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Assist Managers

When managers come to you with questions about difficult situations, you may be able to help them on your own or you may want to refer them to Employee and Management Services (EMS) for help with the more-complex issues. EMS offers the following services to assist employees in understanding policies, managing performance, and dealing with workplace concerns.

Consultation and Coaching

EMS functions on an informal basis and is here to assist all employees with the following services:

  • Answering questions or providing clarification on policies and procedures
  • Reviewing drafts and giving feedback on documents, such as rebuttals
  • Meeting privately with employees to discuss workplace concerns
  • Listening, and identifying and re-framing issues
  • Developing a range of responsible options
  • Clarifying available university resources
  • Encouraging best practices
  • Offering informal third-party interventions
  • Helping develop new ways to solve problems

EMS offers consultation and coaching services to managers on the following topics:

  • Leadership skills
  • Performance management
  • Strategies to recognize, reward, and value achievement, effort, and performance
  • Strategies to build solid team relationships through collaboration and respect
  • Strategies to cultivate a team environment that challenges, motivates, and rewards employees
  • Strategies for change management, and
  • Strategies to conquer negative thinking, reduce conflict, and foster a cooperative spirit

How to Request Consultation and Coaching Services

Consultations and coaching sessions are generally scheduled for an hour, in which employees either talk on the phone or meet privately with an EMS representative. Depending on the nature of their concerns, employees may meet with EMS just once or schedule a series of meetings. To schedule a consultation, have employees contact their EMS representative or call the EMS main number at 512-475-7200.

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Discussion Groups and Training

EMS provides relevant and interesting roundtable discussions and training sessions that increase employees' understanding of policies and enhance the quality of the university's work environment. You can check online to see if there are any upcoming work/life events and training sessions that may be relevant to managers' or other employees’ concerns. In addition, you may contact EMS at 512-475-7200 if you are interested in arranging a customized training program for your department.

Discussion Groups for Non-supervisory Employees

EMS periodically schedules policy-discussion groups for non-supervisory employees, in which two policies are generally covered during each one-hour meeting. Prior to the scheduled discussion, employees are encouraged to identify questions and make note of policies of interest. Call EMS at 512-475-7200 to find out if there are any scheduled policy-discussion groups coming up.

Discussion Groups for Managers

You may wish to schedule ongoing discussion groups for managers and supervisors in your department. This will give managers an opportunity to discuss topics of interest or problem-solve questions and concerns. Group meetings may also include guest speakers from HRS to address specific questions, depending on participants' interests. If you're interested in scheduling a discussion group for your department, contact your EMS representative or call the EMS main office at 512-475-7200.

Coaching Groups for Managers

In addition to the option of hosting departmental discussion groups, you may want to take advantage of the multi-session managers' and first-time-supervisors’ coaching groups that HRS offers several times each year. These groups are designed to help managers and supervisors set and meet professional goals, identify supervisory challenges and create strategies to address them, learn about other university resources for managers, and receive support and guidance from other managers and supervisors. These meetings include discussion, article reading, role-play, mini-presentations, and follow-up on goals identified in the first meeting. Group sizes are limited, so participants should make a commitment to attend all of the meetings within the series.

Some of these are offered by the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and some are co-facilitated by EAP and EMS. Check the work/life calendar of events for upcoming supervisors' and managers' coaching groups.

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