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Management Roles and Authorities
The Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) has highly educated and experienced employees who are well prepared to make most customer service decisions. Implementation of the Self-Managed Work Team concept was intended to support “how to” decisions being made at the direct service level of the department.
In an atmosphere of participatory management and customer service decision-making by direct service providers, the role of managers is not always clear. These guidelines are intended to lend clarity regarding the role of managers at DSB.
Management and Leadership Practices
Leading and Influencing
- Set clear expectations of others.
- Provide direction which promotes a cooperative work environment that fosters individual and/or team ownership of the work effort.
- Get others to participate, gaining their support for the work effort.
- Demonstrate self-confidence and exhibit a “can-do” attitude, treating challenges as opportunities.
- Delegate responsibilities for tasks.
- Identify what motivates others and identify their strengths.
- Actively pursue opportunities for continuous learning.
- Act decisively and communicate decisions effectively.
- Select the correct people for the job.
- Practice active listening.
- Be visible, approachable, and interact with others on a regular basis.
- Keep others informed by sharing information and providing feedback.
- Have fun.
DSB Guidelines
Supporting Others
Individuals
- Recognize that employees are DSB’s most valuable asset and treat them accordingly.
- Establish relationships based on trust and mutual respect.
- Promote individual approaches to tasks within the parameters of state and federal regulations.
- Recognize accomplishments, behaviors, and contributions that support the DSB Mission, Vision, and Values.
- Provide learning and training opportunities.
- Allow for human error creating an environment that promotes creativity and continuous improvement while holding individuals accountable for meeting performance standards and achieving the agency mission.
- Demonstrate appreciation and value for individual needs promoting and supporting diversity in the workplace.
- Provide others with what it takes to get the job done, recognizing limitations of resources when managing the workload.
Team
- Work collaboratively and cooperatively facilitating the team approach to problem solving.
- Solicit input from others.
- Match the strengths and interests of others to the task.
- Demonstrate trust and support for the decisions of others.
- Recognize the successes of others and celebrate them.
- Be willing to pitch in and help others.
Visioning
- Be proactive and look to the future when thinking and planning.
- Have clear goals and articulate them.
- Identify issues that require dedication of resources.
- Approach your work “holistically”. Maintain a “big picture view”.
Planning and Organizing
- Assess needs before defining what is to be done, evaluate alternatives, identify priorities and identify the necessary resources.
- Develop measurements to track success.
- Be organized, thorough, logical, detailed and analytical.
- Understand the DSB and state budgetary processes.
- Communicate clearly and concisely both verbally and in writing.
Adapting
- Be flexible, open to change, creative and not bound by tradition and history.
- Take calculated risks and learn from mistakes.
- Understand the public sector system and work through it effectively.
- Capitalize on personal strengths and be open and honest about personal stretches using whatever energy it takes to get the job done.
- Translate complex issues and information into common language.
Working with Stakeholders
- Identify stakeholders and ascertain their needs.
- Seek opportunities to communicate and build relationships with both external and internal stakeholders.
- Demonstrate a practical understanding of the political factors impacting DSB.
- Establish personal credibility and be direct, open and honest.
- Work and negotiate with others in a collaborative manner seeking the best outcome for the customers served.
- Foster a partnership approach when working with other entities.
Management Roles and Authorities
Director
- Hiring (appointing authority).
- Approval of out-of state-travel.
- Formal disciplinary action.
- Approval of Washington Administrative Code (WAC).
Delegated Decision-Making Responsibilities
Executive Team
- Final approval of spending plans.
- Approval of department policies.
- Any changes affecting budgeted FTE.
- New increases or decreases to revenue resources.
- Purchasing employee equipment over $800 (GA approval also required at $10,000 unless it falls under DIS authority).
- Client equipment over $5,000 is state equipment and requires Assistant Director approval.
- Travel $400 or over.
- New requests to add expenditures not already built into the approved spending plan, and adjustments within program budgets that create an ongoing (multi-year) expenditure obligation.
Management Team
- Develop consensus on department-wide issues, such as spending plans, program priorities, new initiatives, action plans to support the DSB mission, vision, values and the four core strategies.
- Develop consensus on policies affecting DSB employees and customers.
Program Managers
- Approve staff time sheets.
- Ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the use of state resources.
- Spending plan development, monitoring and accountability.
- Discretion to make adjustments within program budget as long as the adjustment does not create an ongoing (multi-year) expenditure obligation.
- Policy development.
- Purchasing employee equipment under $800.
- Travel under $400.
- Coaching, mentoring and corrective action.
- Evaluating performance and recognizing accomplishments.
- Assessing program effectiveness, developing and implementing strategies/plans for improvement.
- Assessing and managing risks.
- It is understood that, in emergent situations that may impact the safety and security of employees and/or consumers, managers will act immediately in response to the situation.