Wyoming Workforce Planning
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Planning

The planning phase is the starting point of the entire performance and development process.

It is during the planning phase that you and your supervisor determine your work goals for the upcoming year (what results you will achieve), identify key competencies to be developed (how you will perform your work), and determine any job-related learning supports that are critical to your work success.

The planning stage also requires that your supervisor ensures you are aware of the the review process that will be used at the end of the performance review period.
 

Review the Agency strategic plan.  Note any specific performance measures that correspond directly to your division's goals and objectives.  Identify your section/unit's strategies and goals (where available) to help you understand how your work goals / special projects / key work duties align with section, division, or agency goals.

Click here to see a goal alignment model.

Identify the organizational goals that your work most directly supports.  Make notes on any goals that need clarification.  Use Identified goals to help you determine your position specific goals. 
 

This is not intended to be a list of routine work duties, but instead is an opportunity to identify those goals that will have the greatest impact on achieving your section, division, or agency goals.

• Your key work goals should answer the following questions:

• What results will you achieve in the next year that supports your section, division, or agency goals?

• What specific actions will you carry out to achieve your desired results?

• What are the indicators or measures that demonstrate you have successfully met your intended results?

The most effective goal statements are clear and concise. Consider using SMART goals whenever possible:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable & Aligned

• Results-focused

• Time-bound

Click here for an example of a SMART goal process.

In section E of the EPDS form, identify the two or three CRITICAL and/or LEADERSHIP competencies that are essential to achieving your work success and support the goals you have identified.

Note: If you don’t have a list of competencies specific to your position, use the five State-wide core competencies as applicable.  See the Wyoming Workforce Planning competency dictionary and supporting tools.

Identify areas of job-related learning and personal development strategies that will help you achieve ongoing excellence in your current position.  Learning can take many forms:

• Job shadowing

• Project work

• Classroom learning

• Online learning

• Mentoring

• Coaching

• Communities of practice

• Exchanges or temporary assignments

• Conferences and training

Your plan should focus on strengthening the CRITICAL and/or LEADERSHIP competencies that directly apply to you position.

You may also wish to consider identifying a career path and establishing a career plan with-in Wyoming State Government.

As a starting point, please consider the training and development opportunities provided by the State.  Click here to for our course information website and a list of available classroom learning opportunities.  The State's Competency Dictionary is another resource to identify competency specific developmental opportunities.
 

Step 5
Meet with your supervisor

When your EPDS GOAL & DEVELOPMENT sheet is as complete as possible, review with your supervisor who will also provide input or redirection and finally approve your key goals / special project(s) / key work duties, competency-related development plan.

This is also an opportunity to discuss any supports and/or resources that are required to achieve your EPDS goals and objectives.

Once complete, the EPDS form must be signed off by you and your supervisor. Both should receive a copy that will be used as a reference documents during phase 2 (Focusing / Realignment / Mid-Course Adjustments) and phase 3 (Review)
 

Planning Outcomes

At the end of the Planning phase you should:

• Have a clear understanding of your key work goals and how they support your section, division, and agency goals;

• Have clear expectations and direction regarding your key work goals / special projects / key work duties and competency proficiencies; and

• Have completed a learning and development plan that supports you in meeting your key work / special projects / key work duties and competency proficiencies.

Planning Tips

1. Develop work and competency goals, in partnership with your supervisor.

2. Be realistic about what you can achieve over the coming year but also consider ways that you might stretch and challenge yourself.

3. Review your goals on a regular basis to make sure they continue to be relevant.

4. Be creative in developing your job-related development plan. Learning activities can include formal classroom sessions as well as mentoring, job shadowing, project work and learning and training programs.

Focusing - Realignment - Mid-Course Adjustments (F-R-M)

The Focusing-Realignment-Mid-Course Adjustments phase occurs throughout the year to:

• make sure your performance and learning plans are tracked;

• continue supporting key organizational goals (because things may have changed); and

• identify any additional resources or supports that may be required.

During this phase, which begins immediately after the planning phase and concludes just prior to the review phase, you should be engaging in conversations with your supervisor, identified mentors and coaches to determine:

• if any goals identified during the planning stage are no longer applicable due to shifts in individual, division goals;

• if you believe yourself to be on track to achieving your identified work and competency developmental goals; and

• if the learning plan still focuses on the opportunities required to best support your success on the job.

Although focusing and goal realignment conversations should be integrated into routine supervisor/employee interaction, at least one formal meeting should be scheduled for some time during the middle of the EPDS cycle.
 

Step 1
Review your EPDS plan

Regularly review your EPDS plan both on your own and with your supervisor.  Be aware of your own progress towards meeting your performance and competency goals.
 

Step 2
Meet with your supervisor

This entire phase and particularly this step presents you with the opportunity to receive regular feedback, guidance and coaching from your supervisor regarding performance expectations and development opportunities.

Meeting with your supervisor can be casual and informal or more structured and scheduled. The Focusing / Realignment / Mid-Course Adjustments phase is not a formal assessment of your performance. The intent is simply that you both have regular conversations about how you are progressing, any challenges that you are encountering, and any additional or new supports you require to be successful.

Feedback for this phase is mostly informal.  However, conversations should be integrated into routine supervisor/employee interaction. 

At least one formal meeting should be scheduled for some time during the middle of the EPDS cycle.
 

Make any necessary changes to your plan. Keep track of your accomplishments and progress in meeting goals to assist with your year-end review. You may also wish to communicate your accomplishments with your supervisor, identified mentors and coaches throughout the year.

Make sure you are:

• on target to meet work and competency goals;

• working on realistic measures;

• meeting customer needs;

• understanding what skill sets you are developing and behavioral competencies need for the position; and

• understanding obstacles due to changes in organizational direction, priorities, or objectives.

Are adjustments needed to bring your EPDS back into proper alignment with larger organizational performance measures?

You may also ask yourself “what can my supervisor do to support (or continue to support) objectives success?”
 

At the end of the Focusing / Realignment / Mid-Course Adjustments phase you should:

• Have had regular honest performance and learning/development-related conversations with your supervisor on a structured or informal basis.

• If necessary, refocus your efforts onto new or adjusted goals / special projects / key work duties as discussed with your supervisor.

• Be able to report on accomplishments and contributions made over the reporting period.

• Regularly ask for specific feedback throughout the performance management cycle.  Feedback is most useful when it is given as close as possible to the completion of a work assignment or project.

• Giving and receiving feedback is a shared process between you and your supervisor.

• When receiving feedback, listen to what is being said and assess how you can best incorporate the feedback.

• Take the time to record, share, and honor your accomplishments.

Review

The review phase – the final phase of the Employee Performance and Development System – provides a formal opportunity to discuss and assess your performance results over the past year.

The purpose of this phase is to provide you and your supervisor with:

• A shared understanding of how successfully you have met your work goals and competency development identified in the planning phase.

• A year-long overview of your learning accomplishments.

• The prospect of a formal assessment may be uncomfortable for some.  However, if phase 2 has been appropriately followed, you (the employee) should not expect nor receive any surprises with respect to your year end review.  Please note that all Wyoming State employees’ performance will be evaluated using the method - Measurement by Objectives.

• Outlining goals and objectives as well as focusing on employee development promotes consistency of performance across the State. The EPDS process requires your plan to focus on two separate axis: workplace goals (what has been done) and development of required competencies (how the work has been done).   

The review phase typically occurs following the agency planning year although it may also be scheduled to fit in to any agency-specific reporting periods or be done in conjunction with the planning period for the upcoming year.

NOTE: Personal rules will not be changed for this process.  All reviews will be as indicated in the current personal rules.

The review phase provides a formal opportunity to discuss and assess how well work goals, special projects, key work duties and developmental competencies were met over the year.  This phase is intended to be a collaborative process between you and your supervisor in which actual performance is compared to planned performance (see phase 1 PLANNING and phase 2 F-R-M), areas to honor improvement are identified, and plans for next year begin to be formulated.
 

Step 1
Summarize your results

Assess how you have done in meeting your goals over the review period.  Use the measures developed in the planning phase to help inform how effective you have been in accomplishing what you indicated at the beginning of the year.  This is also the time to identify any goals that were not met, to identify possible reasons why, and to determine if/how these goals should be repeated in the next planning process.
 

Step 2
Meet with supervisor to discuss results

Collaborate with your supervisor and human resource manager to arrange a meeting to discuss your performance over the year and to begin planning for next year.  The meeting should be an honest evaluation and assessment focusing on two points of interest:

1. How well you achieved your intended goals; and

2. How well development methods increase the your critical skill sets; helping you perform your job at a higher level. (Did identify development strategies help achieve set goals?  Were development strategies relevant to set goals?  Did development strategies help you posses a higher level of proficiency for the position?)

The meeting is also an opportunity to honor your successes and address issues/areas requiring further attention.  If your performance has been meeting expectations, you may also wish to discuss any career opportunities and establish career planning goals using Leadership development competencies.

This conversation should not contain any surprises as there has been an ongoing process of goal outcome-related dialogue between you and your supervisor over the year.

At the end of the meeting, your supervisor will prepare a formal summary of your achievement of goals over the past year and will assess if your overall objectives were meet.
 

Step 3
Sign off on your review

Once your supervisor has formally documented your performance review, you will have an opportunity to respond to your supervisor’s comments.

You will also have the opportunity to indicate if you agree or disagree with the formal review.

Once both you and your supervisor have signed your EPDS review, you will receive a copy, your supervisor will keep a copy, and a copy will be sent to the Agency Human Resource Manager and Human Resources Division to be placed on your personnel file.
 

Review Outcomes

At the end of the review phase you should have:

• A summary evaluation of your goals and competency development for the past review period;

• Received feedback from your supervisor about areas where your skill sets are strong as well as those areas where you may require further development;

• Received recognition for your accomplishments to the organization’s goals; and

• Began discussions about expectations and goals for the next planning cycle.

Review Tips

• Regularly ask for specific feedback throughout the EPDS cycle.  Feedback is most useful when it is given as close as possible to the completion of a work assignment or project.

• Recognize that giving and receiving feedback is a shared process between you and your supervisor;

• When receiving feedback, listen to what is being said and assess how you can best incorporate the feedback into your plan for the next year; and

• Take the time to record, share, and celebrate accomplishments.