As we’ve been working closely with our clients to design and roll out their new programs, and train employees in their use, we thought we’d share a few things we’ve learned along the way.

Get input from employees early and often. The more input the better. We’ve used web surveys, focus groups, large-group meetings, small-group meetings, one-on-one interviews and all of the above to gather input from employees about what’s important to them in a performance evaluation system. Employee acceptance and buy-in of your ultimate program is much more likely if they have a voice and feel that performance evaluation is something that they’ve had a hand in constructing.

Build a system that is a SYSTEM. Employees shouldn’t ever feel that performance evaluation is something that is happening to them. It’s their performance you’re evaluating, after all. They should be kept up to date year-round about not only your expectations and requirements but also how they are doing. No employee should be surprised by their overall rating at the end of the evaluation period – they should have been having informal coaching discussions and more formal progress checks throughout the year, especially if there is performance that needs improving. Employees not only have to be given specific feedback about performance that may be lacking but also an action plan as to how they can go about improving the situation.

Train, train, train. And educate! We strongly believe in training ALL employees, not just supervisors in any new performance evaluation system. After all, employees will be the ones being evaluated, so why shouldn’t they have a full understanding of how the system works, how they will be rated, what they will be rated on, what resources are available to them, how they can get additional information, etc.

Make a difference. Two meanings here – pay for performance can make a difference in organizations. Done well, it can motivate employees to higher levels of performance, increasing the overall productivity and morale of your organization. However, when linking pay to performance, an organization must ensure that there is enough of a difference between the levels of pay associated with the various ratings. Nothing is more disheartening to a top performer, who, having worked her buns off all year finds out her increase for the top level of performance (let’s say it’s called Outstanding) is only 0.5% higher than the increase awarded to those in the Successful level. That sends a big “Why bother?” message to those at the highest levels of performance in your organization for that performance year. One recommendation we often make is to make sure it’s at least a 2.5% – 3% differential between ratings. Secondly, we also suggest that organizations think about making that highest ratings-level reward a lump sum. So, for instance, X% base pay salary increase for Successful employees; X% base pay + a lump sum award for Outstanding employees. This way not only are you not carrying larger base pay increases for eternity, you are also reinforcing the idea that employees are not entered into the “Lifetime Outstanding” club – they have to re-earn that rating each and every year!

We are inspired to see so many organizations linking pay to performance and hope these lessons learned might be helpful to you if you are moving your organization in the same direction!

1. General employment information. Orientation day can be an overwhelming experience for a new employee. An employee handbook provides a tangible takeaway by creating an employee-held record of policies such as company organization, job classifications, compensation, benefits, performance evaluation, probationary periods, and termination procedures. A handbook written in clear language serves as a great reference to your new and current employees alike.
2. Remind employees of your expectations. Every college professor knows to write a syllabus to inform students of their expectations and obligations for coursework. Take a page from your past teachers and let your employees know what is expected of them. Identify work hours, leave policies, timekeeping (for non-exempt employees) and other expectations clearly and concisely.
3. Discuss your non-discrimination policy. According to federal law, your organization must provide a welcoming environment for individuals of any race, color, religion, sex or national origin in addition to protections for other groups. Make your organization’s policies on discrimination clear in the employee handbook.
4. Clarify safety procedures. An injury on the job is bad for both employer and employee. Make sure to cover safety procedures, including compliance with all Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations – including the requirement that all workplace incidents and potential safety hazards be reported to management.In addition, don’t neglect other aspects of employee safety, including procedures for hazardous weather conditions. Be sure to include procedures that safeguard against workplace property theft and your policies on workplace violence.
5. Inform employees of your social media policies. Loose lips can sink ships – and in today’s highly networked world you need a set of policies on employees’ use of social media and social networking sites. Many organizations have faced embarrassment and damage to their image and reputation as a result of errant Facebook posts or blog entries. Freedom of speech is protected, of course, but you can implement a clear policy regarding dissemination of confidential or sensitive workplace information. You should also include a policy regarding to whom employees should direct media inquiries.
6. Do not forget to include policies on harassment and sexual harassment. It is very important that your organization be a safe place free of harassment and conducive to working. Your policy should state that your organization does not condone or excuse harassment of any kind and that you are committed to providing an environment that is free from any form of harassment.
7. Finally, write your handbook in plain language. No one wants to sift through page after page of stiff, legalistic language. Make the tone clear and approachable – so employees might actually want to read it! The consequences of a convoluted handbook may not be limited to simple employee confusion of your policies and procedures. It can also serve to create legally binding obligations that you didn’t intend. Including a simple statement at the very beginning of the handbook that the employment relationship is at-will can clarify this at the outset.

When we began our work with Durham County Library (NC) on their strategic planning project the Library was going through a major transformation with unprecedented growth, changing demographics, and the creation of new Regional libraries. This transformation and the resulting strategic plan were built around the following keystone philosophy:

Saying “Yes” to the Community: Durham Builds a Customer-Centered Library
Honoring the Past – Acknowledging the Present – Building the Future

When developing a strategic plan with any client our process is intensely collaborative and inclusive, with a high value placed on staff and community input. The Durham project was no different. We worked very closely with a staff committee responsible for planning, facilitating and coordinating all project activities as well as a larger group comprised of members of the first committee plus key community stakeholders. This group included representatives of local government agencies, the school system, local businesses, etc. Drawing from their own professional and personal experiences, this committee shared information about community needs and served as a sounding board for planning process activities and findings. Both groups were involved throughout the entire strategic planning process.

To maximize staff input, we facilitated a half-day input session for all library staff that included education on strategic planning as well as a visioning exercise to encourage staff to identify how they see the Library in the future. The output was innovative and creative and led to incredible staff support that proved invaluable during implementation. A staff and community wiki was also created to allow additional sharing of ideas and information. The wiki remained active well after the planning process was complete and served as an information resource about plan implementation.

In order to find out more about what other libraries were doing and to see some best practices firsthand, the library organized three tours for library staff and stakeholders. These groups visited branches in North Carolina and Virginia, with each host library preparing a presentation and a structured tour of their best practices. Question and discussion sessions were also built in, allowing for more in-depth conversation about processes, implementation and challenges. Staff and stakeholders were debriefed after each tour, discussing what they had seen, what could be transferred back to their library and what would be needed to make it all possible. Comments, pictures and learnings from the trips were posted on the wiki so that those who had not attended were able to share in the experience. Library Directors and staff from the toured libraries were also invited to Durham to participate in panels on Staff Day. This further ensured that all Durham staff, whether present at the tours or not, got to hear firsthand about best practices and had the opportunity to ask questions.

Community involvement continued to be a critical component in the development of the strategic plan as we facilitated a two-day future search conference with over 90 attendees. Participants included community leaders, university students and teens, among others. The conference was designed to build community and common ground and to inform the strategic priorities for the Durham County Library for the next four years. This group also worked on the vision and mission of the library and on reinforcing the vision of a customer-centered library that honored the past, acknowledged the present and built the future.

The resulting plan document ultimately included four primary goals and three supporting goals, each with clear objectives and metrics to measure their success. A “goal champion” was appointed for each goal to ensure the objectives of each would be carried out. These steps helped the Library stay on track, meet all of its goals, and succeed in its four-year strategic plan.

Throughout the process, Skip Auld, then Library Director, emphasized that library leadership take a “two-pronged approach to valuing both staff and the public.” He strongly believed that the success of the plan lay in establishing and developing partnerships within the community that would work to support the library going forward as well as with ensuring that staff had the resources they needed to implement the plan. With systemic, focused outreach to the community and attention to staff, Durham County Library was able to drive their strategic planning process and resulting plan to success.

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How to Transfer Knowledge Successfully

The full webinar on this topic is available here.

What do your organization and Drew Barrymore from 50 First Dates have in common? Both can suffer from acute memory loss brought on by lack of knowledge transfer. Institutional knowledge loss is a problem for organizations who get stuck in certain ways of doing things – and then forgetting why they do them that way! While Barrymore had a reliable Adam Sandler to remind her of all the important details every day, your organization may not have the same luxury when someone with key knowledge retires.

Are you confident that you can capture all the important pieces of information that your colleagues possess before they, or you, walk out the door? Even if you or your employees aren’t nearing retirement, it’s still crucial to institute knowledge retainment and transfer procedures to ensure that important information stays intact in your organization.

You may expect to pass on extrinsic knowledge to future employees: the skills required to perform a job, especially complex or unique tasks. But what type of extrinsic knowledge? A successor doesn’t need to hear all the details. In fact, it could be counterproductive as it could overwhelm him or her – or make them feel as if the position does not allow for any personal initiative.

Focus instead on three types of extrinsic knowledge: what is critical for the work, what is relevant for the future, and what is unique (few others know). You can pass on these forms of knowledge through documents that you’ve preserved, by writing manuals, or by enhancing organizational and calendar tools you already use. However, do keep in mind the law of “diminishing returns”: the more work you need to put into developing a manual or training tool, the less likely it will happen!

Intrinsic knowledge is somewhat more important than extrinsic to pass along, but unfortunately can be harder to teach. After all, how can you explain all the experiences, impressions, and creative solutions that you’ve devised over the years? Luckily, there are effective ways to bring that knowledge to successors.

Storytelling is a powerful medium for conveying that intrinsic knowledge. During knowledge transition, one can intersperse more formal training with stories about one’s experiences, conveying a sense of the institution’s ethics, values, and important relationships – while also preparing a successor for job aspects that are unwritten.

Whether you convey this knowledge through stories, collaboration, or employee shadowing, remember that knowledge transfer starts with early preparation – establishing best practices for your institution. Leave plenty of time to transition new employees before your or others’ departure. Provide mentoring programs and performance reviews of your employees to train your staff. A wiki can also be a great method to record and share formal knowledge with current and future employees.

With effective tools in place, a retirement can be an easy transition for the person retiring, for those remaining, and ultimately, for new staff.

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