Supervisor Training

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Supervisor Training

• Mentoring C. Tsang and S. Hubbard
• Safety J. Geller
• Employee Relations K. Green
• Hiring Practices Y. Tsang

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Supervisor Mentoring Responsibilities for
Early-Career Scientific New Hires Ear
ly career new hires include postdocs and junior
scientists with career or term positions
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Mentor

• Ideally, a mentor is a researcher who has reached
  sufficient career maturity, and who counsels and
  guides another for the purpose of helping him or
  her achieve success in their professional career.
  
• Mentoring will help new scientists develop to the
  best of their abilities, enhance the scientific
  standard of ESD and help ESD to retain good
  scientists

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Supervisor Responsibilities

• In ESD, supervisors are accountable for making
  sure that early career newhires receive proper
  mentorship for at least their first three years
  in the division.
• Mentorship need not come exclusively from
  supervisor in some cases, others may serve as an
  alternative or supplementary mentor.
• Mentoring will be recognized on P2Rs for all
  newhire supervisors in 2005, and evaluation of
  those criteria will be based on feedback from the
  mentoree.

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Mentorship Objectives The primary mentor goals
are to ensure that new scientists are

• Aware of ESD and LBNL policies and metrics
• Developing into capable and independent
  scientists and
• Receiving professional development and career
  guidance when appropriate.

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1. Introducing mentoree to LBNL and ESD

• Introduce new hire to ESD organizational
  structure and key staff and management following
  the ESD New Employee Handbook
• Inform new hire of LBNL EHS policies and
  emergency protocols following the ESD New
  Employee Handbook
• Inform new hire about professional metrics
• Introduce new hire to ESD senior scientists and
  more mature staff, who can advise new hire or act
  as supplementary mentors
• Inform new hires about department meetings and
  seminars.

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Examples of New-hire Scientific-Level Metrics

• Publish a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed journal
  papers per year
• Effective research for ESD projects write or
  contribute to new research proposals
• Cooperate with other staff and work with
  supervisor to develop career plans

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Mentor Resources ESD Senior Staff

• John Apps
• Bo Bodvarsson
• Terry Hazen
• Iraj Javendel
• Greg Newman
• Karsten Pruess
• Tetsu Tokunaga
• Chin Fu Tsang
• Yvonne Tsang

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2. Professional Development Scientific Growth
and Project Development

• Encourage independent research ideas and assist
  with research project development
• Inform mentorees of funding opportunities and
  encourage and assist mentoree to develop
  proposals and participate with others in
  developing proposals
• Encourage mentorees to participate in conferences
  and workshops and review presentation material
  prior to conference
• Encourage and work with the mentoree in the
  preparation of scientific journal manuscripts
• Assist mentoree in recognizing their strengths,
  and in enhancing and expanding their current area
  of research
• Assisting mentoree in recognizing weaknesses and
  suggest ways to address them.

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2. Professional Development Communication skills
these skills are needed to effectively interact
and cooperate with fellow scientists, program
managers, and others.

• Help mentoree develop presentation skills
• Help mentoree to seek advice from and collaborate
  with others
• Introduce and promote mentoree to others in and
  out of ESD. For example, when attending meetings
  together, the mentor should strive to introduce
  the trainee to active scientists in the research
  field and to program managers
• Help the mentoree learn to train and guide
  others, such as students.

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3. Career guidance

• Assist mentoree in finding place in
  organization
• Counsel mentoree on professional opportunities
  within ESD or elsewhere, as appropriate.

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Some Supervisor Responsibilities

• Probationary period 6 months for career
  employee.
• Develop personnel file keep records of good
  work and areas that need improvement
• Dont inflate grades to be encouraging give
  honest reflection of what individual has
  accomplished over full review cycle. Recognize
  that continuous improvement is possible over
  career, and give both positive feedback and
  suggestions for improvement.
• Consult with ESD management and HR when personnel
  problems arise
• Develop PIP (performance improvement plans) when
  problems arise
• Do not engage in inappropriate discussion about
  employees (or ex-employees). Strive to keep
  interactions about people at highest,
  professional level.

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Mentoring Stages

• Mentoring often consists of different stages that
  correspond to the mentorees learning and growth
  needs Initial, Developing, and Collaborative
  Stages.
• The time that is necessary to interact with the
  mentoree depends on the stage of the mentorship.
• Initial Stage. During this first stage, an
  early-career new hire may require a reasonable
  amount of support and instruction, so that they
  can effectively participate in ESDs projects and
  learn the ropes within ESD.
• During this time period, mentors should meet with
  the mentorees at least once a week.

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Development Stage

• During this stage, mentorees have gained
  experience and familiarity with ESD, but may
  require direction in certain areas. Mentors
  should encourage the development and visibility
  of the mentoree during this stage.
• Mentors should meet with the mentoree at least
  once a month. The mentor should be readily
  available to the mentoree to answer questions and
  to discuss future research direction.

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Collaborative Stage

• By this stage in the process, the mentoree often
  has mastered many skills, attained a good degree
  of professional maturity, and has the ability to
  work together with the mentor to jointly solve
  problems and participate in projects on a
  collegial level.
• Mentors should step back and allow more
  scientific independence, and treat mentoree as
  equal.
• This may also be an appropriate stage to advise
  with professional development and career plans,
  as well as to promote mentoree to gain
  professional recognition.

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Discussion

• Questions?
• Checklists
• Suggestions/Comments?

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Supervisors ESH Responsibilities

• Supervisors are part of line management and are
  responsible and accountable for supervisees
  health and safety
• If employee is injured
• Report incident to Health Services
• Prepare Supervisors Accident Analysis Report
  (SAAR)
• Ensure your supervisee
• Understands ESDs and LBNLs Integrated Safety
  Management (ISM) Plan.
• Takes the Job Hazard Questionnaire within 30 days
  of hire, retakes before beginning new work, and
  annually.
• Completes required training before working
  without supervision.
• Has an ergo evaluation of workstation when newly
  hired, moves to new location, and at earliest
  sign of discomfort.
• Implements ergo recommendations - Supervisor
  closes-out evaluation in ergo database.

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Supervisors ESH Responsibilities

• ESD employees often work on projects for PIs that
  are not their supervisors - Supervisor is still
  responsible to ensure supervisee understands the
  hazards of their work environment and implements
  controls. You should
• Communicate with the other PIs and supervisee to
  understand supervisees hazard exposure, visit
  their work locations.
• Ensure your supervisee knows about required work
  authorizations and ESD policies. Specific ESD
  policies include
• Labspace Lead PI and Lab User Responsibilities -
  all new work in an ESD lab must be cleared by the
  Labspace Lead
• Offsite Safety Environmental Protection Plan
  must be prepared by PI, read and signed by all
  participating staff BEFORE going to field

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ESH Resources

• Bookmark ESDs ESH website, link from ESD home
  page
• Links to ESDs ESH policies procedures, ISM
  plan, other resources
• LBNLs EHS Divison website (www.lbl.gov, a-z
  index, e)
• Division Safety Coordinator - Jil Geller
• EHS Division Liason to ESD - Rob Connelly
• ESDs EHS at a Glance
• LBNLs EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDE (red flip chart
  posted in all work areas)
• EHS 020 - ESH training for Supervisors
• Line Management is accountable for the
  protection of the public, the workers and the
  environment and are responsible for integrating
  ESH into the work and for ensuring active,
  rigorous communication up and down the management
  line with the work force. Chapter 1, Pub 3000.

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Labor/Employee Relationsat LBNL
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Supervisor Role vs. Matrix/Lead Role

• Supervisor
• Acts as agent of the Laboratory
• Has authority to hire and fire
• Evaluates employee performance
• Issues disciplinary action
• Matrix Supervisor or Lead
• Does not have authority to hire or fire
• Provides day-to-day oversight of work and
  guidance to workers
• Provides input on employees performance and
  conduct to supervisor

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Managing Performance and Conduct

• Supervisors are expected to
• Set clear, achievable performance expectations
• Evaluate performance objectively and honestly
• Know what rules apply (RPM or union contract)
• Apply the rules fairly and consistently
• Take action when employees do not follow the
  rules or do not perform to a satisfactory level
• Document all actions taken
• If its not written down, it didnt happen!

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Probationary vs. Career Status

• Probationary Period
• Generally six months but may be extended under
  certain circumstances
• Employee may be released for any reason so long
  as its not an illegal reason (discrimination,
  retaliation)
• No right to file grievance or formal complaint
• Career Status
• In the UC system, career employees have property
  interests in their positions (by state law)
• Property interest can only be overcome with proof
  that the Labs interest in meeting its mission
  and managing its workforce effectively is being
  impaired.

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Release of Other Non-career Employees

• Limited employees, students and rehired retirees
• Can be done without notice at any time at the
  discretion of the Lab
• If the reason is misconduct, issue should still
  be investigated
• Term Appointees
• Performance or conduct problems follow same
  procedures as for career employees
• Shortage of funding or work notice is required
• Check offer letter for contingency language

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Contract Labor

• Contract Labor workers are employed by an agency,
  not by the Lab
• We dont interview themwe tell the agency what
  we need and they decide which person fits those
  needs
• We dont hire themwe request services under the
  contract
• We dont fire themwe end their contracts by
  calling their agency
• We dont supervise themwe oversee the work
• We dont counsel or discipline themwe call their
  agency for a replacement if our needs are not
  being met

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Conduct vs. Performance

• Conduct behavior
• A matter of choice, presumably under employees
  control
• Correction requires the proper incentive
  (discipline)
• Performance competence
• Not a matter of choice (we all want to do well)
• Addressed through a Performance Improvement Plan

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Addressing Conduct Issues

• Investigation
• Dont take action until you know the facts
• LER/HR Center conduct investigation and provide
  report
• Progressive Discipline
• Purpose is to correct behavior, not to punish
• Multiple steps of increasing severity begin with
  lowest level necessary to motivate employee to
  change
• Move to next level if behavior repeated
• Dismissal is last resort if all else fails
• Very serious infractions may not require
  progressive discipline

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Questions?
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ESD Scientific Staff Hiring Process

• Hiring of postdoctoral fellows, scientists, staff
  scientists, all needs signed off by Department
  Head and Division Director

Hiring forms for
Supervisor/Program Lead

• Department Head
• Opens and Posts Position
• Submits Candidate Package to PSC

Professional Staff Committee (PSC) Evaluate
Candidate Package from Department Head Make
Recommendation to Division Director

• Division Director
• Receives Recommendation from PSC
• Final Action Directive to HR

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Candidate Package for PSC Evaluation

• Common to hiring of all scientific staff
• Posted position description
• Selected candidate CV
• Recommendation letters (3)
• Department Heads assessment and justification
  for selection of the candidate for hire (memo to
  Division Director)
• Specific to career (non-term) scientific staff
• Department Head appoints search committee
• Memo from chair of search committee of the
  competitive process resulting in the
  recommendation of the selected candidate to the
  Department Head

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Promotion/Reclassification of Staff

• Supervisor should act in the best interest of the
  supervisees career development
• Supervisor to keep tab that the position
  description of the supervisee closely reflects
  what he/she actually does
• Supervisor and Department Head pay attention to
  the fact that the responsibilities of the
  supervisee (job description) match the job
  category the supervisee is in