Leadership lessons from the US Coast Guard

I want to share an article I came across this morning on the FederalDaily.com website. It’s an interview with Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., the 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. In this article, Tom Fox of the Washington Post discusses effective leadership with Admiral Papp. Papp shared some very smart and salient th0ughts for those in the Senior Executive Service, certainly, but also those of us trying to live our lives to the very fullest. Take five minutes and read what Admiral Papp has to say on leadership, innovation, focus, and overcoming challenges. It may give you some good food for thought this weekend.

CareerPro Global has your goals in mind. Your success is our business.

http://federaldaily.com/blogs/federal-coach/2012/01/leadership-lessons-from-the-us-coast-guard.aspx?s=FD_200112

New Senior Executive Service (SES) Performance Measurements

In 2010, the President’s Management Council started a working group to explore ways to improve SES performance evaluation, and ultimately recommended a new standardized system. In 2011, top Office of Personnel Management (OPM) leadership stated that the challenging financial environment and other issues were placing a strain on the SES workforce.

Consequently, OPM has released a new performance management system for the SES. The new measurements are designed to improve the evaluation process through a standardized framework to not only communicate performance expectations, but also evaluate performance.

That framework integrates the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) used to assess potential SES employees during the application process. The five core competencies are: Leading Change, Leading People, Results Driven, Business Acumen, and Building Coalitions.

Although SES employees have always been expected to provide executive leadership and oversight, the new emphasis on the ECQs in performance measurement places a sharper emphasis on individual results. In the new framework, senior executives will be assessed in their official performance evaluations in each of the five ECQ areas (on a scale of one to five).

Any executive who receives a final rating of “unsatisfactory” will be removed or reassigned. The same thing applies to any executives who receive two ratings at less than Level 3 within three years, or two Level 1 ratings within five years.

In Fiscal Year 2010, more than one-third of all SES members received the highest possible rating on their performance evaluations. It will be interesting to see how these new performance measures will affect those metrics. In the meantime, the importance of the ECQs in general will become even more prominent.

Think about it: Those applying for an SES position already have to provide well-written examples of their career accomplishments in each of the 5 ECQs while incorporating 28 competencies throughout. It was seen as almost a rite of passage, which it was.

But now, the ECQs won’t just be the way you describe your experience when applying for the SES; they will be the very cornerstone on which your ongoing performance (and job security?) is assessed and recorded in your official records.

The SES requires a dynamic balance of leadership, strategic thinking, and specialized experience. To enter the SES, your ECQs must demonstrate that you have the right balance, and they must show results. I predict that integrating the ECQs into the new SES performance measurement system will put a sharper focus on results across the SES in years to come, and that can only be a good thing.

Perhaps the collective standard of the SES has been raised a bit—or perhaps a lot. Only time will tell.

You can find job-winning, OPM-approved samples of SES application packages in our book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service. Get your copy today by clicking on this link or searching the title on Amazon.

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on TV and radio and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. CPG recently sent a team to instruct senior officials at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, in best practices for developing their SES application materials. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

ALJ Hiring Update

The 1954 musical Brigadoon featured a mystical town in the Scottish Highlands that appeared to mere mortals only once every hundred years for one day, thereafter to disappear into the mists of time for another century. Similarly the ALJ register opens only for brief periods, then to close again, sometimes for years.

Attorneys who aspire to join the ranks of Administrative Law Judges will have to be prepared at the moment that the “town” appears. With no exam since 2009, many ALJ aspirants are awaiting the opening of this much anticipated event. The ALJ hiring process begins with the establishment of a register of qualified candidates which is maintained by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Names of qualified candidates are added only when the examination is announced, an event that has occurred about every 13 months in the last few years. The opening of the exam is long overdue by this standard, and it leaves those anticipating its arrival guessing about the next steps. Unlike Brigadoon, the exam’s appearance does not occur at regularly scheduled intervals. Another large unknown in the process is the uncertainty of Congress’ budget dealings. No examination or hiring can occur until the budget for 2012 is set.

Hiring reform aimed at eliminating arduous narrative-heavy applications was implemented for competitive service positions throughout the federal government in late 2010, but thus far, the ALJ examination process has been untouched from its last few iterations. OPM has formed groups to study the ALJ hiring process to see how it might be streamlined or improved, and there is some speculation that the exam will not open until this new process is established and implemented. Competing rumors say that the existing examination process will used once more in the spring of 2012 under a repeat of the recent, more-familiar process.

Whatever your guess, the Social Security Administration just announced that it will hire retired ALJs to serve on temporary contracts to help alleviate the agency’s backlog while it awaits funding to fill positions on a permanent basis. This may be a clue that we will all wait a little while longer to join the desirable land of ALJs.

What can you do to be ready? Regardless of how a revised process might affect the specific format of the ALJ exam, we bet it will still require a fair amount of writing. Preparing an application based on the last examination announcement will save you invaluable time and help you have your required details all in one place. An effective application features your unique career achievements—with measurable results—that demonstrate why you are a standout among candidates. You will need a federal style resume, as well as narrative content that speaks to your accomplishments in specific competency areas. These are detailed in the 2009 ALJ examination announcement.

What else can you do? Join online discussions about ALJ issues to stay informed about the latest musings and happenings about ALJ hiring and other relevant issues. Set up an automatic job posting search on www.USAJOBS.gov to receive alerts about ALJ related job postings. And stay tuned right here for future updates.

Elizabeth Juge is CareerPro Global’s primary expert on federal attorney applications, including Administrative Law Judge qualifications and application processes. Drawing on her experience consulting with federal jobseekers and potential ALJ candidates, Elizabeth co-authored Roadmap to Becoming an Administrative Law Judge: How to Find ALJ Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your Application. She has helped numerous job seekers earn “best qualified” status in their applications and positions on the ALJ register.

Administration unveils new senior executive performance measurements

(Reposted from GovExec.com)

The Office of Personnel Management on Friday unveiled a new performance management system for the Senior Executive Service.

Originally slated for completion in September 2011, the new measurements aim to streamline the way top managers in the federal government are evaluated.

“Under the new system, agencies will be able to rely upon a more consistent and uniform framework to communicate expectations and evaluate the performance of SES members,” OPM Director John Berry wrote in a statement Friday.

“This system focuses, in particular, on the role and responsibility of SES employees to achieve results through effective executive leadership,” Berry said. “The new system will also provide the necessary flexibility and capability for appropriate customization to better meet the needs of all agencies and other federal organizations (e.g., offices of inspectors general).”

The President’s Management Council started a working group in 2010 to examine ways to improve SES performance evaluation. The recommendation to create a standard system came out of that group.

In a February 2011 memo to SES members, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Jeffrey Zients and Berry wrote that tight budgets, along with a growing workload, impending retirements and limited opportunities for development were straining the executive-level workforce.

Under the new management system, the core qualifications that determine a candidate’s entry into the SES are applied to performance evaluations — a move that makes sense, said Carol Bonosaro, president of the Senior Executives Association. The five core competencies are: leading people, leading change, results driven, business acumen and building coalition.

Executives who receive a final rating of “unsatisfactory” will be removed or reassigned; those who receive two ratings at less than Level 3 (of five levels) within three years will also be removed or reassigned, as will those who receive two level 1 ratings within five years. Overall, the SEA is “pleased” with the new system, which Bonosaro said “does tighten the level of performance.”

Some senior executives have expressed concern over whether they will be rated fairly under the new measurement, fearing an administration could give out lower performance ratings for its own political benefit.

Under the current system, “plenty of executives have seen their ratings lowered without explanation,” Bonosaro said.

In fiscal 2010, more than one third of all SES members received the highest possible rating.

“Having clarity about performance standards, that’s all fine, but I think [senior managers] are just going to see if this is going to produce a different experience, or a better experience” with performance evaluations, she added.

Happy New Year

Dear Readers,

The entire staff of CareerPro Global wishes you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012. Let’s make it the best year ever.

New SES Development Program Seeks to Improve Diversity

CareerPro Global president and CEO Barbara Adams is featured monthly in the Career Tip of the week Column in FedManager.com, a free interactive weekly e-report for Federal Executives, Managers, and Supervisors. Below is her latest column. Subscribe to FedManager.com to be sure not to miss another column.

New SES Development Program Seeks to Improve Diversity 

by Barbara Adams

The Asian American Government Executives Network (AAGEN) is doing their part to enhance diversity among the ranks of the Senior Executive Service. Specifically, they have launched a pilot SES Development Program with support from the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), the U.S Office of Personnel Management, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

According to AAGEN’s website, “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in the Federal government’s Senior Executive Service. The SES Development Program will identify potential SES candidates and help AAPI employees develop the skills they need to advance their careers…”

Further guidance indicates that they are currently seeking 20 individuals (GS-15 or higher), whom they will help prepare for the SES selection process through intensive training, education and mentoring. Selected candidates must become AAGEN members, and “pay it forward,” by participating as an AAGEN Mentor to other lower GS level equivalent candidates.

This program represents another boost in the momentum towards diversity in the federal workforce that has been growing for the past several years. In 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13515, reestablishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Since then, the Initiative and Commission have partnered with people across the country on critical issues of importance to the AAPI community. For instance, they have hosted over 200 events including national summits, and workshops in 23 states and 50 cities, reaching more than 22,000 people.

In August 2011, President Obama signed another Executive Order (13583), this one designed to establish a government-wide initiative for promoting diversity and inclusion.

Candidates for the AAGEN SES Development Program can only participate if they obtain permission from their managers, and if their agencies agree to cover travel-related costs. For more information on applying, visit the AAGEN website.

Most importantly, agencies must get their applications in by December 16, 2011.

Barbara Adams is the President and CEO of CareerPro Global, Inc. (CPG). She has been on the leading edge of SES application development for decades. Committed to providing world-class service, she has also built an SES writing team that has assisted more than 2,500 clients develop their application materials. Ms. Adams has been featured on T.V. and the radio, and as a presenter at numerous career conferences. CPG recently sent a team to instruct senior officials at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia in best practices for developing their SES application materials. She is the co-author of the new book, Roadmap to the Senior Executive Service: How to Find SES Jobs, Determine Your Qualifications, and Develop Your SES Application.

What makes a leader?

Below is a wonderful article from “Government Executive” talking about what makes the difference between a manager and a leader. Give it a read and let us know your thoughts.

The Person in the Mirror

“Sure, some animals can smell fear, but can your employees smell yours? Managers with strong self-confidence are better able to listen and lead, and are more likely to develop the kind of command presence that is most effective in the workplace.

“Timothy Bednarz, author of Great! What Makes Leaders Great: What They Did, How They Did It and What You Can Learn From It (Majorium Business Press, 2011), studied and cataloged the common attributes of 160 influential American leaders over 235 years. Among the similarities he discovered was a deep sense of confidence, which encouraged these leaders to take their first steps toward greatness and to pick themselves up when they hit bumps along the way.

“There are dozens of books and articles available on building self-confidence, but Bednarz says the initial focus must be on developing self-belief. ‘This implies knowing without a doubt that you can do it, no matter what you realistically set your mind to do,’ he says. Henry Ford was such a strong believer in people with this sort of outlook that he ‘would hire workers who didn’t understand the meaning of impossible and would keep pushing the limits of their imagination.’

“According to Bednarz, self-belief fuels the strong sense of optimism that leaders need to take the risks that jump-start their careers. He quotes Jeff Bezos of Amazon as saying: ‘optimism is essential when trying to do anything difficult, because difficult things often take a long time. That optimism can carry you through the various stages as the long term unfolds. And it’s the long term that matters.’

“It also allows leaders to overcome the adversity and failure that inevitably follow initial risks. John Chambers of Cisco apparently held strong to his belief in himself and the company, even during a difficult period when revenues were collapsing. Managers in the company indicated that his optimism that Cisco would ‘come out of the bust stronger’ was infectious.

“According to Bednarz, almost all the leaders he researched experienced a prolonged period of adversity, disappointment, discouragement and failure early in their careers. But their self-confidence enabled them to prevail during those difficult times, which ultimately defined their character, shaped their vision and values, refined their critical thinking, and established their legitimacy as a leader.

“Jack Griffin, author of How to Say It for First-Time Managers: Winning Words and Strategies for Earning Your Team’s Confidence (Prentice Hall Press, 2010), writes that self-confidence comes from knowledge: from knowing your job, knowing your facts, knowing the basis for your own decisions and, at least as important, knowing what you don’t know.

“‘Intelligent self- assurance, a key to creating credibility, is built on the bedrock of solid knowledge,’ Griffin writes. ‘There is no substitute.’

“Self-assurance also helps managers listen and learn from critics instead of shouting them down, and invite criticism by making clear they are open to all points of view, Griffin says. This is vital to earning trust.

“The takeaway message for government managers: If you want to motivate your team to perform better, then it first might be worth spending a moment to make sure you believe in yourself.”

Original post at http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1111/110211-management-matters.htm

TORI! TORI! TORI!

CareerPro Global is pleased to announce some recent wins at the Career Directors International (CDI) annual summit, this year in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. CDI sponsors the TORI awards, Toast of the Resume Industry, and this past Saturday our own Director of Veteran Affairs and Senior Writer, Lee Kelley, won the TORI for Best Military Transition Resume. Lee is also one of our top and most in-demand SES writers. If you want to see more of Lee’s award-winning writing, check him out at our sister blog, http://veteranstransitionhq.wordpress.com/.

Also CPG President and CEO Barbara A. Adams was honored with a special Innovator Award, for bringing quality control and customer satisfaction guarantees to the career management industry with the introduction of the ISO 9001: 2008 certification at our company. If you aren’t sure what this ISO certification means, take a look here to find out why it’s so groundbreaking, bringing regulation to an industry that’s been unregulated for decades: CPG ISO 9001:2008 Certification.

Lee and Barbara weren’t the only TORI winners this weekend. CDI will post a listing of all first, second, and third place winners on their website before year’s end. In the meantime, we send a hearty salute to all the winners! Their work, along with that of the certified writers at CPG, help make this industry strong.  Congratulations!

Senior Executive Service to get standard evaluations

As early as this month, members of the Senior Executive Service will see changes in their performance management system. Recent trends have seen greater weight given to only one of the five core qualifications; the new systems aims to balance the equation, evaluating the SES member as a whole. Rather than overemphasize “results” when evaluating executives’ performance, they want to guarantee at least some consideration of the other four qualifications.

According to the Senior Executive Association, agencies will be able to weight the five qualifications differently, but The Office of Management and Budget will require the “results driven” qualification to make up at least 20 percent of someone’s final score. The other four qualifications will have a minimum weight of 5 percent.

“It’s going to provide some level of uniformity governmentwide on what appraisals look like, while allowing agencies some local discretion,” said Bill Bransford, general counsel for SEA, which represents thousands of SES members. “The idea is to get them on the same page.”

The SEA states that OMB sent an email Sept. 21 that said the new system “will provide a consistent and uniform framework for agencies to communicate expectations and evaluate the performance of SES members, particularly centering on the role and responsibility of SES employees to provide executive leadership.”

The final plan will be unveiled this month, and all federal agencies will transition to it within two years.

But SEA said that designing a new performance management system isn’t the hard part — executing it well is.

“Efforts to re-tool the performance management system are really only valuable in terms of focusing people’s attention on executing the system consistently and well,” SEA said in comments sent to the Office of Personnel Management. “The actual structure is less important than how it’s implemented.”

Share your thoughts with CareerPro Global: Is this change for the better? Will it make any difference in the rating process?

Deadline extended for federal job seekers

From The Washington Post:

Personnel Director John Berry said Wednesday that his staff is working “around the clock” to fix bugs in the government’s revamped Web site for job seekers, who will get a three-week reprieve on application deadlines for most positions.

“We’re not going to rest until we work through these problems,” the director of the Office of Personnel Management pledged.

Since it launched Oct. 11, the new version of USAJobs.gov has been plagued by software and hardware glitches that have made the site difficult or impossible to access. Frustrated applicants have vented on Facebook, and they’re still venting.

“The “new” USAJOBS 3.0 is a complete mess. Literally,” Kelly Antonio Lawson posted on Facebook at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

OPM officials blame the problems on an unexpected volume of users who have overwhelmed the system in the last eight days, although Berry said it was unclear whether these are new job seekers or not.

“Any new site has a certain curiosity level to it, maybe that’s it,” he said.

Asked why the agency did not have software in place to handle high volumes before the new site went live last week, Berry said his staff “did try to look ahead” but the volume of users still blindsided them.

As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, 141,289 applications had been submitted on the new site, “so we know the system is working for a lot of people.”

The revamp is supposed to improve the experience of applying for a federal job, with fewer forms to fill out and easier searches.

With the exception of emergency jobs that must be filled quickly, deadlines to apply for thousands of federal jobs listed on the site will be extended by three weeks to accommodate people who were slowed by problems with the Web site, Berry said.

OPM has ordered new servers to speed up the system and let more people in. Berry said about 6 percent of users get a message telling them the site is busy and asking them to return in a few minutes. He urged applicants to remember to refresh their website page.

OPM spent 18 months overhauling the site after ending a contract with Monster.com, which had managed it for between $5 million and $6 million a year. Berry said the government paid “almost double that” last year to keep the site going during the overhaul, but predicted that the costs of managing it in house would decline over five years.

He declined to say how much the fixes are costing.