ITA Best Place to Work Suggestions |
|||||
Submitted by |
Date of Suggestion(s) |
Suggestion(s) |
Additonal Information |
# |
|
| USFCS Employee | 8/1/2007 | ||||
| 1. Congressional Outreach brochure called the "Indiana Export Referece Guide". This guide is given to Congressional representatives in all of Indiana's districts with a specific success story targeted to each district. I am attaching a sample PDF below. It was published in a booklet form. | 1 |
||||
| 2.Under the auspices of the Manufacturing Team. I have developed a few samples of a an IMS (Industry Market Summary). These reports summarize in brief the findings of more detailed ISA's in a user friendly and a "USA Today" style format. I have seven of them completed. I have kept them to a two page format and credited the original ISA author in each case. I see these ISM's as a separate type of report from the standard ISA's but in a more contemporary design. Let me know what you think. | 2 |
||||
| 3. Well here is my first take at a 3 minute podcast on ROHS and WEEE. I plan to use it on our DEC website. | 3 |
||||
| 4. I would also like to suggest that each post (Embassy) have a 2 minute video profile from the SCO on their market that could be downloaded from the web. | 4 |
||||
| 5. I think that ITA should have an initiative that focuses on development of international trade skills that allows an ITA employee to do some type of cross training within ITA 's different units. In additon to this, we could expand this concept to other agencies. For example, cross- functional training is common in business but doesn't seem to be so in government. MAC, IMPORT and CS could have some sort of cross functional development mechanism for training. Such training might enable employee to have a 'big picture' view of the agency instead of the silo mentality that is so common. As an extension, some employees might receive training in USTR, the UN or the World Bank on job swap or detail programs. | 5 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/1/2007 | ||||
| 1. I suggest that regular employees" be included in the various decision making processes. For instance, if a panel has been assembled to hire a new manager, include an employee on the panel who will select the new manager. The people who perform the job duties know best what is needed in a manager. | 6 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/2/2007 | ||||
| 1. I propose to have someone placed in ODUS whose sole or primary responsibility is to monitor and ensure cooperation and collaboration between CS, IA, MAC, and MAS. That person would report directly to Michelle on a regular basis. (My observation is that ODUS oversees all 4 units individually, but does not have a solid mechanism in place to either gauge precisely that the 4 units are working as cohesively as possible with each other, or more specifically, resolve problems/issues between units.) This proposed position would be likened to a "Supra-A/S" position by duty, if not title. | 7 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/2/2007 | ||||
| 1. create a team of senior people to hear grievances and train them in dispute resolution techniques -promote team membership and the training offered as important and prestigious - generate best practices from resolved disputes and use as training tools - more experienced team members can mentor less experienced ones -promote team members to the ITA family6. offer negotiation and conflict resolution skills to all ITA employees and create online tutorials to build skills - explore categorizing disputes, offering a speedy resolution track for less serious problems -create a process for systematic followup of formally resolved disputes--offering customized support and mentoring when the facts of the dispute warrant |
8 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/2/2007 | ||||
| 1. I would suggest that ITA adopt a rotational assignment program whereby ITA employees are given the opportunity to work in another ITA office (or DOC office for that matter) on a temporary basis. This would enable ITA employees to not only learn and grow, but would provide ITA with a cross-pollination of ideas and best practices. Rotational assignments would not only enhance ITA employees' professional development, but would also improve employee engagement. | 9 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/2/2007 | ||||
| 1. All employees (including political appointees and supervisors) should undergo 360 degree performance appraisals. This will allow employees who are in non-supervisory positions to have an opportunity to provide feedback to their managers. This will also allow managers and senior executives to identify their own developmental needs (from the perspective of the people they manage) and will help them to become better managers and leaders. | 10 |
||||
| 2. There should be an ITA Suggestion Box in which people can annonymously place suggestions on how to make ITA a better place or things that can be improved. Whoever administers this box can then pass the suggestions to one of the three "Go Teams," or perhaps another team can be developed to work only on the suggestions received in this box. | 11 |
||||
| 3. All ITA units (IA, CS, MAC, MAS) should encourage their employees to participate in leadership training opportunities. This encouragement needs to come from direct line supervisors such as Program Managers and Directors, who should be briefed on why this type of training (thought it might seem like an inconvenience while the employee is away from the office) is actually good for their employees and also for their offices in the long run. | 12 |
||||
| 4. ITA should allow all employees (not just PMFs or those in leadership programs) to have the opportunity to do a "rotation" to another ITA unit after a certain number of years of service. For example, if an IA employee has been with his/her office for 2 years, they should be automatically eligible to do a rotation to another unit or office of ITA for a month or two. Often times, highly qualified individuals will leave ITA altogether rather than explore units that might be a better fit for them. I had an opportunity to do a rotation through the Aspiring Leaders Development Program, and found it to be an excellent experience, and one which strengthened my understanding and commitment to the mission of our organization. I think this is something that more employees would benefit from. | 13 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/3/2007 | ||||
| 1. I propose that we develop a training track to be put in place focusing on the critical first 5 years of an employee’s career with the Commercial Service. The training track would be designed to integrate an annual weeklong overseas training experience during each of the first 5 years of a junior professionals career to give these employees a grounding in each of the World's regions providing the critical fundamentals needed to credibly counsel U.S. firms. After the completion of this track, employees would be better positioned to be on their own to seek further overseas professional development opportunities through the traditional means, such as, TDYs, trade missions, trade shows, etc. Since, this would be a new program filling an existing void, we also need to identify all those who lack overseas market experience and determine a method for correcting this professional development deficiency. | 14 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/6/2007 | ||||
| 1. think it might be helpful if ITA develops a very simple (keep it simple!) database accessible in Ourplace (i.e., throughout ITA) that provided a centralized resource library of training courses outside of ITA that employees have attended. The database could give simple information of vendor, cost, location, website, and give some sort of indication of how useful employees found the training to be. | 15 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/9/2007 | ||||
| 1. ITA should adopt a competition-based, incentivized, team-oriented, cross-organizational approach to strategic thinking and planning at lower levels, independent of immediate supervisors. | 16 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/15/2007 | ||||
| 1. I suggest allowing employees the opportunity to have input in a supervisor's annual evaluation in a category that measures whether the supervisor is treating his/her staff with respect. The input would need to be anonymous and have some weight to it. Allowing this bottom-up evaluation will go a long way toward reining in bad behavior. | 17 |
||||
| 2. ITA needs to do an audit of every office within ITA to determine whether human resources are being used properly. This would involved visiting each office over a certain period of time and asking questions of the staff. Excess staff could be given the opportunity to move without competing (if qualified) to another office that is short-staffed. | 18 |
||||
| 3. I suggest that all cash awards be given publicly so that employees are recognized for their performance, coworkers can share in the celebration and learn what performances are rewarded and strife to achieve that performance level. | 19 |
||||
| 4. I suggest holding supervisors accountable if there are employees that have not been given an opportunity to do something that would earn him/her an award. If at the end of the fiscal year, there are employees in an office that have not received an award and there are a small number of employees that have received a large percentage of the award money, then the supervisor should have to justify why that employee did not receive an award and put together a plan of action to help the employee receive an award during the new fiscal year. | 20 |
||||
| 5. I suggest developing continuing education requirements for ITA staff in categories that are tied to ITA's strategic plan. | 21 |
||||
| MAS Employee | 8/15/2007 | ||||
| 1. Allow Manufacturing and Services (MAS) Trade Specialists to participate in the Commercial Service’s Temporary Duty Assignments (TDY) for a one/two/three month tour in key markets for their respective industries. These markets could include China, India, Brazil, Russia and other countries that are major U.S. competitors in emerging technologies. | 22 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/15/2007 | USFCS | |||
| 1. I think OPM's Individual Learning Accounts (ILA) program could be very beneficial to our agency. Here's a link to the OPM website: http://www.opm.gov/hrd/lead/ila/ilarpt-A.asp | 23 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/15/2007 | USFCS | |||
| 1. I would like to suggest that existing managers and prospective managers (those about to be selected for a particular position) be required to take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) This would be an excellent tool, along with interviews, recommendations, etc. for helping to determine the suitability of an individual for a management position. At some point, I would like to see the MMPI administered to all ITA employees. I understand that the MMPI is currently used by the military for commissioned and non-commisioned officer candidates. | 24 |
||||
| CFO-ADMIN Employee | 8/16/2007 | ||||
| 1. I believe that an increased focus on recruiting and retaining ITA's young employees would be a simple yet effective way of improving ITA. ITA could establish a mentor program where new young employees can meet up with other young employees who have been in ITA for a few years to make new friendships, meet new colleagues, and realize that ITA is a great place for young professionals to work. ITA could also establish a "Young ITA" group where young ITA employees could get together periodically for lunch, listen to guest speakers from different areas of ITA, or just enjoy a happy hour or frisbee game after work (I've seen some of this organized by individual employees, but I think a concentrated ITA effort would be more effective). ITA could also reach out to students at local universities to give them a better understanding of what ITA does and opportunities that could exist for them, and have them meet with current ITA young employees. ITA should also encourage its employees to join Departmental leadership development programs (such as the Aspiring Leaders Development Program (ALDP)) to learn valuable leadership skills. With so much talk about the aging federal workforce, ITA must do everything it can to retain its current young employees. | 25 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/16/2007 | ||||
| 1. It is a web-based portal for exporters to find USG help. It uses a form/software much like Turbo Tax. A summary of the "Export Expert" is attached as a powerpoint presentation. | Export Expert Powerpoint Presentation | 26 |
|||
| IA Employee | 8/15/2007 | ||||
| 1. I always wished that communication with top-level ITA management could be more open and interactive. In that regard, a possible vehicle for that could be an electronic message board that would be on Ourplace where ITAer's could post messages (with ground rules) for various ITA senior managers and leadership to respond to. The board would be open to all to read and would allow for a much needed improvement in communication flow. | 27 |
||||
| OCIO Employee | 8/15/2007 | ||||
| 1. Michelle should issue every ITA manager and employee a permission slip to take an action to improve ITA. The permission slip would allow for non-attribution and prohibit negative feedback from managers at all levels on the employees or manager for taking an improvement action. Along with the permission slip would be a "Carpe Diem" or Seize the Day" certificate granted (issued automatically via database) and pre-signed by Michelle that applauds the work of the named employee or manager for "Improving ITA in Some Small Way". End result would be to change attitudes of all in ITA for taking responsible action without going to their supervisor or seeking approval of their idea. Assumption here is that we have many talented folks in ITA- both managers and staff employees that are not taking action or steps to improve because they "need permission" or need to run it up the flag pole. | 28 |
||||
| USFCS Employee | 8/15/2007 | ||||
| 1. On way to improve itself, is to hire people from business experience. I understand why we hire young people out of school, but were is the creditability. How do they relate to as company, when they have no idea what the company is thinking? | 29 |
||||
| 2. I suggest we create a small group of employees with 20 years of business experience or more and allow them to work one-on-one with all employees all across ITA. You could take 4 people, probably with 100 years of business experience and with in 10-12 mos share more experiences/knowledge than individuals could get in 100 training sessions. | 30 |
||||
| IA Employee | 8/16/2007 | ||||
| 1) To promote ITA team culture (or collaboration) and further educate employees on the myriad elements of international trade and the interconnection between ITA's components (MAC, CS, MAS, IA, ADMIN, CIO), establish a 2-3 week mentor/shadow program that would - - for a short period - - allow well trained and accomplished staff members from one area of ITA to do job shadows with individuals from other areas of ITA. To make this a fun/interesting program, we could tie the job shadows to the more exciting elements of jobs here in ITA. For example, a person from IA would shadow someone from CS in the preparation and attendance of a trade fair, and then the person from CS would shadow the person from IA in the preparation and conduct of a verification. | 31 |
||||
| 2) Eliminate hiring freezes as a way to control costs/reduce expenses. Hiring freezes hurt retention, because they give the existing employees the impression that their job or income is in danger, encouraging them to seek employment elsewhere. Instead, pursue other ways to reduce costs. For example, create a team of office directors/managers and assign them to find ways to further consolidate ITA units/programs, increase controls on technology expenditures, and engage their employees in concerted efforts to control travel and overhead expenses (not eliminate travel, just how much we spend on each trip). ITA should also perform a through cost-benefit analysis of all of its oversea posts to see if it would be cheaper to have employees travel to the country to perform the duties rather than incur the expense of maintaining a full time post. | 32 |
||||
| 3) Provide free bottled water and coffee service for all ITA employees in a "Break Room" that has TVs, pool tables, ping pong, etc. | 33 |
||||
| CFO-ADMIN Employee | 8/16/2007 | ||||
| 1. I would like to propose that ITA pilot a peer award program. One of the complaints about typical awards programs is that Managers favor certain employees, some employees work on more visible projects, the process is unfair etc. Some ideas for a Peer award program: -all non supervisory staff may participate -non-managerial staff nominate and select a committee to run the program -committee members serve for six months to a year, they may nominate, but cannot receive awards |
34 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/16/2007 | ||||
| 1. Ideas to explore: Are there innovative ways to advance promising employees? Can there be more flexibility, such as job exchanges either within one part of ITA or across ITA, so that employees have increased understanding of the ITA mission? |
35 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/17/2007 | ||||
| 1. The solution to this problem is massive restructuring. And yes, I realize it would require an act of Congress. USDOC and USTR need to be brought back together into a single bureaucracy. | 36 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/17/2007 | ||||
| 1. When the usual awards are given to ITA employees, in addition to the customary certificate/plaque and monetary component, winners are also given either an ITA tie (male) or ITA scarf (female).
These items would have the ITA logo/brand emblazoned on them in a tasteful, understated fashion, and would be of reasonably nice quality (i.e. not polyester). The award tie/scarfs could only be won, not purchased or otherwise acquired, and they would be only for the civil service – it is important that political appointees or contractors not be eligible for them. |
Additonal Information | 37 |
|||
| MAC Employee | 8/22/2007 | ||||
| 1. I would suggest creating an area on our ITA website to share testimonies from key stakeholders (sound bites from representatives of major express delivery companies or top retailers, etc.) that talk about how to use ITA's services and the benefits from using these services. These testimonies should be based on discussions with small, medium, and large company representatives. A company like NORTEL (handled the webcasting for ACF conference) could produce these packages or ITA could hold discussions in our HQ video room or video rooms around the country at our Trade Centers in order to produce the package. As you know, ITA has a lot of information that is available to the public, but I think it needs to be better packaged to get the public's attention. I think the multi-media packaging of the "101-level primers/brief testimonies" on what these companies are doing, or did (best practices), to move trade more efficiently and to make their companies more competitive would be one way to get the public better in "tune" to ITA. | 38 |
||||
| MAS Employee | 8/22/2007 | ||||
| 1. Implement the student load reimbursement program. Many other agencies and the Hill are using this program and it improves morale and retention. | 39 |
||||
| MAS Employee | 8/22/2007 | ||||
| 1. Be more open to details outside the agency, particularly on hte Hill and at agencies other than USTR | 40 |
||||
| IA Employee | 8/24/2007 | ||||
| 1. I suggest that we create a section in our case files/history (under Lotus Workspace) where team members can insert their schdules keep there coleques abreast of there normal work schedule (i.e., aws and telecomuting days) and their scheduled leave. | 41 |
||||
| MAC Employee | 8/29/2007 | ||||
| 1. Gym: Renovating the COHO gym would be the most obvious place to start, although likely too expensive. The facilities we have now are cramped, out of date, and unappealing. A less expensive option would be for ITA to organize a group membership rate at a nearby gym. |
42 |
||||
| 2. Locker Rooms: Much less expensive, and more urgently needed is a renovation of the "joggers" locker rooms (located in the basement at the corner of the 3rd and zero corridors). Many people don't know that there are free locker rooms and lockers available. However, the paint has bubbled and peeled off the walls and ceiling, and the showers back up and flood, making this a very unappealing option. |
43 |
||||
| 3. Bike Room: ITA should encourage employees to commute by bicycle. The bike parking area is cluttered with abandoned bikes that need to be removed. Also, many agencies offer a metrochek style subsidy to those who commute by bike. |
44 |
||||