Innovations

The Knowledge-ease Falcon
Knowledge Workers at work in FM

Al Hammett

It was raining outside. Nothing new, it always rained in this berg. Spam Paid looked out his dingy first avenue office window overlooking the alley. For an extra sawbuck a week he could have gotten an office overlooking the bay. “Hah! An extra sawbuck! To have that kind of dough you’d have to be a knowledge worker now days… or give up the booze – fat chance of that!” Spam blurted out as he tore aside the shade. Business was bad, really bad, especially after the untimely death of his partner.

Watching the rats down below his window trying to find their next meal, he kept mulling over in his mind the last words of his partner, “What’s this knowledge worker thing anyway?” Without turning around he banged his fist on the old radio nearly knocking the tubes out of their sockets. He heard the announcer say…

“Have you ever wondered what it means to be a knowledge worker or how the Knowledge Worker Initiative began in Financial Management? Here are some good quotes that we came across to help define knowledge worker:

‘Adds value by processing existing information to create new information which can be used to define problems.” Peter Drucker

‘Knowledge Workers are continually learning, aware that knowledge has a limited shelf life.” Rogoski

‘A problem solver versus a production worker.” Allee

“The Knowledge Worker Initiative was born as a result of the Strategic Plan in 2002. In 2004, the Executive Improvement Team (EIT) formed a sub group to combine the work of several groups including Student Fiscal Services, Risk Management, FM-wide focus groups and the EIT. Later that year, the EIT identified 15 skills that were considered knowledge worker skills. Twelve were identified as top skills which needed further definition.

“The Inciters team worked to further define these 12 skills and came up with a matrix identifying three levels for each skill; basic, intermediate and advanced. In 2005, the Inciters team presented the skills matrix to the EIT which resulted in a reduction to eight skill categories. They presented the skill categories, along with the Strategy Map, to FM leaders; this demonstrated where the Knowledge Worker Initiative fit in with the goals of Financial Management. Three departments volunteered to roll out the Knowledge Worker Initiative. The three pilot departments are Payroll, Financial Services and Student Fiscal Service. More to follow but first a word from our sponsor…”

That’s it. This was the ticket. My ship had arrived; I just needed to meet it at the dock. I would head down to the U and investigate this some more.

When I arrived at the U, I discovered there were three pilot programs going on. The first was with a group known as the Student Fiscal Services; SFS for short. I asked Li Chang Wong, a Program Manager there, if she could fill me in:

“Well, Spam, in the summer of 2005, Student Fiscal Services agreed to be one of the pilot groups in Financial Management for the Knowledge Worker initiative.

• SFS leaders had a retreat to develop a plan.
• Several staff meetings were held in autumn 2005 to discuss the skills.
• Employee groups talked about the expectations and skills for their
   jobs.
• Unit leaders met with their staff members to discuss and finalize the skills.

“We are now in the final stage of rolling out the KW skills for all staff members. We will then use the framework for setting performance goals, providing training, in hiring new staff, and in unit and All-staff discussions about the future.

All right, we were starting to get somewhere. This stuff is so new that they are still trying to figure it out themselves. This is getting in on the ground floor. Then Li Chang introduced me to Keli Johnson who gave me the scoop on Financial Services:

“Financial Services began their knowledge worker roll out with:

• Leaders retreat to review the Inciters template presented to the EIT.
• Leaders retreats to discuss each skill and how it fit within FS.
• All Staff Retreat. This took place in February 2006.
  o Received feedback about the identified KW skills.
  o Retreat was facilitated by Ruth Johnston.
  o Staff helped decide where their job fit into the KW model in terms of
     basic, intermediate and advanced skill levels.

“A few weeks after the retreat, the leaders got back together to finalize what we felt would be a great template for our knowledge worker initiative for FS. Going forward, we will be using this model to help redefine our job descriptions and as a tool for helping to decide what classes/trainings or other education is needed for our EDP’s

This was getting better, but what’s the payoff? I mean what good is this going to do me if it doesn’t pay the bills? Payroll was the next item on my dance card. Christa Woodhull, a Program Operations Specialist in Payroll filled me in:

“The Payroll Office began with a different approach than Student Fiscal Services and Financial Services.

• Kept the original eight skills categories and added Technical Skills.
• Kept the Dialogue Sheet ( basic, intermediate, advanced), as a basis for Employee Development and discussion.
• Reviewed job classes/descriptions for updates using the KW process.

“We began by rolling it out directly to the staff at an all-staff meeting.

• Each person using the dialogue sheet would do a self assessment.
• Supervisors would assess them now and project for the next five years.
• Each person then revised their current job class/description accordingly.

“We took this approach to ensure that future employees in the office understand from the beginning the importance of the KW Premise to Payroll and Financial Management.

“As we move forward, Payroll plans to develop a measurement to track the work we are doing regarding the program. We will also incorporate EDP plans to develop those skills identified during our gap analysis, and those skills need to meet Payroll’s five year strategic plan.

Ok, I’m sold. Who do I see in order to get in on this caper? The answer? The Inciters Team. Where did that arrow that killed my partner come from? We’ll never know. Here is a list of the ringleaders present and past:

Keli Johnson (co-leader) Financial Services, Christa Woodhull (co-leader) Payroll Office
Katrina Day, Risk Management
Miriam Garvey, Student Fiscal Services
Kirsten DeFries, Grant and Contract Accounting
Kelley Smith, Financial Accounting
Dinah Walters, Decision Support Center
Jeanne Semura, Quality Improvement Program

Erin Courtney, Financial Accounting (Outgoing)
Kristin Findley, Grant & Contract Accounting (Outgoing)
Rae Ann Laubenstein, Financial Management (Outgoing)
Li Chang Wong, Student Fiscal Services (Outgoing)