Clerical-Technical Award 2016

Congratulations to Rebecca Ives, the recipient of this year’s Michigan State University Clerical-Technical Award!

The Clerical-Technical Award is sponsored by the Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo Endowment Fund and recognizes outstanding clerical-technical employees. Rebecca does outstanding work in her position as a Research Technologist in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and she truly demonstrates all of the award criteria which includes respect and concern for all members of the MSU community, diligence in daily work, significant contributions to the community and innovative thinking.

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From left to right, Clerical-Technical Union President Deb Bittner, director emeritus of the MSU Study Abroad program Dr. Charles Gliozzo, award recipient Rebecca Ives and MSU Human Resources Associate Vice President Sharon E. Butler at the 2016 CT Award ceremony.

Rebecca’s contributions to the community are extraordinary. One faculty member wrote in her nomination that Rebecca “single-handedly was able to set up the first and only federally/state certified laboratory in the State of Michigan for Cryptosporidium and Giardia testing here at MSU to help protect the safety of our drinking waters.”

Rebecca shows true dedication to her job. She is willing to help in whatever capacity she is needed whether that is her primary responsibility of running the lab or other activities such as working with students, helping with department events, or assisting public health departments.

Rebecca’s attitude is one of the qualities that makes her such a valuable employee. In her nomination, another faculty member wrote, “no matter what the situation (crisis of sampling during outbreaks, storms, etc.), Ms. Ives takes a calm, steady and organized approach to directing the activities of the laboratory while maintaining a positive, friendly attitude. She is well respected by students, professors and contractors outside MSU.”

Watch this video to learn more about Rebecca and her work with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Difficult Conversations Online Course Series

Ever wondered how to prepare for or handle difficult conversations? There are resources available to you! A new series of online classes within elevateU titled Difficult Conversations: MSU Series provides information on this topic. These classes will be especially helpful to take and return to before Performance Excellence meetings.

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Watch an overview of the Difficult Conversations series here.

Within this series, there are three classes: Navigating Difficult Conversations at Michigan State University, Navigating Difficult Conversations in Performance Excellence for Employees and Navigating Difficult Conversations in Performance Excellence for Supervisors. The first class, which covers introductory skills and common issues with difficult conversations, is taken by both employees and supervisors. The other two classes apply those skills specifically to the needs of employees and supervisors; for this reason, employees should take the employee course, and supervisors should take the supervisor course.

To earn a certificate of completion, participants must receive 75 percent or higher on the final tests in these classes. Participants are able to take classes and tests as many times as needed.

Be sure to complete two courses by November 14 to be entered into a drawing to win some Spartan swag! If you have any questions, or want to find other learning opportunities, visit the Performance Excellence website.

EBS Portal: Personal Profile Tips

If you haven’t logged onto EBS in a while, you’ll notice that the portal has been refreshed! We encourage everyone to become familiar with the new look and navigation before open enrollment begins on October 1.Refreshed EBS Portal

To help you navigate the refreshed EBS portal, there is a robust EBS Help website. The site is also accessible once you’re in the portal by clicking the help icon.

While the focus of the refreshed portal is improved navigation, there is a new Personal Profile application for employees. Learn more below.

How to access personal information:

Once you log onto EBS, you will see a menu bar on the left side of your screen. To access personal information, you will click on the “My Personal Information” tab.

This tab brings you to the Personal Information homepage. To access information related to you and your employment, click on the “Personal Profile” tile on the far left.

Once you are on the Personal Profile page, you are able to view items such as your bank information, emergency contact information, and tax withholdings.  New in the refreshed EBS portal, you can also see your salary data, retirement eligibility and benefits eligibility. Retirement eligibility lists information relevant to when an employee can retire.  Benefits eligibility lists dates related to benefits, longevity, and long term disability.

You can update bank information and tax withholdings by clicking the pencil icon in the upper right hand corner of those sections and filling in the necessary information.

If you need additional help outside of the portal, you can contact the HR Solutions Center at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.

Go2Gateway coming to a close

The Go2Gateway project began more than a year ago, and now, as all employees have transitioned to the refreshed EBS portal, it is coming to a close. We would like to thank everyone involved in Go2Gateway, from the Human Resources IT team to all of the MSU employees that provided essential feedback. We also had great participation in our in-person and online road shows. The support of the MSU community for the project has been instrumental in its success. Continue Reading… Go2Gateway coming to a close

Learn how to navigate difficult conversations in new elevateU class series

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Watch the Difficult Conversations: MSU Series overview video.

MSU depends on its employees to support its myriad of operations and initiatives that continually advance the university as a top-tier research and education institution. Performance Excellence provides the tools and structure to aid employees’ continued development. Throughout the Performance Excellence process, supervisors and employees need to have conversations that can be difficult on both ends if they involve differing opinions or pointing out unmet expectations. It takes specific skills to navigate these conversations effectively.

To aid employees in this process, MSU Professional Development Services is pleased to offer a new series of online classes within elevateU titled Difficult Conversations: MSU Series. Watch the overview video.Continue Reading… Learn how to navigate difficult conversations in new elevateU class series

Performance Excellence Goal Setting and Development Planning Differences

As part of the new Performance Excellence process, all MSU staff are expected to set goals and establish a professional development plan for the year. There is a distinct purpose for each, and both are intended to help the individual succeed and move the university forward. The following definitions will provide more clarity on the distinctions between goal setting and development planning.

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Performance Excellence Process

In terms of goal setting, most staff members have numerous tasks that contribute to carrying out their position effectively. Sometimes it can be confusing as to what tasks or behaviors are a priority for the unit or that individual specifically. Setting goals is a way to bring clarity in regards to priorities and expectations for the year ahead. The goals don’t encompass everything that is expected, but those items that are seen as key for the coming year.

On the other hand, professional development identifies priority learning activities for the employee for the year ahead. Ongoing technological advances and the rapid pace of change make it imperative that all staff engage in learning activities each year. Development items can involve technical skills, such as using Outlook effectively or mastering the use of particular equipment, or it could involve more broadly needed skills such as communicating effectively or leading others. The skill building activity could include an online or instructor-led class, an opportunity to lead a project, job shadowing or other activities.

In short, the differences could be defined as:

  • Goals identify key items the individual will achieve
  • Development plan items identify skills the individual will learn or strengthen

It is imperative that supervisors work collaboratively with staff members to identify the goals and development plan items. Each party should come to the performance planning meeting with ideas for the items and jointly determine the final lists.

For further instructions around these issues, consider taking the following classes through Professional Development Services:

Supervisor Strategies for Effective Performance Planning

Boost Your Career – a class that will be offered in the fall to help staff explore their interests and to be active participants in goal setting and development planning.

Protect and clean up your devices

Summer is a great time to clean a multitude of things in our lives. Your home, car and even your computer and other electronic gadgets.  Make sure you get the most out of your computer, tablet and phone by keeping them clean and safe by following these easy tips:

  • Change passwords that have been in place for longer than 60 days.  Learn to create strong passwords at SecureIT.msu.edu.
  • Make sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware is up to date on all devices, and set the program to auto-update and scan on a regular basis.SecureIT Website
  • Update your operating system to the latest version your device will support.
  • Add a security code or screen lock to your phone and tablet so that if it is ever misplaced or stolen, it is harder for someone else to use.
  • Refresh your understanding of phishing and how to avoid being a victim at SecureIT.msu.edu.
  • Backup files on your personal devices to a reputable cloud service or portable hard drive.
  • Uninstall apps on your phone or tablet that you’re not using anymore; they’re taking up valuable storage space.

The SecureIT.msu.edu website is a great resource to learn safe computing best practices.

MSU Mentors Program for Support Staff

The MSU Mentors Program for support staff is returning in 2016 and is currently seeking both mentors and mentees to participate. This program is an important part of providing networking and professional development opportunities, strengthening one’s understanding of MSU’s culture and structure, and creating a vital link between organizational memory and future innovation.

mentorThe program will run from October 2016 through early August 2017. Both mentors and mentees will be asked to commit to attending a six-hour orientation in October and to meet two hours per month.

Mentee benefits include:

  • Access to support system during key stages of career development
  • Gain an experienced perspective on navigating your career and approaching your work
  • Broaden your professional network
  • Identify skill gaps and how to bridge them
  • Get honest, informational feedback
  • Increase your understanding of business practices and institutional knowledge

Mentor benefits include:

  • Further develop coaching, communication and leadership skills
  • Help to develop and retain talent in the organization
  • Exchange ideas and perspectives on your work and career
  • Broaden your network and extend it to another
  • Gain personal satisfaction from helping someone else develop
  • Learn more about yourself through helping others

For more information, visit the MSU Mentors Program page or contact Kathie Elliott at elliott.k@hr.msu.edu or 517-884-8894. For those interested in being a mentee or mentor, contact Kathie Elliott for an application. In order to evaluate matches, please return all applications by July 1.

New Performance Excellence ratings begin July 1

MSU_PE_Brand2Since Performance Excellence began six months ago, we have experienced great support and participation from MSU supervisors and support staff. As you saw in the online training, we have taken a phased approach to changing the performance management process. We’d like to give you a heads-up on an upcoming change in the Annual Review form.

If you have a performance review due after July 1, 2016, supervisors will have four options to choose from on the Annual Review Form, instead of the current two options. The four-rating system provides you and your supervisor with more options to better define your performance and professional development over the previous year.

If your next review is due before July 1, 2016, you need to use the current ratings system, in which the supervisor selects one of two ratings on the Annual Review form:

  • Meets/exceeds expectations
  • Does not meet expectations (requires a Performance Improvement Plan)

If your next review is due after July 1, 2016, you need to use the new ratings system, in which the supervisor will select one of four ratings on the Annual Review form:

  • Does not meet expectations (requires a Performance Improvement Plan)
  • Developing
  • Meets expectations
  • Exceeds expectations

Guidelines for each of the levels can be found on the Annual Review form, which will be updated and available on the website on Friday, July 1.

For further information on Performance Excellence, including the official forms, support tools and FAQs, please visit the website.

TIAA’s New Woman to Woman Workshops

Coming to Michigan State April 19 and 20, TIAA is offering two new financial essentials workshops tailored to meet women’s needs.

Portrait of a female executive working with others.

“Attention to detail: Financial finishing touches for women” is an interactive workshop on organizing your complex investments and assets and on developing an estate plan. It will be held twice on Tuesday, April 19; first from 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., second from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “Inside money: Managing income and debt” will be held on Wednesday, April 20th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The workshop focuses on utilizing a budget and understanding the effects of good and bad debt.

Both will be held in the Lake Huron Room at the MSU Union. Breakfast or lunch will be provided at either of the workshops and there is no cost to attend. Register here or call 800-732-8353 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). Take this opportunity to learn about preparing for the future! We hope to see you there!