Good people management is also one of the key factors contributing to a manager’s success (and excellence) in their role.
This development area is one of many that centre on a manager’s ability to work with people. Here the focus is on the fundamental actions and activities that a manager undertakes to enable their staff to perform well.
While there is no one way of undertaking these tasks within the Victorian public sector, the Victorian public sector values1 and employment principles2 provide a clear framework in which the management of people takes place.
Individual organisations have their own policies relating to people management, reflecting particular organisational environments. Managers need to become familiar with these.
The development topics highlighted overleaf are not intended to replace this obligation. Pay progression in the Victorian public sector is based upon formal performance management processes. While these processes vary from organisation to organisation, they all provide a framework for a formal process of individual performance planning and review. These formal processes provide the impetus for at least two or three formal performance conversations a year.
However, it is important to stress that a formal performance management process, and the two or three conversations that are associated with it, do not equate to effective people management or managing for performance.
Good staff performance can only be achieved through a series of management actions that start with effective recruitment and establishment of a new staff member in a role. The management actions continue with effective goal setting, delegation, targeted staff development, regular informal feedback, actions to motivate and management of the working environment.
The development topics outlined overleaf also emphasises the importance of the work environment and team dynamics on the performance of staff. It highlights the importance of management proactivity in creating environments and teams that enhance, not inhibit, performance.
Other Development Guides focus on the knowledge, skills and behaviours that managers need when attracting and recruiting staff, addressing difficult situations involving the staff they manage, working collaboratively, and working with different identities, perspectives and interests.
Foundational skills, including building effective relationships, negotiation, influence and managing conflict are also covered separately within Development Guide#4 – Advanced Interpersonal Skills.
What Should a Development Activity Cover?
The checklist that follows outlines the core content that development activities focusing on this subject ought to cover in order to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for success in any Victorian public sector management role.
Accompanying the checklist is a list of resources. Use of these resources in the design and delivery of a development activity will help build knowledge, skills and behaviours that are of immediate and clear value in any management role in the Victorian public sector.
Some of these resources describe specific knowledge, skills or behaviours, while others provide information about the context in which Victorian public sector managers operate. In most cases, the resources do not address the topic in full. Additional material will still be required to provide comprehensive development in the relevant content area.
Most resources listed are freely available as downloads from the websites indicated.
Section 7 of the Public Administration Act 2004 outlines the Victorian public sector values.These can be summarised as: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect, leadership, and human rights.
Section 8 of the Public Administration Act 2004 requires public sector body heads to establish employment processes which will ensure that:
- employment decisions are based on merit
- public sector employees are treated fairly and reasonably
- equal employment opportunity is provided
- human rights as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities are upheld
- public sector employees have a reasonable avenue of redress against unfair or unreasonable treatment
- in the case of the public service bodies, the development of a career public service is fostered.
Core Content / Resources
Establishing the Context
Understanding the impacts of good and poor people management in terms of, for example, individual wellbeing, team performance, retention, and organisational productivity and culture
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking Performance
Undertaking a Manager’s Duty of Care
Understanding a manager’s responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all people at the workplace.
Resources
- Public Sector Standards Commissioner, Employment Principles and Standards
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
- Resources available from WorkSafe Victoria
- Relevant employment agreements (such as the Victorian Public Sector Employment Agreement 2009)
Creating Environments for Performance
Understanding:
- Common theories about organisational culture, its contribution to performance and the managers’ role in shaping culture
- Using engagement surveys, exit interviews and similar workforce data to understand and monitor changes in organisational culture.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, A Guide to People Metrics
- Strategies and actions to create a positive organisational culture Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
Creating High Performance Teams
Understanding common theories about team dynamics.
Strategies and actions to:
- Establish productive teams
- Achieve effective communication and information sharing within teams
- Manage the impacts of arrivals and departures of staff to minimise disruption and capitalise on the changes.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
Assigning Work, Goal Setting, Delegating and Empowering Staff
Techniques for:
- Assigning work to individuals appropriate to their skills, potential and aspirations
- Defining individual goals in collaboration with individual staff members and in line with team and organisational goals.
Strategies and actions for empowering individuals to work with authority and autonomy to achieve the goals and responsibilities ascribed them.
Techniques to:
- Help individuals and teams develop their own workable solutions to the work challenges they encounter
- Avoid micro-or under-managing individuals and teams.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking Performance resources
Motivating and Engaging Staff
Understanding:
- Common threats to staff motivation and engagement
- Common signs that staff motivation and engagement is threatened
- Common motivational theories and activities that address common threats to staff motivation and engagement
- The impacts of non-verbal actions on motivation and engagement.
Techniques for maintaining the motivation and engagement of high achieving staff.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking Performance resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
Helping Staff Create Performance, Development and Career Plans
Techniques for:
- Assessing staff potential in terms of skills and career progression
- Assisting staff identify and frame their career aspirations and goals
- Assisting staff identify their performance goals for the next planning period
- Assisting staff identify their development needs by recognising gaps in light of current and future work demands and individual career aspirations
- Assisting staff identify development activities that will help address development needs.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Succession risk management toolkit: Fact sheets on identifying staff potential
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking Performance resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Welcome to Management
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking performance resources (Helping people develop: A guide for Victorian public sector managers)
Developing Staff
Strategies and actions for:
- Helping staff prepare for specific development activities
- Applying newly acquired knowledge, skills and behaviours back in the workplace.
Strategies and actions for reviewing the effectiveness of staff development activities in light of development needs and performance plans.
Techniques for:
- Tutoring and coaching staff in ways that increase their capacity to grow and act autonomously
- Constructing on-the-job development opportunities for staff, including ‘stretch’ assignments.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking performance resources (Helping people develop: A guide for Victorian public sector managers)
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking Performance resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Secondment Myths and facts
Providing Feedback
Techniques for providing timely and accurate feedback:
- Informally in ways that allow staff to use the feedback to achieve and sustain optimum performance
- As part of a formal performance review (or similar) in ways that allow staff to use the feedback to achieve and sustain performance.
Resources
- Victorian Public Sector Commission, Talking Performance resources
Supporting Flexible Working Arrangements
Understanding the flexible working arrangements commonly encountered in the Victorian public sector.
Techniques for:
- Negotiating arrangements that meet the demands of the work and the needs of individual staff
- Managing staff and teams with differing working hours or locations.
Resources
Victorian Public Sector Commission, Making Flexible Work a Success: A guide to promoting work/life balance in the Victorian public service
Victorian Public Sector Commission, Fact Sheet on common myths about flexible working arrangements
Seeking Assistance
Understanding when and how to seek support, to assist with managing individuals and teams.
Footnotes
- Section 7 of the Public Administration Act 2004 outlines the Victorian public sector values. These can be summarised as: responsiveness, integrity, impartiality, accountability, respect, leadership, and human rights.
- Section 8 of the Public Administration Act 2004 requires public sector body heads to establish employment processes which will ensure that:
— employment decisions are based on merit;
— public sector employees are treated fairly and reasonably;
— equal employment opportunity is provided;
— human rights as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities are upheld;
— public sector employees have a reasonable avenue of redress against unfair or
unreasonable treatment; and
— in the case of the public service bodies, the development
of a career public service is fostered.