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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. Human Resources
  3. Organizational Development
  4. Our Blog
  5. Page 2

Our Blog

Highlight the value of the work and the person doing it

two women sitting at a desk in a corporate setting

Original Article by Gallup

Design a system to track and highlight every team member’s personal bests. Don’t just track individual performance, discuss and celebrate personal bests regularly.

The most powerful recognition highlights the value of the work AND the person doing it.

What To Do

Design a system to track and highlight every team member’s personal bests. Don’t just track individual performance, discuss and celebrate personal bests regularly.

This type of recognition ensures that you acknowledge people’s best efforts and motivates people to do more.

Why This Is Important

Individuals who receive recognition and praise for doing good work are more productive, engaged and more likely to stay with their organization. Customers give these employees higher loyalty and satisfaction scores.

The most meaningful recognition highlights the value of the work and the person doing it.

Meaningful recognition – praise that highlights the value of the work and the person doing it – is rare. One in three workers strongly agree that their manager knows what they do best.

Filed Under: Employee Engagement, Our Blog Tagged With: Employee Engagement

Talk to team members about the unique value they bring to the team and organization

Several coworkers sitting around a meeting table

Original Article by Gallup

Make it a goal over the next 30 days to uncover one strength for each of your team members and use it in a conversation with that person.

Employees are often unaware of their talents and strengths and unsure about how to take advantage of them. One of the most important things managers can do for their employees is to help them name, claim and aim what they do best.

What To Do

Make it a goal over the next 30 days to uncover one strength for each of your team members and use it in a conversation with that person.

This is what reinforcing a team member’s strengths might sound like:

“Mark, the explanation and story you told in our meeting yesterday really helped everyone understand what we are trying to do and why it is important. Your ability to understand difficult concepts and explain them to others is beneficial to the team. The way you connect a story to an issue makes everyone in the room smarter.”

Why This Is Important

People operating from their strengths produce significantly more at higher quality, and they build stronger, more engaging relationships with their customers.

Unfortunately, people often take their most powerful talents for granted, and many individuals are not fully aware of them.

The most effective managers help employees appreciate their strengths and understand how their strengths contribute to team and individual success.

How Managers Can Excel By Really Coaching Their Employees

Managers need to have more frequent, ongoing conversations with employees. But too many managers aren’t up to the task.

Filed Under: Employee Engagement, Our Blog Tagged With: Employee Engagement

New Content Available in Workday Learning 

desk with laptop and coffee cup

Organizational Development has been focused on expanding our on-demand learning offerings. While this will be a continual work in progress, we have several courses available to you in Workday Learning. 

These courses cover a variety of professional development topics such as navigating team dynamics, emotional intelligence, leading effective meetings, and many more! These courses are free and take an average of 20-40 minutes to complete. They are a fun and easy way to boost your workplace skills. 

You can find a list of these trainings with descriptions and direct links to the Workday course on the Organizational Development Learn on Demand page.

Click Here for the Organizational Development Learn on Demand page

The table found at that link will be updated as new courses are added, so check back often. 

In addition, you can always search the Learning Catalog directly in Workday.

Click Here for the Workday Learning Catalog

We are committed to providing quality professional development resources for UAMS. Many of these courses include a voluntary feedback survey at the end. This survey is anonymous and will help us know what you would like to see and how we can improve our offerings. 

Thank you for all you do to support the UAMS mission.

If you have questions, please contact OrganizationalDevelopment@uams.edu. 

Filed Under: News & Announcements, Our Blog, Professional Development

2023 Leading with Purpose Graduates

Organizational Development is proud to announce the graduates from Leading with Purpose 2023. This year we had two cohorts—one in Little Rock and one in Fayetteville. The participants learned topics that include, but are not limited to strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence, driving for results, and delegation and empowerment. Each participant developed and facilitated a teach-back presentation on a topic that they can take back to their teams.

Leading with Purpose is designed for staff and faculty who are on a managerial track to further develop their leadership skills and effectiveness. Through exploring a variety of leadership topics, participants develop ways to apply their learning in their everyday work environment. Leading with Purpose is offered by the UAMS LEAD suite of leadership development programs. LEAD is an acronym that stands for Leaders Engaging, Achieving, and Developing. The curriculum was developed by Dr. Vanetta Busch and facilitated by the Organizational Development team.

The UAMS Office of Continuing Education has approved this program for 24.25 hours of continuing education. Organizational Development will share the summer and fall professional development opportunities soon. In the meantime, please see the training calendar for current offerings.

Little Rock Graduates

Anja Rassmann, Luke Green, Kayla Jackson-Gougisha, Brittany Beasley, Luke Johnson, Shaun McWeeney, Carolyn McNutt, Lynne Bowen, Kelsey “Brooke” Shaw, Dana Moser, Marina Hicks, Teresa Leatherman, Jennice Haynes, Matthew Henry, Tiffany Nesbit, Jennifer Alexander, Matthew Mitchell, Timothy Rounsaville, Jeremy Kagebein Paula Medina, Tracy Thurman, Jonathan Bell Sara Marecki, Jordan Gall, Sarah Woodall

Northwest Arkansas Graduates

Albina Riklon, Alexa Cueto, Amy Littrell, Anna Cleek, Carolina N. Vargas, Carrie Chambers, Chris Walter, Christina Keh, Claudia Urbina De Guillen, Ivy Welch, Janine Boyers Schuh, Katie McCraney, Kelsey Bounds, Mike Mellinger, Rosalinda Medrano Green, Ruth Ross, Sean O’Bryan, Sean Stone, Sherry Muir, Stephanie Barger, Tiffany Bogan

Filed Under: Leadership, News & Announcements, Our Blog

2023 Leadership Institute Graduates

Organizational Development is proud to announce the graduates from Leadership Institute 2023. Organizational Development facilitated the curriculum in partnership with Brian Gittens, Ed.D, MPA; Devin Terry, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CPHQ; Eric Peterson, PhD; and Kevin Sexton, MD. The program covered topics that include, but are not limited to emotional intelligence, communication, establishing strategic direction, empowering talent, and driving innovation. Each participant developed and facilitated a teach-back presentation on a topic that they can take back to their departments. Tony Sepaul, MD, Executive Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs was the keynote speaker.

Leadership Institute is designed for staff and faculty leaders. The curriculum guides participants in developing a better understanding of their personal leadership styles and issues facing leaders in the healthcare industry. Leadership Institute is offered by the UAMS LEAD suite of leadership development programs. LEAD is an acronym that stands for Leaders Engaging, Achieving, and Developing.  

The UAMS Office of Continuing Education approved this program for the 26.75 hours of continuing education.

Organizational Development will share the summer and fall professional development opportunities soon. In the meantime, please see the training calendar for current offerings.

2023 Graduates:
Christy Simecka, Christopher Gray, Cody Reese, Ginger Jones, Holly Pace, James Bishop, Julie Tabor, Kacie Simpson, Kerry Evans, Maeghan Arnold, Neal Reeves, Richelle Thompson, Robbie Hemmer, Russell Flynn, Sam Parnell

Filed Under: Leadership, News & Announcements, Our Blog

2023 Leadership Reddie Graduates

Organizational Development launched Leadership Reddie this spring, a program created to develop high-performing employees for future leadership opportunities. We are proud to announce the graduates from this year’s inaugural cohort. The content covered foundational leadership principles and participants had an opportunity to explore effective communication techniques. During the program, it was evident participants are already leading through the power of influence. We are excited to see how they will continue their leadership journeys.

Leadership Reddie is offered by the UAMS LEAD suite of leadership development programs. LEAD is an acronym that stands for Leaders Engaging, Achieving, and Developing. Staff and faculty are welcome to apply.

Organizational Development will share the summer and fall professional development opportunities soon. In the meantime, please see the training calendar for current offerings.

2023 Graduates:
Amanda Archer, Ariel Washington, Chickilah Davenport, Christal Christie, Christian Pedroza Portillo, Cody Borin, Crystal Marcussen, Douglas Garner, Edward McVoy, Gregory Green, Holly Taylor, Jamie Whitehead, Kruse Rich, Lakeshia Lovelace, Mario Brown, Morgan Wewers, Regina Russell, Shannon Boast, Stephanie Blevins, Ty Stacey

Filed Under: Leadership, News & Announcements, Our Blog

Congratulations Coaches!

a group of people posing for a picture outside

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our first cohort of the internal UAMS Leadership Coaching Program. This program was designed to provide high-performing leaders across the state of Arkansas with coaching services that unlock their full potential. The program was based on the International Coaching Federation’s core competencies and was facilitated by Stacy Melvin, ACC, and Angelle Granier from MindFrame LLC.

Throughout the program, our cohort of dedicated individuals showed a high level of commitment and enthusiasm, as they delved deep into the principles of coaching and worked to develop their own coaching style. In this course, they have covered a range of topics, including active listening, powerful questioning, and goal setting. Through interactive sessions, they honed their coaching skills and practiced techniques that will enable them to provide valuable coaching services to our high-performing leaders.

We want to congratulate each member of our inaugural cohort for their hard work and dedication to the program. They have shown a genuine interest in developing their coaching skills, and their commitment to learning and growth is truly inspiring. It is clear that their passion and drive for excellence will make a significant impact on the UAMS community.

We want to extend a special thanks to Stacy Melvin and Angelle Granier, who provided expert guidance and support throughout the program. Their knowledge, skills, and passion for coaching have been instrumental in the success of this program, and we are grateful for their contributions.

The UAMS Leadership Coaching Program is a valuable resource that enables us to harness the potential of our high-performing leaders. We are proud to have the support of a team of coaches who are committed to promoting growth and development within our organization. We encourage all UAMS employees to take advantage of this program and benefit from the expertise of our internal coaches.

In conclusion, we want to congratulate the first cohort of the UAMS Leadership Coaching Program on their successful completion of the program. We are excited to see the impact that they will have on our community, and we look forward to supporting their ongoing growth and development as coaches. We are confident that they will continue to make a positive impact on the UAMS community and beyond.

a group of people posing for a picture

Back: Stacy Melvin, Tyrun Haynie, Ralynn Ruth, Jamarion Oliver, Jessica McCullar, Bailey Snellgrove, Angelle Granier / Front: Eden Fluharty, Sheridan Richards, Nigel Spears

Filed Under: Coaching, News & Announcements, Our Blog

Gallup’s Pulse Survey

Gallup’s Pulse Survey

Dear Team UAMS,

At UAMS, employees are essential to our mission of providing excellent patient care, health care education, and research. As part of our Vision 2029, becoming the employer of choice is a key goal for us, and is central to retaining our talented employees and attracting new ones who will continue to sustain our high standards into the future. To achieve this objective, we must listen to all members of Team UAMS to further improve the employee experience. 

First, we want to thank all of you who participated in the Employee Engagement Survey last spring. Your participation in the survey was instrumental in helping us understand the areas where we are succeeding and the areas where we need to focus our efforts to create an even better work experience for all members of Team UAMS. 

Our Vision 2029 goal is for our engagement score to be in the 46th percentile by 2025. Your continued feedback is essential to achieve this. That is why we are pleased to announce that we will be conducting a Pulse Survey from March 27 through April 10. This pulse survey is specifically intended for teams that scored in the lower quartile of the Employee Engagement Survey from last June. This provides us an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and collaboration with your People and Culture Partner that is needed to reach our goal.  

Employees hired prior to December 25, 2022 who work in the targeted teams will receive an email from Gallup with a link to participate. The online survey will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

  • Your opinions are completely confidential. Gallup will handle all submitted surveys, and Gallup will not disclose to UAMS the identities of any individual respondents. 
  • The survey will ask you a series of questions about your personal experience working at UAMS. 
  • The survey will take about 3-5 minutes to complete. 

Team UAMS can be a catalyst for change as we preserve our core values: integrity, respect, diversity and health equity, teamwork, creativity, excellence, and safety. We will update you as we learn more from each other. Thank you in advance for your participation and your commitment to UAMS. 

Sincerely, 

Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA 

UAMS Chancellor 

Filed Under: News & Announcements, Our Blog Tagged With: Employee Engagement

Congratulations! UAMS Chancellor’s Circle Awards Grants $75,000 to Senior Director of Organizational Development Sheridan Richards

Original Post Found Here

Congratulations! UAMS Chancellor’s Circle Awards Grants $75,000 to Senior Director of Organizational Development Sheridan Richards

Exciting news, everyone! Our department is taking huge strides toward improving our workplace culture. Recently, we launched two amazing initiatives that aim to enhance our onboarding process and support our employees’ growth and development. And guess what, our Senior Director of Organizational Development, Sheridan Richards, MPPA, SHRM-CP, has just received a whopping $75,000 grant to fund these programs. How awesome is that?

With these new initiatives in place, we’re confident that our onboarding process will be even more effective in helping new hires feel welcomed, included, and ready to contribute. We’re also scaling up our coaching program, making it more accessible and widely available to employees who are looking to develop their skills, reach their goals, and succeed in their roles.

As for Sheridan and the Organizational Development team, we’re beyond thrilled and proud of their hard work and dedication to making our workplace a better and more fulfilling place for everyone. With this grant, we’ll be able to expand the coaching program and provide our employees with even more valuable resources and support.

These initiatives and the grant is not only a testament to UAMS’ commitment to building a strong, positive, and inclusive workplace culture but also a reflection of our belief that investing in our employees’ growth and development is key to our success as a company. We’re excited to see the positive impact these initiatives will have on our employees and our overall company culture.

So let’s all give a big round of applause to Sheridan and the Organizational Development team for this amazing accomplishment. We can’t wait to see what’s next!

Filed Under: News & Announcements, Our Blog

Five Ways to Preserve Company Culture Amid Turnover

Five Ways to Preserve Company Culture Amid Turnover

Article by Gallup | Original Source Link

When employees leave a company, many often take valuable attributes like knowledge and experience with them. But departing employees might also walk off with something more intangible: a piece of the company’s established corporate culture.

When employees leave a company, many often take valuable attributes like knowledge and experience with them. But departing employees might also walk off with something more intangible: a piece of the company’s established corporate culture.

The latter is a serious problem, because culture is instrumental to an organization’s performance; it either facilitates and supports success or undermines and inhibits it. Together with purpose and brand, culture forms a core component of an organization’s identity. Companies can ill afford to have their vital and carefully created corporate cultures become victims of attrition.

In the U.S. today, there are a number of forces currently affecting culture flight from organizations. The past few years have seen steady, if not overwhelming, improvement in the job market, no matter which metric of employment data tracking you follow. The proverbial “Now Hiring” sign is appearing more frequently, and many workers are finding more opportunities to take their abilities elsewhere.

Additionally, organizations across all industries are prepping for the increasing exodus of retiring baby boomers. They represent a significant portion of the workforce at many organizations, a swath of long-tenured employees whose collective experience and accumulated knowledge are critical to organizational performance.

No matter their reasons for leaving, when experienced employees exit an organization, their departure may shift the company’s culture, even if only subtly. Certainly, human resources functions strive to refill any gaps in knowledge, experience and ability. But accounting for a potential hire’s impact on culture isn’t as easy as reviewing a section of her résumé. And neither is assuming that current employees, many of whom are newer to the company than the people they’re replacing, can step into these vacated roles and seamlessly maintain an organization’s culture.

Replacements are less likely to have an understanding of the cultural nuances within the organization. In turn, there is potential for a company’s culture — and more broadly its very identity — to unintentionally change with an influx of new employees and new leaders. In some cases company leaders may welcome culture change, but in others it creates a risk for losing what makes the organization a unique place to work. Either way, culture shift is yet another fluid and foundational aspect of an organization that should be measured and managed intentionally.

Gallup’s experience has shown five steps leaders should take to intentionally manage culture and minimize the potential risks brought by attrition.

1. Clarify the desired culture. What makes an organization stand out? Does it provide outstanding customer service? Does it offer a unique product or service? A passionate and committed workforce? Employees must clearly understand how their company wishes the marketplace to perceive the organization and how the culture promotes that perception. This starts with a real understanding of the organization’s purpose and how it translates to the brand.

At the most fundamental level, why does the organization exist? How does it want others to know or view it? Clear brand and purpose intentions are critical to creating a culture that aligns with and supports those desires.

2. Understand what shapes behaviors in the current culture. The behavior of employees at work and how they get work done defines a culture. Employees routinely receive communication, feedback, examples and other information that influences their behavior each day. It’s important to align these messages to ensure they support the organization’s desired culture. In some instances performance incentives have a large impact on behavior. In other cases it may be an organization’s mission or values that have a heavy influence on the way in which work gets accomplished. To create and sustain a consistent culture, the organization should understand the key drivers of its own culture.

3. Communicate intentionally about the culture. Once a company has clearly defined the desired culture of the organization and identified the key methods of influencing behavior, it must undertake deliberate activities to promote them. These activities can vary from leadership communication that articulates for employees what makes the organization unique to programs teaching employees how to connect the organization’s values with the work they do each day.

Selection and onboarding programs should be used to identify unique types of people and talents that are able to make their culture and brand come to life. For example, a client Gallup worked with in Australia measured not only the talent of applicants for open jobs, but also examined how those applicants’ personalities aligned with the desired culture of their organization. Subsequently, each hire they made naturally reinforced their culture. Intentional and consistent use of these and other drivers can reinforce the desired culture of the organization. Architects of the organization’s culture should also ensure they are communicating with all employees, but especially with those who may be replacing workers, and that this communication includes messages that clearly align with the desired identity.

4. Monitor the strength of the culture. How would a company know if attrition is weakening its culture? Would executives find out before it was too late? Companies must collect information about the status of their culture throughout the organization; you won’t know if you don’t ask. So, companies must be deliberate and focused when trying to understand from employees and leaders alike any strengths and challenges related to their company’s culture. This measurement should also be specifically tailored to a company’s unique culture, and not a standard measure that could be applied to any organization.

5. Include culture as a key component of transition plans. Coworkers and managers play an important role in establishing workplace culture. As current employees leave, organizations should create intentional plans to not only fill the void in output, but also to ensure the company’s culture is sustained. This may mean promoting a first-time manager to a new role. Or making an effort to make sure the manager not only has the talent to lead and engage her team, but also has the capability to do it in a way that maintains the desired culture of the organization.

In some instances, departing employees may be role models in living out the organization’s values. Think about the person who actively volunteers in the community, or someone who is a public embodiment of some aspect of an organization’s identity. How can companies identify another team member who can continue to promote this aspect of the organization? And what about the exiting employees who may be key representatives of the brand to specific customers or clients? Organizations must identify and connect those customers with other employees who also embody and deliver the brand and experience, so as to keep customers engaged with the organization.

All organizations face risks when employees choose to leave. No matter the external job climate, it’s important for leaders to make intentional efforts to create a culture and organizational identity that is unique and resonates with employees and customers alike. Beyond simply finding workers who fill the knowledge and skill requirements of departing employees, organizations should make an intentional effort to ensure their desired culture and brand are maintained — and potentially strengthened — throughout this transition.

Filed Under: Employee Engagement, Our Blog Tagged With: Culture, Employee Engagement

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