Program Material

Mark A. Huselid, PhD

The Workforce Scorecard: Managing and Measuring Human Capital to Drive Strategy Execution

Most firms describe people as their “most important asset”, but why isn’t the workforce managed like a strategic asset in most businesses? If human capital is recognized as a source of competitive advantage, why is the HR function typically managed like a cost center? In an economy dominated by intangible assets such as R&D, brands, and customer capital, human resources are much more than the HR function. A firm’s human capital is the result of a strategically aligned and managed HR Architecture – which includes the HR function, the broader HR system as it is implemented by line managers, and the workforce. Since what gets measured gets managed, if the workforce is to be managed as a strategic asset, firms must be able to measure its strategic contribution. Based on his recent books The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy & Performance (with Brian Becker and Dave Ulrich), The Workforce Scorecard: The Workforce Scorecard: Managing Human Capital to Execute Strategy (with Brian Becker and Dick Beatty), and his forthcoming book The Differentiated Workforce (with Brian Becker and Dick Beatty) Huselid will describe how organizations can develop management and measurement systems to help execute strategy.

Concurrent Sessions 1 – 2, 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

1. Melanie M. Keller and Mary Affeldt

Competencies Can Be Your Compass:  The Foundation to Recruit, Retain, Renew and Retool

The term “competencies” has been a concept and buzz word in the industry for several years.  Now you can learn how to use them to improve your staff. Learn how to create your own competencies or use existing competencies for recruitment, employee development, promotion decisions, and performance management. You will be provided with practical tools to go back to your organization and begin to use competency tools with your staff, or develop a competency plan for your organization. You will learn how you can customize an array of competency tools for your specific organizational needs. Regardless of whether you have a seasoned staff, junior staff, or a mixture of both, you will learn how competencies can help you establish standards for knowledge, skills and abilities within your organization. You will leave empowered to have otherwise difficult conversations about areas of improvement for your staff.
Learning:  Create your own competencies or use existing competencies for recruitment, employee development, promotion decisions, and performance management.

2. Jack Agati

Abandon Ship

We all manage difficult people in our lives. However, what do we do after we’ve tried the usual conflict resolution methods and these people don’t respond but become worse in their behaviors? They’ve gone beyond being difficult. They’re acting beastly and adversely affecting all around them. Allowing them to continue would cause great harm. They need to be dealt with now. This session presents a two-fold program designed to provide us with a practical approach that works. It is based on Two Truths: people know what they are doing and people need to be held responsible for their choices. Learning how to avoid being manipulated by their excuses such as: “I’m Sorry … I promise, etc” will help us guard against becoming a society of non-responsibility.
Learning:  How to deal with persistent beastly people who make your life difficult.

Concurrent Sessions 3 – 6, 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

3. Helene Noble and Jessica Hawkins

Mayday! How to Stay Afloat While Giving and Receiving Performance Feedback

(Click here for Helene Noble Bio)	(Click here for Jessica Hawkins Bio)

Performance management is the systematic process whereby management involves its employees, as individuals and group members, in improving individual and organizational effectiveness. Giving or receiving job performance feedback can be a challenging process for both supervisors and employees. This session will teach you how to effectively and constructively provide feedback to others and how to receive feedback gracefully, so you can learn and grow from the experience.
Learning:  Interactive session providing managers and employees with strategies for effectively giving and receiving performance feedback.

4. John Kolm

Plot a Course to Your Brand

Subtitle:  Set a course for success in the new HR career world of today’s Government.Your personal success as an HR professional in today’s Public Service has everything to do with how you manage your Brand. The days of being handed a career are gone – but good Brand management can get you exactly where you want to go. Discover the five keys to personal branding in HR, look at some case studies of very successful HR leaders, and have your own questions answered during a one-one-one Q&A session.
Learning:  Understand the evolution from career to personal brand in the public sector, and how to lead and succeed as an HR professional in this new environment.

5. Tammy Signer-Holmes and Kiaran Johnson-Lew

AHOY Mates! Say YES to Rewards, Recognition and Retention

Dr. Bob Nelson, a leading management expert, states that "While it is true that higher salaries offered by other firms are a threat to your employee retention efforts, research shows that traditional pay programs are ineffective for motivating high-performing, committed employees. Compensation has become a right–an expected reward for simply coming to work. Agencies will lose their most valued employees if they fail to offer them the intangible intrinsic rewards that money cannot buy." Join staff from the New York State Department of Taxation & Finance's Rewards and Recognition program to see how easily and inexpensively, a robust program can be designed and maintained. Learn the "do's and don’ts" through an interactive and informative session that will leave you ready to reward and recognize you employees in a meaningful and substantive manner.
Learning:  This session will demonstrate how you can develop a robust and effective rewards and recognition program without consultants and lots of money. Rewards + Recognition =Retention.

6. Mary Thomas Newsom, M. Ed.

Mentoring Adds Wind to Employee’s Sails

HR is the corporate function best positioned to drive performance, but least likely to deliver. Why? Because to do so requires a different mind set and, in come cases, a different set of skills than called for by traditional HR functions. Specifically, the ability to play a strategic role based on business savvy and a detective’s mind for rooting out people issues that impact the business. This session will illustrate how HR in top organizations is raising its game from transactional to strategic by focusing on talent management. The external market is changing in ways that will affect the availability of top talent over the next several years. Now, more than ever, smart organizations are turning inward to assess readiness of existing staff to meet key business priorities. This session will make a case for HR’s role in shaping talent management strategy. Case study, real-life examples, interactive activities and question/answer will be used to engage participants in this session and offer them specific strategies to use in their organizations for talent management. Learn the steps to establish an Advocate program; a life preserver for employees and employers during stormy weather and a tool for maintaining calm seas.
Learning:  Enable HR members and practitioners to establish an Employee Advocate (ombudsman) program for their organization.

Concurrent Sessions 7 – 10, 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

7. Kenneth Weinstock, Esq.

Navigating the Treacherous Legal Tide

The courts and Congress continue to make it difficult for HR professionals to navigate a safe course through the ever-changing legal waters. As a result, HR professionals are faced with compliance challenges and the very real possibility of running aground or swimming in shark-infested waters. Through a fun, light-hearted and interactive session, attendees will learn how to steer clear of these dangerous legal shoals through a discussion of some of the more critical and interesting legal developments, court cases, novel employment law issues and new workplace rules and regulations.
Learning:  Changes in the legal landscape governing the workplace.

8. Sandy Furness, M.A., and Kathleen Immordino, Ph.D.

The Employee Advocate: A Life Preserver in Stormy Seas

The Employee Advocate, or ombudsperson, is an impartial resource who offers employees a “safe haven” to confidentially get answers to human resource questions, discuss career issues, address problems, and resolve conflicts before they become overwhelming. The Advocate serves a dual purpose. It provides employees with a confidential place to explore and resolve questions on all areas of HR, from routine questions to performance issues to career directions – which frees up your HR personnel to deal with long term issues. It is also an alternate dispute resolution option that can involve management, employees, and labor representatives. An Advocate program enables agencies to be proactive in resolving conflict, dealing with rumors, educating employees about human resources and civil service systems, and supporting and motivating employees.
Learning:  Steps to establish an Advocate program: a life preserver for employees and employers during stormy weather and a tool for maintaining calm seas.

9. Benefits Panel: Lynda von Bargen, Tricia Strittmatter, Don Platt Facilitator: Daryl Chapman

Hidden Treasure: Tax Advantage Benefit Plans

It is well known that health plan premiums and health flexible spending account reduce employee and employer tax liabilities. But, what about Health Care Spending Accounts?  HDHPs provide tax-free dollars to be used by employees to pay for certain qualifying medical expenses. Do they work? Are they effective? Participate in a round-table discussion on the pros and cons of Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs)? What advantages and disadvantages have other organizations discovered when implementing these tax-advantaged accounts?
Learning:  How to implement and communicate these benefit plans.

10. Scott Letourneau

Guiding to Advancements in Technology for Public Sector Recruitment, Selection, and Testing”

Searching for options that will allow your agency to become more effective and allocate your staff time to more value added projects like training, succession planning, and better retention? We will focus on the entire recruitment lifecycles and review available options to automate your hiring and employment process including position requisition approval, automatic minimum qualification screening, test statistics and analysis, and EEO reporting.
Learning:  How an agency can save time and money by adopting the latest in government HR process improvements.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Plenary Address: 9:00 – 10:30 (following IPMA-HR Update)

Mary Thomas Newsom, M. Ed.

A Boatload of Ideas for Communicating Across Cultures

The workplace is changing in America and there is a need for companies to manage diversity. By helping employees understand their own and others’ cultures, men and women from diverse backgrounds can work together more effectively. Effective communication is the linchpin for making this happen. Participants will understand that issues related to gender, age, socioeconomic status and regional differences do impact communication.They will learn phrases to avoid and those to improve communication. As participants participate in fun activities, engage in discussions and hear a lecturette on the communicative tendencies of four groups of Americans, they gain practical user-friendly tips and guidelines to improve communication across cultures.
Learning:  Understand the communicative tendencies of four groups of Americans and learn tips for reducing violations of cultural rules while communicating.

Concurrent Sessions 11 – 14, 10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

11. Cindy C. Maher and Carol Grannis

Navigating through Dissonance: Coaching Leaders to be More Emotionally Intelligent

Do some of the governmental leaders you support lack some critical self-awareness? Do you find yourself continuously "cleaning up the mess" left behind from leaders who criticize their direct reports, create stress within the workplace, and put others down? These leaders are probably lacking some key emotional intelligence skills. Finally, new research is proving that emotional intelligence has a "bottom-line" impact on whether or not organizations are successful. Veteran actors / organizational consultants Cindy Maher and Carol Grannis of Leading Edge Coaching and Development will entertain and teach you through live improvisational theatre and on-point lecture how to recognize dissonant leaders, determine the impact of their behaviors, and coach them successfully.
Learning:  How to coach "destructive" leaders in order to develop a more positive workplace climate.

12. David B. Ritter, Esq.

Wellness at Work: Implementing Effective and Legal Incentives for Healthy Behavior

A healthy workforce is a critical business asset. Controlling health costs is a critical business imperative. New federal Wellness Rules, effective for benefit plan years beginning July 1, 2007, allow employers to implement mandatory wellness programs as part of their health benefit plans, with financial incentives to motivate employees to engage in healthy activities. But statutes prohibiting workplace discrimination—such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and similar federal and state laws—pose obstacles to adoption of mandatory wellness programs because they may discriminate against employees based on their health status. This program will help your business understand how to implement effective wellness programs for a healthier workforce and lower health costs, without violating employees’ rights against workplace discrimination.
Learning:  How to effectively implement a wellness program for employees that passes legal hurdles.

13. David Uejio, MPP

Navigate the Perfect Storm: Recruit the Captains of Tomorrow Today

Vying for talent in the hyper-competitive Washington DC market, in response to the “Perfect Storm” of looming retirements and increased competition, NIH has radically altered its approach to recruiting. Learn to recruit the next generation of leaders from a young government leader. Through this session, you’ll learn how to develop an employer branding strategy and incorporate that brand into recruitment communications. Attendees will be taken step by step through the process of research, candidate targeting, message development, recruiter training and implementation NIH has employed to position itself in a fiercely competitive regional marketplace. This presentation will be worthwhile to people of all levels – anyone can be a catalyst for change, and strategic recruitment is an imperative, not a trend.
Learning:  Strategies, methods and messages for recruiting tomorrow's leaders today.

14. Brandon Phipps

Charting the Course for Technology Project Management and Implementation

Interested in implementing a Human Resource technology project but not sure where to start? It is not as hard as you think! During this session we will examine how to develop proposals, build support, generate funding justification and implement technology projects to improve your Human Resource services to Applicants, Managers and the Community at large. We will also review common bottlenecks and issues that prevent projects from getting off the ground or can stop projects in their tracks. All attendees will be provided with sample proposals, funding justification and project management materials used by other Public Sector HR offices in implementing their successful projects.
Learning:  How to implement, plan, fund and execute technology projects to dramatically improve HR services to applicants, managers and the community.

Concurrent Sessions 15 – 18, 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

15. Edward G. Wertheim, PhD

Skillful Negotiation

We all find ourselves negotiating many times a day-with bosses, parents, children, friends, customers, clients, neighbors, etc. Anytime we are in a situation where our goals and someone else’s goals and objectives may differ is a negotiation situation. Yet many of us feel very anxious when we are negotiating or try to avoid it by giving in and then being dissatisfied with the outcome. Most of us have some skills in negotiation but feel we are not very good at it; we know that a wide variety of skills and techniques are needed and we need to develop skills in determining which approach is likely to work in a given situation. For most of us our skills are “seat of the pants” and intuitive. Being skilled in negotiation has become one of the most critical skills we need to be satisfied in our lives—both professionally and personally. For many of us our intuitive approaches are becoming inadequate. We are finding that we need more formal structures and models to draw from, and more practice with feedback from which to develop our skills.
Learning:  Basic elements of negotiation through the use of interaction, case study and simulation.

16. Cheryl Cepelak and Daniel P. Callahan

How to Plan for the Outgoing Tide

(Click here for Cheryl Cepelak Bio)	(Click here for Daniel P. Callahan's Bio)

Succession Management has been around for some time now . . . . We talk about it . . . . We know we should be doing something about it . . . . But what, how, who??  Join the State of Connecticut Department of Correction’s Directors of Human Resources and Organizational Development as they tell their story of succession planning and management.  Hear how their journey started with an innovative LeAd program and how it continues with practical tools and how to’s.  Be part of the conversation as they share lessons learned.
Learning:  Useable information and the ability to start immediately with succession management in your organization.

17. David B. Ritter, Esq.

My Employees are Blogging: What Do I Do Next?

The recent years have witnessed a tremendous increase in blogging among employees. Although over 60 million blogs exist on-line, only a small percentage of companies presently employ any formal procedures addressing blogs and, even more astoundingly, only a minority of senior executives even know what the term “blog” means! Blogging, however, poses serious, real-world concerns for employers that must be recognized and addressed. Using a hypothetical blog written by an employee, we will discuss just how a blogger’s ability to reach a virtually limitless, worldwide audience with various comments about the workplace can seriously harm a company. Against this background, we will consider practical tips and strategies to prevent, minimize, and remedy the negative impacts of blogging in the workplace, with a focus on formulating a workable, effective approach to blogging and, correspondingly, smart ways to implement and enforce sound blogging policies and procedures.
Learning:  Understand legal issues and concerns that must be recognized and addressed and how to formulate a workable, effective approach to blogging.

18. Art Jackson

Can You Hear Me Now? Cross Gender Communications in the Workplace”

“I heard what you said . . . but I’m not sure what you meant.” One of the biggest workplace problems is the misunderstandings generated by miscommunication. And that problem is no more apparent than between the genders. Men and women in the workplace are constantly sending conversation through the ‘communications pipeline’ and finding that what they sent wasn’t nearly what was perceived on the other end. It's not a matter of expecting men and women to communicate exactly the same way, but one of understanding the difference in gender-specific communication styles. Miscommunications between genders in the workplace can cause stress, strain relationships, generate mistrust, affect job performance, and in some cases, result in lawsuits.
Learning:  How to bridge the business gender gap by discovering the real science behind gender differences. Both male and female attendees will leave with the tools to go back to their workplace prepared to communicate at a higher level of effectiveness.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Keynote Address: 9:30 – 10:45
(Followed by Closing Ceremonies)

Frank P. DiGiammarino

Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Business Development
National Academy of Public Administration 

Career Happiness – A framework

Frank DiGiammarino will detail a dynamic way of assessing what motivates you to get out of bed every morning, and how to continually set yourself up to succeed in your chosen profession. Frank has synthesized several organizational behavioral, personal development, and career planning theories to support a methodology he has built over the span of his professional career.

Some of the questions he will address:

• What is your "Capstone" – who you are and what you should do?
• Where are you on your personal Value Chain and how does that affect your professional development?
• How do you use the Doom Loop to your advantage and consistently improve your performance?

Don't miss this opportunity to rethink the way you look at your interests and career objectives, and how they relate to what you are passionate about.

(Click here for Frank P. DiGiammarino Bio)