ASR Operations Group: Aligning networks

The Networks team kicked off their exploration of the ASR Operations Group on June 9. Over the next six weeks, the team will investigate the group and opportunities to better align this important network across ASR. Objectives include investigating how the Ops Group can function as a hub for project prioritization across ASR and how it can serve as a network of SME’s supporting operational and strategic initiatives.

The Networks team will be co-led by Kristy Davis and Nate Peterson, and weekly stand-ups have been established with their co-sponsors, Julie Selander and Jaime Wascalus. For more information about the work this group is exploring and the team make-up, visit the N&N blog.

Update from Stacey

I have two items on my mind as I write this update. The first is Juneteenth. ASR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee has put together informative resources below, and there is more to learn from our University faculty and libraries in this article, "Commemorating Juneteenth.” I love how the University offers so many learning opportunities; this is one of my favorite things about working here.

The second item, completely unrelated, is vacation. I just returned from a few days on the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota. The trip was well timed to beat the heat and a good way to kick off the kids’ summer vacation. Many of us have racked up a lot of vacation time due to the pandemic and the intensity of work. I hope you find time to take a vacation soon; summer is fleeting in Minnesota, and we should all enjoy a bit of it.

Cleaning bins

Just a reminder that from now until Friday, July 17, 2021, there will be recycling bins available in Fraser, Williamson, and Bruininks Hall. Please coordinate with your supervisor to find time to go in and clean out your desk.

Starting Monday, June 21, the bins in Fraser will be moved from the basement, 120, and 200 Fraser and will be relocated to:

• 133
• M133
• 345

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.