ODAR Mgmt question for current ALJs

[northwest]

The fact that you're asking these questions is an encouraging sign. One thing in the "DO" column: Anything you can do to boost office morale in general is helpful to all. Give lots of positive feedback to staff when they are doing a good job, and address and correct any problems with staff in a fair and honest way. Everything you do to foster good morale on the part of staff will end up helping the ALJs and will help us work as a team to get the job done. In the DON'T column: If you make a decision that will impact any aspect of the hearing process , don't just do it unilaterally. First discuss this with the HOCALJ to get feedback from the ALJs. In my office, management made a couple unilateral decisions that seemed like staffing issues, but actually negatively impacted the hearing process. In other words, do just what you're doing in your message here: get the ALJ perspective when your decisions will impact what they do. Again, it's refreshing to see your post, and I'm sure you'll get responses from other ALJs who continue to visit this Board.

[deltajudge]

8-)The last office I worked in before I retired had an excellent HOD. She worked with the HOCALJ, also a good guy. She stayed out of the ALJs business, and took any problems to the HOCALJ. Her main purpose was moving cases and keeping the troops happy. No turf problems, as it should be.

[privateatty]

I am not an ODAR ALJ, but good leaders follow the GOLDEN RULE. They are not petty nor overly critical, they exude confidence and a positive can do attitude. They are willing to admit a mistake, are quick to assume the responsibility for it and never pawn it off on others. They have a sense of humor and come to their people regularly asking how they are doing. Their door is open, not closed and folks know that they will get a good listen when they come in. They go to bat for their people even when they have royally screwed up.

[coastie]

I agree. Good management style is universal (as is bad). Positive reinforcement may be more important than negative, and being willing to help people when they've made a mistake will result in people coming to you before they make a mistake or as soon as they realize they've made a mistake which, in turn, may minimize the impact of the mistake.

Not only that, it fosters a team spirit and generally motivates people to do more work and better quality work, not less work or barely acceptable work. People generally don't want to disappoint people who have faith and trust in them, and who will stand by them. Of course, Machiavelli disagrees with me!

I've been in offices with good morale and bad, and the good morale offices have always outproduced the bad morale offices. Plus, it makes a nicer workplace.

[Propmaster]

Jul 3, 2010 8:54:07 GMT -5 privateatty said:

I am not an ODAR ALJ, but good leaders follow the GOLDEN RULE. They are not petty nor overly critical, they exude confidence and a positive can do attitude. They are willing to admit a mistake, are quick to assume the responsibility for it and never pawn it off on others. They have a sense of humor and come to their people regularly asking how they are doing. Their door is open, not closed and folks know that they will get a good listen when they come in. They go to bat for their people even when they have royally screwed up.

100% what I was going to say (except I didn't think to add a sense of humor). There is a difference between "management" and "leadership." Once a manager fails to admit an obvious mistake, subordinates will never trust that they get a fair shake and always worry that they get the blame behind their backs. When you're wrong, thank them and ask to learn the correct method/information from them to avoid it in the future. The results are astonishing.

[decadealj]

northwest has it right- to me a good HOD is one who asks me how can I help you do a better job and yes, even increase productivity. A bad HOD is just one more management official who ignores the impact of HQ and RMO work processes without assessing the impact on the hearing process. Welcome to HPI, VISTA, E-biz and WORD 7- how else may I help you?

[osama]

All good advice, but don't be paralyzed by all the thoughts, ideas, and suggestions you will get. Make your decision and move on.

[southeastalj]

Every office has its unique set of strengths and weaknesses. One of the biggest issues I, and most ALJ's have, is that office management tend to make big organizational changes to how the office flow is to be done without ever consulting the judges. Every three months or so, the group supervisor on my group comes up with a new way "things are to be done." Do I find out about this by being part of the meeting in which these decisions are made? no. Do I get a friendly stop by to say this is what's going to happen? no. I get a email out of the blue that completely changes all of the staff assigned to me with the changes "effective immediately."

My advice would be, ask your staff (note I did not say other management in the office) who are the easiest judges in the office to deal with and ask him or her what would make their job easier. i've found staff take a great amount of pride in working for the judge who hears the most cases or get out the most decisions. While a huge amount of the work is done by support staff, only the ALJ can sign the decision and the number of dispositions you get a month depends on how easily the ALJ can ultimately get to the point they can sign that decision.