidence; follow with examples or models of the kind of practices you’d like to see.
More information means more competence & credibility

38. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 3: Assigning Inappropriate Weight to Unrelated Duties
Socially Active: Friendly; Collaborative; Brings doughnuts; Distributes Birthday Cards; Coaching; etc.
Accessible: Always available to provide help with tasks that are unrelated to the position.

39. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 3: Results? - Places too much value on irrelevant routines
The “Halo Error” & “Leniency Effect”
Often, employee’s whose performance is mediocre but who sustain the extracurricular or social life of the department or site will receive good evaluations.

40. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 4: Allowing written evaluations that contain Mixed Messages and/or Inflated Performance Ratings
“The Officer’s warm rapport and quickness to respond makes for a safe environment. While students love the attention, it would seem that they are reluctant to assist when they are called upon as witnesses to skirmishes. You might want to try to a different approach. This will add to the delightful way in which you motivate youngsters.”

41. Unpromising Practices
Unpromising Practice 4: Results?
Mediocrity is protected by poor, tentative writing and mixed messages!
Inflated performance ratings communicate that everyone is “excellent”
Be direct and establish clear benchmarks for improvement

42. Confronting Mediocrity
Eliminate Debilitating Beliefs & Unpromising Practices with:
The Three C’s
Conviction
Institutional belief that EVERY employee must be held accountable for their performance
Adopt the norm of excellence
Taking steps to improve employee performance will make a difference

43. Confronting Mediocrity
Competence
Determination to develop supervisory competence (invest the time in professional learning communities)
Ask hard questions
Avoid fluff - Use Evidence Based Narratives

44. Confronting Mediocrity
Control
Create adequate structures, processes and resources to support evaluators who are charged with confronting mediocre performance
The Three C’s: Conviction, Competence & Control

45. Skillful Reflection & Road Map
Activity:
Skillful Reflection – How did you contribute to the “mediocrity”
The Skillful Road Map –How will you “coach” and “mentor” employee to enhance capacity

46. Pink’s Essential Elements of an Effective Message – The ABC’s
Attunement
Increase your power by reducing it
Use your head as much as your heart
Mimic Strategically
Buoyancy
Interrogative self talk
Positive ratios
Explanatory Style - Optimism
Clarity
Problem Identification
Question Asking
Detailed “Off Ramp”
Activity: ABC Worksheet

47. Conference Summaries
Memorialize all conferences with a written summary.
If you don’t memorialize it in writing, the meeting never happened.
It is not a disciplinary document.
Keep in “side” or “site” file.
It does not get placed in the Personnel File in isolation.
It can potentially be an exhibit to future disciplinary documents to prove “progression” (Progressive Discipline)

48. Informal Observations
Progress Adviser
Developed Teacher Classroom Walkthrough Tool
Developing a template for Campus Security Monitoring
Developing a template for Custodial Run Reviews
Collects authentic anecdotal information throughout the year
Disaggregates the data as demanded
Provides feedback to employee in written form, line graph, bar graph, pie chart etc…
Supervisor can include individual goals and general goals
Kevin Crye Vice President (530)

49. Progressive Discipline & Documentation
Initial Conversation (Conference Summary)
Verbal Warning (Conference Summary and Conference Summary form #1)
Written Warning with Attachments (Conference Summary from #1 and #2 and placed in Personnel File)
Written Reprimand with Attachments (Written Warning and Conference Summary from #1 and #2 and placed in Personnel File)
Suspension without Pay (Written Statement of Charges, # 1-4 Above, Skelly, Due Process & Personnel File)
Termination (All of the Above, Skelly, Due Process & Personnel File).

50. FRISK F Facts: who, what, where, when etc….
R Rule: Policy, law, contract, guideline, protocol etc…
I Impact: What or who was affected….
S Suggestions/Directives… “You are directed to…”
K Knowledge: Employee advised of document being placed in Personnel File

51. Review: Skillful Terms
Evidenced Based Narratives
Structured feedback based on clearly stated narratives supported by evidence; followed with examples/models for improvement
Leniency Effect & Halo Error
Something unrelated to the essential job function that encourages the evaluator to boost the overall appraisal

52. Review: Skillful Terms
Tentative and/or Mixed Messages
Poorly written feedback that lacks clear directives, examples and benchmarks for improvement; ‘warm fuzzies’
Evaluator Impressions
‘Nutshell Summaries’ based on limited or nonexistent data/facts
More information Means More Credibility
Collecting & using evidence drawn from a variety of resources or incidents increases an evaluator’s competence & credibility

53. Be A Skillful Leader Thank You!
It is an immutable law that words are words, explanations are explanations, and promises are promises. But only performance is reality.
Thank You!