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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2015 16:55:58 GMT -5
That is the question...thoughts?
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Post by Pixie on Feb 19, 2015 17:21:55 GMT -5
You might also try and find a recent thread on this. Maybe in the last few months? I tried a search but couldn't find it. Could be that the discussion is buried in another thread, or I might be imagining it. Pixie.
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Post by JudgeRatty on Feb 19, 2015 19:02:20 GMT -5
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Post by hamster on Feb 19, 2015 20:25:13 GMT -5
Like so many other things, it is a personal choice. What follows is the five step, sequential analysis of HOCALJdom. If at any step in the process you determine that you want to be a HOCALJ, stop.
1. If you're not maxed out already on the pay, and you need the money, then it makes sense.
2. If you don't want to wait two years for your next pay bump, and you need the money, then it makes sense.
3. If you want to transfer to a particular office, and The Man will pay for your move if you will be the HOCALJ, and you don't want to pay for the move yourself, then it makes sense.
4. If you want the leadership challenge, or you want to burnish your resume, then it makes sense.
5. If you like participating in lots and lots and lots of management conference calls, and/or enjoy exhorting others to move their cases, or you just like staring at printouts with lots of statistics and numbers, or you like working with a few whacko, prima donna judges, then it makes sense.
For me, unless I can get to Reno or Honolulu one of these days on The Man's dime, I wouldn't touch the job with a ten foot pole. Of course, every person's assessment is different.
Best, Hamster
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Post by christina on Feb 19, 2015 20:37:12 GMT -5
hamster, i love reason 5!!!
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Post by sandiferhands (old) on Feb 19, 2015 22:00:52 GMT -5
LOL Hamster. When you have a chance watch the South Park episode titled "Sarcastiball."
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Post by deltajudge on Feb 20, 2015 21:02:18 GMT -5
8-)Hamster, great options you laid out. Best option, if you get on the register, are selected, just sit back and enjoy and roll with the flow. HOCALJ is not worth the headaches, and you will make a lot more friends.
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Post by ALJD on Feb 20, 2015 22:04:57 GMT -5
Hamester, wise words indeed.
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Post by masondixon on Feb 22, 2015 14:10:01 GMT -5
One must think long and hard about the state of the office they want to manage as a HOCALJ. It is never worth it in some offices, while others are mostly self-sustaining.
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Post by figaro on Feb 23, 2015 10:25:07 GMT -5
If I may add a 6th reason to the list: If you want to prevent somebody worse from getting the position, then it makes sense.
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Post by valkyrie on Feb 23, 2015 14:24:53 GMT -5
If I may add a 6th reason to the list: If you want to prevent somebody worse from getting the position, then it makes sense. I'll second Figaro's wisdom here. While taking on the HOCALJ position can give you a lot of headaches for little return, letting your Region select a new HOCALJ is like finding your next nanny in the alley behind the strip club. Sometimes its just best to get the sane ALJs in your office together and make sure that some of you apply to protect the office.
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Post by Missundaztood on Feb 23, 2015 15:17:16 GMT -5
If I may add a 6th reason to the list: If you want to prevent somebody worse from getting the position, then it makes sense. I'll second Figaro's wisdom here. While taking on the HOCALJ position can give you a lot of headaches for little return, letting your Region select a new HOCALJ is like finding your next nanny in the alley behind the strip club. Sometimes its just best to get the sane ALJs in your office together and make sure that some of you apply to protect the office. So, you are saying people shouldn't look for a nanny in the alley behind the strip club? Doh! So much to learn from the board.
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Post by bowser on Feb 25, 2015 11:50:17 GMT -5
One must think long and hard about the state of the office they want to manage as a HOCALJ. It is never worth it in some offices, while others are mostly self-sustaining. This, in my opinion, ought to be the primary consideration. And, to fill out the extremes mason identifies, consider whether a particular office is one that could benefit from your input as HOCALJ. If your concern is the greatest pay for the least effort/stress, don't consider it. And a small number of toxic ALJs - or a dysfunctional management team - could make the job unimaginably difficult and frustrating. But, if you want the opportunity to actually have the chance to improve how one office administers our vital programs, and potentially set an example that may influence other offices, HOCALJ certainly provides greater possibility for doing that than a line ALJ. Sure, there are a lot of conference calls, and enough e-mails to gag a maggot, but that is where the best (by no means perfect or complete) information is to be found. And while it can be very difficult to have significant, immediate impact, well, at least there is a minimally greater possibility of having some impact if you are regularly in contact with your RCALJ, on regular Q and A calls with the Deputy Commissioner, making hiring and disciplinary decisions, etc., than if you are just posting on a message board, or depending on AALJ to address your and your office's needs. It is a ridiculously difficult and protracted process to address performance or conduct issues with writers or staff, but if you care enough to make it a priority and follow through, it can be done. If you have strong ideas on how a hearing office ought to be run, and an interest in improving the attitude, communication, organization and processes within a particular office, HOCALJ provides countless opportunities to have such impact. In my personal opinion, Hamster's list is quite sad. With the possible exception of #4 - leadership challenge, I see no mention of an interest in public service. If you wish to add to such a list of personal advantages, HOCALJ trumps all in terms of transfers. But my personal opinion is that the Agency needs HOCALJs who are actually interested in improving their offices - and the Agency as a whole, rather than folk who are hopping from spot to spot trying to increase their personal advantages.
EDIT NOTE BY PIXIE: This is so true and so important that I highlighted the sentence. It is a long post and I didn't want the last sentence to be overlooked. I hope you don't take offense, Bowser. If you do, I will be glad to undue the bolding and my text. I strongly believe that this should be the primary (only?) reason that one applies to be HOCALJ. Pixie.
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Post by valkyrie on Feb 25, 2015 16:09:56 GMT -5
The problem for HOCALJs is that they get fired on from above, below, and from the sides. I have heard someone refer to it as a merging of tightrope walking and dodgeball. Most regional offices are far more headache than help for any office. Micromanagement performed by people with little or no field experience is generally the rule of the day. Then you have an office staff in which the old adage of 20% of the people doing 80% of the work is illustrated every day. If you're lucky they won't involve the Unions over a wide range of menial grievances. (God help you if someone brings a real grievance). Then you have your fellow judges. If you have spent any time following the conversations on this board you will surely have heard a litany of complaints from judges, (myself included), having some form of complaint about management, be it national, regional, or local. Which of the complaints are legitimate and which are the endless whinings of an egotistical misanthrope with an entitlement complex? I'll bet you that the local HOCALJ knows exactly which is which! It sounds horribly cynical and it truly is disappointing from a public service standpoint, but it is an unfortunate fact of life for many offices.
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Post by hamster on Feb 25, 2015 18:23:44 GMT -5
Bowser makes some excellent points. I was probably feeling unduly cynical when I posted earlier. The Agency needs good HOCALJs. So do our offices. Folks who are interested in bettering their offices make the best HOCALJs. Please step up if you're so motivated! I worked for an abominable one. I'm working now for an excellent one. A good HOCALJ makes all the difference.
Best, Hamster
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Post by 71stretch on Feb 26, 2015 10:56:54 GMT -5
One must think long and hard about the state of the office they want to manage as a HOCALJ. It is never worth it in some offices, while others are mostly self-sustaining. This, in my opinion, ought to be the primary consideration. And, to fill out the extremes mason identifies, consider whether a particular office is one that could benefit from your input as HOCALJ. If your concern is the greatest pay for the least effort/stress, don't consider it. And a small number of toxic ALJs - or a dysfunctional management team - could make the job unimaginably difficult and frustrating. But, if you want the opportunity to actually have the chance to improve how one office administers our vital programs, and potentially set an example that may influence other offices, HOCALJ certainly provides greater possibility for doing that than a line ALJ. Sure, there are a lot of conference calls, and enough e-mails to gag a maggot, but that is where the best (by no means perfect or complete) information is to be found. And while it can be very difficult to have significant, immediate impact, well, at least there is a minimally greater possibility of having some impact if you are regularly in contact with your RCALJ, on regular Q and A calls with the Deputy Commissioner, making hiring and disciplinary decisions, etc., than if you are just posting on a message board, or depending on AALJ to address your and your office's needs. It is a ridiculously difficult and protracted process to address performance or conduct issues with writers or staff, but if you care enough to make it a priority and follow through, it can be done. If you have strong ideas on how a hearing office ought to be run, and an interest in improving the attitude, communication, organization and processes within a particular office, HOCALJ provides countless opportunities to have such impact. In my personal opinion, Hamster's list is quite sad. With the possible exception of #4 - leadership challenge, I see no mention of an interest in public service. If you wish to add to such a list of personal advantages, HOCALJ trumps all in terms of transfers. But my personal opinion is that the Agency needs HOCALJs who are actually interested in improving their offices - and the Agency as a whole, rather than folk who are hopping from spot to spot trying to increase their personal advantages.
EDIT NOTE BY PIXIE: This is so true and so important that I highlighted the sentence. It is a long post and I didn't want the last sentence to be overlooked. I hope you don't take offense, Bowser. If you do, I will be glad to undue the bolding and my text. I strongly believe that this should be the primary (only?) reason that one applies to be HOCALJ. Pixie. Well said,bowser. Nice to have you visiting the board again.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2015 16:36:31 GMT -5
Thank you all for the feedback. I'm going to go for it. I feel I have much to give the claimants and the agency. Why not me and why not now, right?
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Post by Pixie on Feb 26, 2015 19:01:24 GMT -5
Thank you all for the feedback. I'm going to go for it. I feel I have much to give the claimants and the agency. Why not me and why not now, right? Good for you!
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Post by bowser on Feb 27, 2015 9:12:47 GMT -5
Thank you all for the feedback. I'm going to go for it. I feel I have much to give the claimants and the agency. Why not me and why not now, right? Good luck. If selected, just don't make the mistake that you will be able to accomplish too many specific things on any set timetable. Just identify a number of ways you can make progress in the right direction, and figure ways to track and communicate the progress your office is making. The more irons you have in the fire, the more chance that a couple of them will get hot! Putting all your hopes on one big idea would be a good way to get discouraged. And don't think you will ever get to the point where your office is just clipping along - because that is just when something you NEVER anticipated will drop out of the blue and command your attention. Just make the best decisions you can every day, and over time you'll see signs of progress. Delegate and empower - to all levels. Spread the credit, but assume the responsibility. Most important, IMO, is figure out a way to recognize those who are most successful in each job category, and train and hold accountable those who are least successful. Holds true for everyone from CT to ALJ. It is no fun to administer a PA or OPS, or to speak frankly with an ALJ, but if you are unwilling to do so, you really ought not take the job.
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Post by bowser on Feb 27, 2015 15:27:25 GMT -5
HOCALJ Albuquerque is open today. Apparently Judge Heisenberg is stepping down, and Judge Pinkman is not interested. Better call Saul!
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