Tag: onboarding (Page 2 of 2)

New Employee Checklist 2: Office Layout:

Ok,  now that you have keys, and know what they open, what do you need in your office?  Organizing your physical space is important.  Cube or corner suite, it is the same!

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______Is there an unobtrusive way for me to see the time no matter where I am sitting in the office?  (This one is so important!  One of the most common complaints consultants hear is some version of the following:

“I feel rushed–he is always looking at his watch.”

“I don’t think he takes me seriously–he keeps looking at his phone.”

“She is always late to meetings. We all have to wait around until her highness shows up.”

Being able to see a clock of some sort no matter where you are sitting in your space keeps you from making these fundamental errors. If you have ever been guilty, you know that it is typically because you have something else coming up. It might be a meeting with your boss, a dental appointment scheduled, or your next meeting. But it makes the person you are talking to feel diminished. Having a clock placed where you can see the time without being discourteous allows you to move the meeting along in a graceful way if you do have another commitment.  Part of good leadership has to do with making those around you feel important and valuable. More about that in another post!)

______Do I have A to Z files? Confidential files? Do I know where to find things?

(Now maybe you have phenomenal support staff that can always find whatever you need, whether it is the agenda and supporting materials for the next meeting, or your own notes for a project. Most of us are not that lucky.  In this era of  streamlining, most people that I know have to provide their own support, either because a single administrative assistant is shared by the whole office  or simply because we have to provide our own support.  Even highly paid professionals, like physicians have to provide their own administrative support. That is what it means when your doc comes into the exam room with an Ipad so she can take notes in the age of electronic medical records. )

______Do I have space available to meet with individual staff or visitors? Weekly staff meetings?

(If you have a large office, a small round table can easily seat a team of four or five.  If you have a small office you may be able to meet with a single individual. But there will definitely be situations where you’ll need a larger space. In a well organized office, meetings may be scheduled in an appropriate space as a matter of course. But what happens if it is a spontaneous “pick up” meeting? Having done some preparatory thinking–and being knowledgeable about spaces and protocols for their use, is part of good management. 

And you Cube Dwellers, what about you? Early in my career,  I once shared an office with a lovely person who was respectful of the fact that we had a shared space. But I occasionally had to meet with a student who wanted to discuss personal issues without an audience.  Having scouted out appropriate spaces in advance was very important.  My most productive space was a walk around the college quad, even in winter.  Students were more open when walking side by side, and I didn’t not have to worry about anyone misreading a closed office door.  Now, many years later, I have had large offices and adequate space. But I still think taking a walk with someone is a little known facet of “management by walking around!”)

Helping Staff Bloom: “Onboarding” New Employees

A former colleague of mine vented recently about how tough it is for new employees when the manager is too busy to help. As she put it, “One of the biggest beefs that I have as an employee at my current organization, and several I have worked for in the past, is that there is essentially no process for onboarding and training new employees.”

You have just hired a terrific new employee and you want him to build a social media presence for your non-profit. Or maybe she is building the foundation for a huge capital campaign. You breathe a huge sigh of relief because your new employee has experience, talent, and energy. Your part is done, right? Yet just because I am qualified to do the work required in my new position, doesn’t mean I know who to call when the copier is down, or where the printer paper is kept! I don’t even know yet what questions to ask!

There are five areas that it is important for me to find out about if I am that new employee. And– no coincidence–these same five areas are important if I am bringing a new staff person on board! I present them in the form of a checklist:

• Office Set up (Communications)
• Office Space Layout (Organization)
• Meetings
• Managing
• Personal

I’d love your feedback: What is on your list?

New Employee Checklist 1: Office Set up

Some of these are more or less important given the role of the new employee. Managers and professional staff have needs that are different from administrative or technical staff. Make your list fit your needs!

______Does my phone have caller ID? (nice to know who is calling!)

______Do I have a private line? (this is important as a potential source of embarrassment)

______Is my phone mail greeting set up? (also embarrassing to have someone else’s old message on your phone!)

______Do I have a directory of frequently called numbers with contact names? (what is the boss’s number, anyway?)

______Have I changed/updated my email signature? (This is another frequent one after the promotion)!

______Do I have my copy codes and long-distance access codes? (working late or on the weekend and no one to ask?)

______Have I been given appropriate access to the organization’s information system? (so annoying to not have access to your email and calendar!)

______Have business cards been ordered? (you may have to represent the organization to external audiences—or in a large organization, you may need them at your first meeting!)

______Do I have access to letterhead stationery, both paper and electronic? (you want to present yourself professionally!)

______ What keys do I have and what do they open? (maybe the elevator is locked between 6pm and 8 am?)

Yes, these might seem pretty banal–until you are locked in on the 7th floor! I’d love to know what your list would look like!

Next time, I’ll write about #2: Office Space Layout (Organization)