ASR Staff Engagement June 17th Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey 6/17/2021 examines our work preferences. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

According to the results of the last survey, most respondents think their team/unit understands their role in ASR very well (60.7%). When evaluating the efficiency of team/unit communications on a 1 to 5 scale (1 – strongly disagree, 5 – strongly agree), most assigned a rating of ‘4’ for their team/unit’s communication efficiency (39.3%), closely followed by ‘5’ (28.6%) and ‘3’ (25%). The survey results also indicate that most feel they have sufficient back-up when they are out of the office (53.6%), while 46.4% felt that they sometimes or didn’t have sufficient back-up to help cover job duties.

Finally, when asked about favorite State Fair (or any fair foods), cheese curds were the most popular response. Corn dogs, mini donuts, fried pickles, and Sweet Martha’s cookies were popular responses as well. Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey, as well as some articles relating to the questions, are available below.

June 3, 2021 survey results

How well do you think your team or unit understands your role in ASR?

• 60.7% Very well
• 32.1% Somewhat well
• 7.1% Not well

My team/unit communicates efficiently (1-5 scale)

• 28.6% 5 – Strongly agree
• 39.9% 4
• 25% 3
• 7.1% 2
• 0% 1 - Strongly disagree

Check out “Communicating Your Way To A Better 2021 (And Beyond)” from Forbes to learn how to apply what we’ve learned over the last year regarding communication.

When you are out of the office, do you feel that you have sufficient back-up to help cover your duties?

• 53.6% Yes
• 25% Sometimes
• 21.4% No

“15 Out of Office Messages for Professionals” from Indeed contains tips for writing Out of Office messages.

What are your favorite State Fair (or any Fair) foods?

• Mini donuts
• Cheese curds
• Fried twinkies
• Rootbeer floats
• Pizza on a stick
• Sweet Martha’s!
• Fried Green Tomatoes

Check out “Looking Ahead to the Great Minnesota Get Back Together” from the Twin Cities Eater, which discusses the upcoming Minnesota State Fair and all of its great food!

Upcoming organizational work

The two following teams will be exploring how we can align and improve the use of organizational reporting lines and networks within ASR. The team composition as well as the questions and topics they will be exploring are available below.

Continuity & Compliance/OTR Alignment Group
Sponsors: Ingrid Nuttall & Stacey Tidball

Questions to explore

• Should OTR and C&C combine into a single unit, including changes to reporting structure and organizational hierarchy?
• If so, what would be the benefits and drawbacks to such a change?
• If so, do certain areas make more sense to combine than others?
• If not, what is the value of remaining individual units?
• How can we promote professional development and growth more effectively between our units?
• What outstanding questions must be answered before taking any additional steps?
• What additional areas for exploration should we keep in mind?

Team

• Sarah Kussow (OCM)
• Amber Cellotti (OTR)
• Carin Anderson (C&C)
• Tracy Fischer (ASR Central-SDP)
• Betsy Everts (One Stop)
• Carolee Cohen (ASR-IT)
• Kristin Basballe (OSF)

ASR Operations Group: Aligning Networks
Sponsors: Julie Selander & Jaime Wascalus

Questions and topics to explore

• How can the ASR Operations Group serve as the main hub for work prioritization across ASR (IT and non-IT)?
• How can the ASR Operations Group serve as a network of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that help support the operational and strategic activities across ASR?
• Reflect on the past year of work and accomplishments and identify best practices and lessons learned to help guide the ASR Operations Group going forward
• Determine the scope of the ASR Operations Group’s responsibilities and metrics for measuring success
• Analyze the group’s membership to determine if the appropriate SMEs are incorporated into the ASR Operations Group
• Analyze the current prioritization process and identify where improvements could be made, if any (e.g., how do we prioritize executive initiatives, or deprioritize when priority initiatives arise?)

Team

• Kristy Davis (ASR-IT)
• Nate Peterson (One Stop)
• Christopher Smith (OTR)
• Stephanie Sutton (C&C)
• Jennifer Selander (OCM)
• Nate Rosckes (OSF)
• Rachel McKessock (ASR Central-SDP)

Parking updates

Many of you have had questions about what parking will look like when we return to campus as many of us will likely have a hybrid schedule. Facilities Management had a meeting last week with some updates:

• Parking and Transportation Services (PTS) is promoting the existing contract options as the best value.
• A review of the different parking options can be found in this Parking and Transit PDF.
• PTS does not have a way to manage part-time contracts with their systems.
• Staff can coordinate a shared contract:
• One person has to pay the full pay-roll deduction and then receive funds from another employee. PTS will not be the broker for the transactions.
• Individuals can add license plates to gain entrance into facilities.
• Individuals can purchase a PTS Parking Card (PPC) to mimic UCard functionality for the additional staff.

The parking systems only allow one vehicle (license plate or card) across the system. Staff will need to coordinate who is parking on a given day.

UX and Content Strategy team

The ASR Communications team will now be known as the UX and Content Strategy team. They will be visiting each unit in ASR over the next two months to discuss their new name and how it better reflects their work. While the team can still be reached by their old email address, we encourage you to contact them at asrux@umn.edu for any questions or requests.

Update from Stacey

Welcome to June! I want to share this year’s Accomplishments & Goals document with you, so you can all see a summary of our great work over this difficult year. It’s an impressive collection of projects and improvements for our students. 

What is harder to convey is how hard we had to work to get through pandemic living, hours of Zoom per day, and reflecting on racism in our community following the murder of George Floyd last summer. It has been a tumultuous year to say the least. Thank you for supporting each other and for all of the work you have done. I look forward to sharing more about Accomplishments & Goals in an upcoming All Staff Assembly.

Mental Wellness in the Workplace

Managing how to reconnect in person

Feeling a bit anxious or socially awkward at the thought of in-person interactions or events this summer? You aren’t alone! We’ve all adjusted to new routines and comfort zones, and it is normal to feel some uncertainty or nerves about socializing again.

In this NPR Life Kit Article, “Do We Even Know How To Socialize Anymore?,” author and journalist Celeste Headlee shares some tips on how to manage coming out of your shell and respecting others’ boundaries. They include:

• Embracing the awkward
• Asking questions, starting small
• Knowing your limits. It’s OK if they’ve changed.
• Accepting what people tell you about themselves

Brooke Bourgeois / April 13, 2021 / The New Yorker

For more info on managing stress and anxiety, check out the tag “mental wellness” on the N&N blog.

ASR Staff Engagement June 3rd Survey

This week’s ASR Staff Engagement Survey 6/3/2021 takes a look at how we work together in teams. Thank you for continuing to share your stories and experiences!

The results of the last survey indicated most folks plan their workday the day before (43.5%), followed closely by planning the morning of that day (30.4%) and planning more than 1 day before (21.7%). The majority of respondents also indicated that they use software, such as Google Calendar, to set reminders for themselves (56.5%) rather than writing notes as a reminder (43.5%).

When asked about upcoming meetings, a slim majority prefer to show up a minute or two early (52.2%), followed by showing up right at the meeting start time (47.8%). Finally, we had lots of great responses regarding what people are looking forward to this summer. Several responses mentioned getting outside for some sun, reconnecting with family and friends, and doing outdoor activities like gardening, hiking, biking, and bonfires.

Thanks all for your continued participation! It is very much appreciated. The results from the last survey and additional articles related to the questions are available below.

May 20, 2021 survey results

How far out in advance do you plan your workday?

• 30.4% The morning of that day
• 43.5% The day before
• 21.7% More than 1 day before
• 4.3% I don’t plan out my workday

Check out “12 Better Ways to Structure Your Workday for Maximum Productivity” from The Muse for ideas on how to structure your workday.

Do you create reminders for yourself?

• 56.5% Yes, I typically use software to set myself reminders
• 43.5% Yes, I typically write myself notes if I need a reminder

When I have an upcoming meeting, I prefer to…

• 52.2% Show up a minute or two early
• 47.8% Show up right at the meeting start time

“9 Exceptional Work Habits To Be More Efficient” by Leon Ho discusses good work habits to establish a solid foundation for peak performance, efficiency, and collaboration.

What are you looking forward to this Summer?

• Sun and heat
• Getting out and about, anywhere
• Gardening
• Connecting with friends and family
• Standup paddle boarding!
• Bonfires, wearing shorts!

Check out Explore Minnesota to find the different festivals and events taking place this summer.