To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Frances Robustelli, Assistant City Manager
Prepared By: Heather M. Maloney, Administrative Services Manager
TITLE:
Title
Workplace Culture and Employee Engagement Training Program Update
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Receive a progress report on the City’s Workplace Culture and Employee Engagement Training Program.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The Energized, Empowered, and Engaged Workforce Program (“E3 Program”) creates and facilitates a robust organization-wide engagement program to align vision and priorities, help to inform future priorities, create clarity, increase efficiency, and produce consistent results.
The initial E3 Program implementation phase began in May 2019 and will run through February 2020. This report summarizes E3 Program implementation activities since May 2019.
Program Background
In support of City Council’s Priority to provide an “Efficient and Stable Organization” (developed at their January 11, 2019 Strategic Planning Workshop), the City Manager recently introduced a new citywide employee engagement strategy to create an Energized, Empowered, and Engaged workforce (“E3 Program”). Overall, the E3 Program will engage every employee in the development of an enhanced organizational culture through training, new organizational protocols and programs aiming to support the goal to enhance employment and recruitment incentives, and improved employee retention and recruitment.
Having engaged and empowered employees is directly linked to our ability to attract and retain excellent talent. According to a 2019 Gallup Report, “your employee experience is your employment brand” and “what employees experience within an organization can directly impact the ability to hire and retain great talent.” Furthermore, the report underscored the importance of aligning employee experience to an agency’s purpose, brand and culture.i
In addition to attracting and retaining talent, increased employee engagement can also support the following:
• Customer satisfaction increases
• Performance and productivity
• Problem-solving, innovation, and adaptability improve
• Residents, businesspeople, and others interact with energized and committed employees.ii
Employee engagement and empowerment will promote a more engaged workforce by supporting decision-making (aligned with clear vision, priorities and goals) to occur from across all levels of the organization. An empowered workforce that understands its role in achieving and is engaged in the process of developing citywide vision, priorities and goals is generally more engaged and is open to working in teams and fostering good relationships among and with its peers.
E3 Program Structure
On June 18, 2019, the City Council authorized a professional services agreement with Henson Consulting Group, LLC to assist the City with E3 Program implementation. HCG’s team has a proven history of successful culture and engagement program implementation in businesses, government agencies and non-profits and has worked with the City to develop a program catered to support the City’s vision of an Energized, Empowered, and Engaged Workforce.
Employees at every level of the organization will be engaged throughout the Program. To begin, between July and December 2019, every full-time City employee will attend a three-day training beginning with understanding self, then learning how best to work in teams and then powerfully engaging with the business of the organization. These training days will set the E3 Program foundation by establishing a shared organizational vision, mission statement, core values, prioritized strategies and goals, aligned department goals and clear set of operating protocols. Each 3-day training session will offer the following:
• Day 1 - Passion & Purpose - This day is focused on understanding one’s self and reflecting on personal strengths and motivations.
• Day 2 - Teamwork & Relationships - This day is focused on communication preferences, team dynamics and developing organizational norms and values regarding team interactions and an empowered work environment.
• Day 3 - The Business of the Organization - Following the presentation of the City Manager’s three key strategic organizational initiatives (1. Culture; 2. Sustainability and Infrastructure; and 3. Technology), employees are engaged in the development of 90-day plans and protocols in support of the key initiatives.
In addition to the initial training, administration and engagement teams will be established to continue the momentum into future years, providing a framework for employees to be more engaged in the business of the city organization. Examples of program engagement and implementation teams and opportunities already (or soon-to-be) established include, but are not limited to the following:
E3 Champion Team:
Representatives from each department make up the E3 Champion Team who are responsible to help further develop and implement the E3 Program and communicate the City’s progress towards the E3 Program’s Goals. Each of the E3 Champion Team members is also co-leading one of six E3 Focus Teams (comprised of 3-7 additional employees per team): 1. Program communications; 2. Program branding; 3. New E3 Protocol Training and Implementation; 4. E3 90-day Action Planning; 5. E3 Program Renewal Process; and 6. Integrating the E3 Program into the employee onboarding program.
Mission and Values Teams:
Following the first three E3 Training Cohorts, teams formed to develop draft organizational mission and values statements. These will be discussed at the upcoming E3 Cohort Trainings with employees and then presented for City Council consideration as part of their 2020 Strategic Planning Workshop.
E3 Renewal Events and Activities:
City employees from all departments will be engaged in multiple renewal activities annually. Following feedback from each E3 Renewal process, additional small engagement teams will be developed to help address specific challenges and/or new/revised processes, procedures, or programs.
Strategic Planning through E3 Program Engagement
Overall, this first year of the E3 Program will comprise of a large amount of planning, change, and continued training - all processes that employees from throughout the organization will be involved in; helping to shape the future of the City’s culture and organizational priorities. Planning activities occurring over the next year include; 90-day Action Plans, Infrastructure Assessments, and Strategic Program Planning:
90-day Action Plans
As part of the first round of E3 3-Day Training Cohorts, Departments developed 90-day Action Plans. The first 90-Day Action Plans outline each department’s goals (from September 1 - November 30, 2019) in support of the City Manager’s three key strategic organizational initiatives: 1. Culture; 2. Sustainability and Infrastructure; and 3. Technology.
Infrastructure Assessments & Special Studies
In addition to implementing and supporting the E3 Program engagement structure, this first round of 90-day action plans identified the need for more planning, studies and assessments to better inform the prioritization of future technology, sustainability and infrastructure work and projects (ex. Stormdrain Condition Assessment, Facilities Condition Assessment, Information Technology Strategic Plan, Pension System Planning, Development Services Program Review, etc.)
Long-term Strategic Planning
The knowledge gained through better engaging staff and conducting infrastructure assessments and special studies will provide valuable feedback and data. The results of this work will provide recommendations to help inform long-term budget prioritization and strategic planning efforts.
Next Steps
As of September 18, 2019, approximately 40% of all full-time employees will have completed their initial 3-day training. All full-time employee training cohorts will be completed by the end of December 2019.
The first E3 90-day Action Plan implementation began September 1, 2019. The next round of 90-day Plans will be effective January - March 2020.
The next E3 Program Update is planned for the City Council’s Strategic Planning Workshop. The update will include a summary of employee engagement, E3 90-day Action Planning, and consideration of Mission and Values statements.
Summary
The E3 Program creates and facilitates a robust organization-wide engagement program to support an improved employee experience, improved performance and productivity, and increased organizational ability to strategically plan, problem-solve, innovate and adapt. Furthermore, the E3 Program supports the retention and recruitment of high-quality talent.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
No funding appropriations are necessary for this report.
CEQA:
The City Manager has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(2).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None
NOTIFICATION:
None
i <https://www.gallup.com/workplace/242252/employee-experience.aspx?g_source=link_wwwv9&g_campaign=item_245786&g_medium=copy>
ii <https://icma.org/articles/article/career-compass-no-37-engaging-employees-success>