Organizational Effectiveness Group

"Sharing Best Practices"

There is a huge amount of knowledge out there in Nebraska State agencies and we here at OEG would like to encourage you to share your knowledge.

Sharing Best Practices...

is one way for you to share your successes and struggles with others so that we may all partner together to find solutions.  You see, where one agency may be struggling, another one may have it all figured out.

Read and Share.

We believe that our experts are already here in State Government.

It's just a matter of sharing.

Best Practices for...

• Building Pride
• Selection Possibilities

• Celebration, Recognition & Appreciation

Building Pride

We'd like to thank the following agencies for their contribution:

Department of Labor, Department of Education, Department of Revenue, Game & Parks Commission, Public Employees Retirement Systems, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Motor Vehicles

• have agency meetings (staff meetings) – give your people the opportunity to share in front of the agency director
• give your staff "pat on the back" opportunities
• send your people to high level meetings they usually wouldn't get a chance to attend
• top level joins in the “grunt” work
• be on a first-name basis with supervisors and director
• team awareness – recognize that we’re all working toward the same goals
• let them/us see the results
• closer customer contacts – see/know your impact
• give/take permission to be enthusiastic
• direct links to our consumers – build trust, build relationships, change dynamics
• invest time in your people
• deregulate – move from enforcement to service (no longer “out to get you” attitude)
• unleash the pride – give them ownership/control of their area
• delegate your responsibilities to your team – give it away, and let others run with it
• give your people freedom to find their own solutions
• turn people into mentors
• let them make the decision – “what do you think we should do?”
• “continuous improvement journey” - let them research, and find better ways
• have them develop an “improvement plan”
• share/raise awareness of the successes
• buy the team lunch once in a while
• awards program – prizes attached
• give drops – “drops in the bucket”
• have an outing at a Saltdogs game
• prizes / contests
• “golden waffle” award – intervening in or dealing with a difficult situation
• share

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Selection Possibilities

We'd like to thank the following agencies for their contribution:

Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services System, Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Department of Motor Vehicles, Game & Parks Commission, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Education

• give applicants "in-basket" exercises - have them actually perform parts of the job
• ask for writing samples
• give applicants physical tests, i.e., carrying weights, dumping gasoline (if the job requires the activity)
• give applicants scenarios to play out
• encourage your whole team to get involved in the selection process
• look for recruitment/selection innovations (Southwest Airlines for example)
• if in doubt, ask if it's okay
• give feedback to the applicants on how they did
• include customers in the selection process
• ask the applicant, "What's the reputation of our organization?"
• hire an intern & mold them for a future recruitment possibility
• SOS State Temps
• recruit from target communities
• get all the applicants in the same interview
• have the applicant go to lunch with one of your staff
• after the interview, have the applicant sit with one of your staff to see if they think it's a good fit

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Celebration, Recognition & Appreciation

We'd like to thank the following agencies for their contribution:

Department of Revenue and Property Assessment & Taxation

• food day
• bring a special treat
• create and name your own award
• just do it

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