USM Dion, Cathy, Grant Flashcards
Become a USM!
Tell us how your background and experience best qualifies you for the USM position.
I managed all of the WC programs & services with a budget of $40M/Yr. for the past 8 years
Population200,000 people
My group helped to decreased more than 50 bpy
about 1.5M WC devices and projects CIIMF SF
met goals set forth by the Mayor & Governor
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What experience do I have that directly relates to this job?
- I supervise a group of 8 people of which 7 are field workers
- developed technical programs compiling data (meter reads, customer water treatment report data), benchmarking data w/other utilities (ex.-cooling tower program)
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work with regulatory agencies such as the State Water Control Resources Board, California Department of Public Health (CDPH), National Sanitation Foundation & LADBS.
- for customer water saving projects - helping them get installed and approved by these agencies
- Dozens of presentations to (Board)
- extensive Budget experienc w/WC for the past 8 years
Before I was a Supervisor I was the Department’s Webmaster before becoming Supervisor of water conservation so my web skills are good
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Lead
- Contract management – $18M/yr.
- Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences
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Certifications, licenses and classeshelp me as a manager are:
- Water Use Efficiency Practitioner I certification
- Water Distribution D1/D2 license.
- Certified Water Efficiency Professional from Assn of Energy Engineers
- Supervisorial certification (12 classes) - Silver, Bronze, Gold
Tell us about a situation that you had to address conflict between people; how did you resolve the issue?
Had (2) employees that were not getting along. We worked through their differences and improved their working relationship.
- friendly disagreements
- computer support & WC
- separately together
- common
- warning
- suspension discharge
- must respect each other
- working well together. “Notice to Correct Deficiency”
What supervisory methods do you use to ensure that staff meets deadlines?
determine tasks delegate to employees, based on their skill-level.
ownership vested interest - give them authority
- I provide equip & training
- I give recognition for job well done
chronic problems achieving deadlines:
- important of deadlines
- not able to measure performance
- monitor
- accountable
Example: Leads –
- in charge of programs and working, what is not
- When all in place , employees will do incredible things
EEO Question - how do you ensure that your staff understands EEO?
Ensure all EEO Policies are adhered to; supers career development. Model proper behavior.
- Supervisors undersEEO policies, procedures, resources
- Emploee decisions based solely on job-related skills
- Discrimination
- informally resolve by oral counceling
- Disseminate
- Zero Tolerance Policy
- “Equal Employment Opportunity” advance solely ability and potential – without regard (RCNO RS MS SO A MC D HIV, VV, Ret)
- Diversity group demonst properly-applied EEO principals. Wk well together, respect 1 another, apprec different sk sets diverse brings.
DWP Organization Question – tell us about a project you worked on that required you to understand the DWP inner workings.
made major changes to in-house program with management and LADWP Board approval, in 3.5 months. 2 1/2 years later we rebated more than 24,000 Premium High efficiency toilets for a savings of close to 300 million gpy.
- Large institutional customer
- vendor install 4,000 high efficiency toilets and get paid directly.
- not allow
- immediate response.
- existing in-house program
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Board-approved
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Cost effectiveness barrier
- 0.8 gpf /1.28
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Bureacratic barrier
- WC Board Hierarchy
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Budget barrier:
- budget underachieving move
- Leads, boss write resolution
- Board’s calendar approved.
- 4,415 Premium High Efficiency toilets, then installed 20,000
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Cost effectiveness barrier
A new program needs to be marketed. What would you do to market it?
4 P’s: Product, Price, Promotion, and Placement.
Product: item customer demands
water conservation equipment we are rebating/free
Price: price a customer pays for a product
rebate level optimizes participation
customer reimbursed cost product
Promotion: communication marketing provides customer will buy product
Placement (Distribution): customer convenient.
How do you overcome resistance from employees and others and implement change?
respond employees’ feelings
employees informed changes, realistic emphasizing benefits
employees opportunities ask questionschange
Implement changebuildingsuccesses
reasonable deadlines
employees firstnot likelyenthusiastic
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Example: substantial changes (2) in-house
- move administration duties outside contractor.
- more financial support MWD
- less money per rebate
- taking their work away
- let them know the reasonschangesgive them freedom work other projects
- unenthusiastic employees take over transition responsibilities
Name the successful work habits for a manager.
- Listen management, employees, and customers
- role model
- Blow Team’s Horn, Own
- Focus Team’s Strengths
- passion for self-improvement.
- Lead
- Understand budgeting
- creative program designer
- Delegate work Supervisors
- Appraise Supervisor performance
As a manager how would you handle a Sexual Harassment complaint?
- prompt action
- neutral fact finder
- Check personnel
- Document
- good faith determination
- not withhold information/make false representations
Department’s Policy
- Prohibit all forms harassment
- Protect retaliation
- Explain avenues of complaints
- Train law
- confidentiality
- prompt appropriate corrective action
Deliberate or unwanted sexual advances, request sexual favorsverbal or physical contactsexual nature when made :
- Condition employment or employment decisions
- Interferes work performance
What is the Department’s ADA Policy?
- Examine existing work situation
- Done this:
Employee wanted to come back disability: I, along with admin determined he/she could meet the essential functions of his classification: Had reasonable accomodation mtg. - Interactive process. Employee allowed to come back because of reasonable accomodation.
- restrictions interfere task
- How soon task completed
- budget available resources
- specific or measurable goal
- skills knowledge required
- use opportunity develop employee
- specific responsibilitiestransferred
- successful ongoing communication
- Feedback sessions
How do you judge the success of a project?
Measured by:
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Level of customer satisfaction
- aware Customer concernsphone, emails, referrals
- satisfaction surveys
- Meeting goals
- Providing feedback management
- Within project budget
- Completing on-time
- Continual monitoring
What are the seven tests of Just Cause for discipline?
- Did immed super give notice
- Is it reasonable? unacceptable behavior related to orderly, efficient run business; employer reasonalbly expect this performance
- was investigation done?
- Fair investigation
- proof: substantial evidence gathered
- equal treatment with other employees
- penalty equal to the unsatisfactory behavior?
What should your goals be when you are interviewing others for a position?
Selection Interviews goals:
- goal i equal employment opportunities job-related skills, knowledge, abilities, and personal qualifications.
- comply City, State, and Federal regulations
- Maintain documentation supports selection decision.
What is the M-M-B act and what does it do?
What ocurred to strenthen Union/Management bond?
The Meyers-Milas-Brown Act - Granted municipal employees right to have Labor Unions and bargain contracts.
1995 LADWP had FSP (Focused Separation Program) to downsize. As result stronger relationship with IBEW ensued. Formed JLMC Joint Labor Management Committees-identify common problems and uses joint efforts to resolve them.
How would you implement constructive discipline?
- Oral counseling-not severe-private-immmediate responsibility for counseling,warning,disipl is super
- 2-Min challenge
- State (objective terms), Wait, Remind, Specific plan from employee, Agree together -future difficulties alert
- 2-Min challenge
- Oral warning - if could lead to disipline ask employee for representation
- confidential memorandum higher management
- primary goal is to correct the behavior
- meet privately-explain behavior problem - future consequences
- document, document, document
- expected future consequences
- Recognition discipline corrected. Recognize regular employees
- Considering disipline
- get employee’s facts
- Department policies general standards of conduct.
- Uniformity disiplinary actions.
- Guide disciplinary Standards
- appropriate MOU
- Skelly (predisicipline) discharge, disiplin
- Review written documentation-
- Interview other employees, citizens, or customers
- review performance standards
- Discuss employee in private w or w/o representation
- Management Notification: confidential memorandum higher management ,
- private; supervisor documents
- NTCD is written notice to employee on Dept letterhead
- show documents on which disciplinary action is based
- Serve Employee orally or writing
- management signs NTCD to show approval
- (ERO) makes decision continue processing for dis or sus
