GovernmentExecutive.com

The Office of Personnel Management has released new guidelines to help federal agencies concentrate on developing stronger managers.

Skills required of government managers are becoming more complex as agencies begin to move off of the General Schedule and employees are paid, hired and fired based in part on rigorous performance assessments completed by their managers.

OPM Director Linda Springer said in the guidelines, released to chief human capital officers on Sept. 12, that the "time is right to recommit the federal government to developing effective leaders." Under the Workforce Flexibility Act, passed two years ago, agencies must develop programs to train leaders.

The guidelines were "prompted by a number of concerns we're having in government over the quality of leadership," said Nancy Randa, deputy associate director for learning and executive resources policy at OPM. "Leadership is especially important these days for a number of reasons. We need good supervision in order to oversee pay for performance in certain agencies."

OPM's guidance advised agencies to institute mentorship programs for fledgling managers, train all new managers within six months after they take their positions, offer rotations and provide employee feedback.

A lack of confidence in managers' abilities has been one of the most common complaints from employees moving off of the General Schedule. In OPM's last federal human capital survey in 2004, more than half of employees said they did not have a high regard for the leadership capability of their managers.

Springer called for high-level agency officials to recommit themselves to the effort.

Agencies need "top-level commitment as demonstrated by dedicating adequate resources, by ensuring active involvement of higher-level officials in the development of their managerial subordinates, and by serving as positive role models, mentors and teachers for leadership," Springer said.

Other recommendations included in the guidelines were:

• Have multiple sources conduct periodic assessments of managerial competence for managers and prospective managers.
• Focus on the ability to manage a multisector workforce composed of federal employees, contractors, grantees and military service members, as well as both part- and full-time employees.
• Use technology for training.
• Develop methods for identifying possible new managers through nomination or self-nomination.
• Clarify the links between smaller organizational goals and governmentwide goals.

OPM's guidelines are simply suggestions. The personnel agency does not have authority to require agencies to adopt them, although it will monitor their progress.

"The agencies have real broad authority in the training and development area, so we can't micromanage them," Randa said.

Developing managerial guidelines was one of OPM's strategic and operational goals for the month of September, which the agency met ahead of schedule.

COMMENTS

• Dear SOS, You did not mention the practice of filling management (and other) positions illegally. In my division, the management spots are filled and none of the people are told to apply or even that the hiring process is underway. People fill positions as you point out with friends or those who will help meet EEO goals. As far as getting ahead in the Defense Department or the services, you become a manager because you can do a certain job and not because you can manage resources! Most of our managers have no knowledge of how to manage money in the government -- they think internal controls are ridiculous and a waste of time and effort, and they cannot manage people or workload effectively! Our managers are "super" workers -- that does not mean they do anything correctly! They are told not to manage but to lead! Lead means give them something to do even if it is incorrect or a waste of time and talent. Our latest great advance is that everyone now keeps their time sheet online. We have replaced the job of a $25 per hour clerk with the time of $100 per hour employees to do a meaningless job because most of those involved are salaried workers and not hourly employees anyway! Good leadership? Poor management! Taxpayer Posted October 30, 2006 8:03 AM
• In most cases where I work (the Defense Department), the problem is the selecting/promoting of managers based on cronyism, meeting EEO standards (wherein the higher ups get bonuses for promoting minorities/women), etc., rather than selecting the best and most capable person for the job. Even when these people screw up, the upper management turns the other way. So there are many double standards. They encourage other people to apply for promotions merely so that they can fill the required quota of having other applicants and make it seem competitive per requirements. But they know who they want all along. I don't apply because I'm wise to this and they sneer at me because they know I know it! Same Old Story Posted October 25, 2006 5:41 PM
• Under the Workforce Flexibility Act, passed two years ago, agencies must develop programs to train leaders. This is the entire problem in the Defense Department and the services! We do not need any more leaders! Everyone is trying to be a leader and no one is managing the process or the money! We need managers not leaders. Leaders do stupid things at administrative levels. Our leaders are in Congress or elected to the administration and are not the ones found in management positions -- at least that is how it is supposed to be! However, we now have and are developing leaders in management positions. That means that the workers are doing what their leaders (managers) tell them to do and not what the real leaders are telling them to do! Get rid of leaders unless they are elected (or appointed by the elected administration although there are far too many appointed to pay off election debts) and have the run of the mill managers manage! Taxpayer Posted October 25, 2006 9:06 AM