Transcript Supervision within a Virtual Environment

Jeffrey Hughes, Region Manager
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
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2006 – Indiana DFR - plans for privatization
2006 – Indiana VRS – plans VO Concept
document imaging, electronic signature,
laptop/aircard, reduction of office space
October 2008 – Huntingburg burns down
June 2009 – Virtual Office Toolkit
The rest falls into place…
Indiana VR will develop a listing of supervisor
competencies for successfully operating
within a virtual environment, implement
training of supervisors on these
competencies, and ensure the acquisition and
retention of these competencies so as to
further the agency mission.
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Literature Review
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Verification
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Measure
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Training Development and Implementation
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Service Learning Projects
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Buy In
A supervisor’s attitude and behavior impacts
how their staff perceives virtual office. Thus,
they must buy in to the idea.
Hiring Virtual Workers
Supervisors can increase success by selecting
workers who are well-suited for virtual work.
Thus, they need to understand what skills are
needed to work in a virtual environment.
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Communication
Communication is basic to leadership and
management. Thus, with a virtual office
environment, the re-evaluation of
communication patterns needs to be completed
and understood.
Trust
Because the establishment of trust among virtual
workers is harder to build and maintain,
supervisors need to focus heavily on actions that
build trust.
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Identification
An important issue for virtual employees is
their connectedness to their organization.
Thus, supervisors need to help keep their
virtual staff feeling engaged in the agency.
Knowledge Management
When expertise is no longer available down
the hall (in the form of a coworker),
Supervisors need to capture, store, and
manage information in an accessible format.
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Technology
Communication is crucial to virtual office success.
Different technologies facilitate different types of
communication. It is up to the Supervisor to know
what technology to use and when to use it.
Performance Management and Employee Evaluation
Traditional supervisors are aware of employee activity
because they can see and hear work being done.
Thus, supervisors of virtual employees must
understand and rely upon different cues for office
success.
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All competencies - Very Important or Essential
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The top three:
◦ Trust between supervisors and employees
◦ Building communication norms
◦ Identification at the area level
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Bottom two:
◦ Being able to resolve technical problems
◦ Buy-in
Buy-In
Scale: Commitment to Change (Affective & Normative) Source: Herscovitch & Meyer, 2002
Scale Statistics (1=Strongly Disagree – 5=Strongly Agree):
Min: 3.00 Max: 4.55
Mean: 3.51 SD: 0.49
Reliability (Chronbach’s Alpha): Affective: 0.893 Normative: 0.827 Total: 0.843
Scale Items: Descriptive Statistics
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std. Deviation
I feel a sense of duty to work toward the virtual office. 19
N
3.00
5.00
3.9474
.5
The virtual office serves an important purpose.
3.00
5.00
3.7778
.64676
It would be irresponsible of me to resist the virtual office.
19
2.00
5.00
3.7368
I believe in the value of the virtual office initiative.
2.00
5.00
3.7368
.73349
19
2.00
5.00
3.5789
18
19
.80568
I do not think it would be right of me to oppose the
virtual office.
1.01739
I think that management is making a mistake by
introducing the virtual office. (R)
19
2.00
5.00
3.5789
.69248
The virtual office is not necessary. (R)
19
3.00
4.00
3.5263
.51299
The virtual office is a good strategy for this organization.
18
2.00
5.00
3.3889
Things would be better without the virtual office. (R)
1.00
5.00
3.2105
.85498
I would not feel badly about opposing the virtual office. (R)
19
19
2.00
5.00
3.1579
I would feel guilty about opposing the virtual office.
1.00
5.00
3.0000
1.00000
19
.91644
.83421
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Buy-In
Supervisors understand the concept of Virtual
Office, support it, and understand their role
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Hiring
Supervisors know desirable qualities of virtual
workers, desire to hire based upon these qualities,
but do not always have a reliable system to do so.
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Communication
Supervisors know how to communicate in the
quantity, quality, and timeliness for their staff, they
set clear expectations and are flexible.
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Trust
Supervisors have built and maintained trust with
their counselors.
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Agency Identification
Identification with the statewide agency was
strong. Identification with their local area office
was even stronger.
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Knowledge Management
Best practices for knowledge management and an
improved method for storing/accessing knowledge
are needed.
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Technology
Supervisors and staff understand how to use
existing technology but struggle when issues arise
or new technology is introduced.
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Evaluation
Supervisors have good evaluation skills but lack the
knowledge of standards for evaluating staff who
work ‘virtually.’
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Uh OH!!!
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Redesign
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New Methodology
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Monday – Independent Study Sent
Wednesday – Reminder
Friday – Conversation and Homework Due
8 Weeks!!!
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Original Idea: Each Supervisor does their own.
Implementation: Consolidation
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Develop system for managing electronic documents
Develop communication best practices
Develop new standards for counselor evaluation
Develop process for identifying service needs
Develop baseline for technological ability
Re-develop guide to virtual office
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Developing training into new supervisor
training
Still doing SLP’s
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Management changes
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Competing Priorities
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Historical Perspectives
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Sustainability
Jeffrey Hughes
Region Manager
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services
[email protected]
317-502-3050