Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 18:51     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why would the GS-15 do more than is asked? There's no room for promotion (unless they want to go SES, which for most non-supervisory GS-15s is a big no thank you). And in government, "initiative" is as likely to get someone in trouble as rewarded (to the extent rewards are even available).

So, basically: welcome to management in the federal government. If your worst problem is an employee who does what's asked and nothing more, consider yourself lucky.


Snaps


OMG so true
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 18:41     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:Why would the GS-15 do more than is asked? There's no room for promotion (unless they want to go SES, which for most non-supervisory GS-15s is a big no thank you). And in government, "initiative" is as likely to get someone in trouble as rewarded (to the extent rewards are even available).

So, basically: welcome to management in the federal government. If your worst problem is an employee who does what's asked and nothing more, consider yourself lucky.


Snaps
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 18:25     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:
He does established work on time and w/o complaint but will not take on new or different assignments at leadership's direction.

What does this mean? Does he refuse assignments, or just not volunteer for assignments? If he's not accepting assignments, that's a problem you can do something about. If it's just that he's not volunteering to do more than he's asked to do, then assign him the projects.

It's government. "You aren't doing more than we ask you to do" isn't really a valid complaint.


About 35% of his time is producing standard reports. He does them, they are on time and fine. The rest of his time should be devoted to other projects but he makes assigning him work difficult by requiring overly prescriptive directions and supervision that usually takes as much time as doing the work myself. The key difference is that others on the team are well able to do this work; it seems a matter of willingness.

Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 16:10     Subject: gs-15 expectations
You need to realign your expectations OP. Seriously. Learn how govt works and doesn't work.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 15:51     Subject: gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:I am relatively new Fed at GS-15 level. I manage a staffer who is also a GS-15 who has been with the agency a while. This person very much does exactly what is asked no more no less. He is not at all pro-active about taking on assignments or being able to be assigned something broad that he can be counted on to think through and come back with something polished. For example every time I give an assignment I have to anticipate his very narrow interpretation aimed at doing the least amount of work. Frankly I spend more time managing him than I do other lower graded staff on the team.

Coming from the private sector I find this frustrating and a bit ridiculous. Another manager said he just made it to this level though attrition. When I discuss him with my manager what are the expectations of what a GS-15 on being a self-starter (for lack of a better term)?


This is very common. I knew a retired colonel who was a GS-15 who tried to push her staff to do more, and she got a boatload of official complaints lodged against her. Be careful that your frustration with this person can't be turned around on you for him to claim harassment or hostile work environment. If he is meeting requirements, just not exceeding them, then you have nothing to fall back on. He knows he doesn't get paid any more to "come back with something polished", whatever that means to you (and it may mean something different to him).

I think you will have to chalk this up to a leadership challenge that you can use as an example in a future interview of how you overcame it.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 15:39     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:Why would the GS-15 do more than is asked? There's no room for promotion (unless they want to go SES, which for most non-supervisory GS-15s is a big no thank you). And in government, "initiative" is as likely to get someone in trouble as rewarded (to the extent rewards are even available).

So, basically: welcome to management in the federal government. If your worst problem is an employee who does what's asked and nothing more, consider yourself lucky.


sorry to say I agree with this. personally I do take initiative but I know that this actually makes me more likely to get in “trouble” and less likely to succeed.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 15:37     Subject: gs-15 expectations
Write his EPAP with what you want him to do. Assign him the work you want done. You can even say "takes on new assignments without prompting."

I assign tasks, track how long they take to get done. If there are errors, document in an email and make him fix them. If the errors start reaching a high level, bring out your EPAP that says that "each report will have no more than 2 errors 80% of the time."

But yeah I've come to the decision that no one, other than myself, takes on more work voluntarily. I like my place running like a well oiled machine and gladly take on any work.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 15:31     Subject: gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:I am relatively new Fed at GS-15 level. I manage a staffer who is also a GS-15 who has been with the agency a while. This person very much does exactly what is asked no more no less. He is not at all pro-active about taking on assignments or being able to be assigned something broad that he can be counted on to think through and come back with something polished. For example every time I give an assignment I have to anticipate his very narrow interpretation aimed at doing the least amount of work. Frankly I spend more time managing him than I do other lower graded staff on the team.

Coming from the private sector I find this frustrating and a bit ridiculous. Another manager said he just made it to this level though attrition. When I discuss him with my manager what are the expectations of what a GS-15 on being a self-starter (for lack of a better term)?


Turn this on its head? Why are you here? Why did you take a pay cut to go GS15? Most GS15 I know are very reactionary, though generally there is a non stop stream of process and such to do that taking initiative wouldn’t be on the menu even if they wanted unless they work longer hours.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:41     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
He does established work on time and w/o complaint but will not take on new or different assignments at leadership's direction.

What does this mean? Does he refuse assignments, or just not volunteer for assignments? If he's not accepting assignments, that's a problem you can do something about. If it's just that he's not volunteering to do more than he's asked to do, then assign him the projects.

It's government. "You aren't doing more than we ask you to do" isn't really a valid complaint.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:38     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:Why would the GS-15 do more than is asked? There's no room for promotion (unless they want to go SES, which for most non-supervisory GS-15s is a big no thank you). And in government, "initiative" is as likely to get someone in trouble as rewarded (to the extent rewards are even available).

So, basically: welcome to management in the federal government. If your worst problem is an employee who does what's asked and nothing more, consider yourself lucky.



+1

Public sector is not private sector.
Salary caps = you get what you paid for (nothing more, nothing less)
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:29     Subject: gs-15 expectations
Anonymous wrote:I am relatively new Fed at GS-15 level. I manage a staffer who is also a GS-15 who has been with the agency a while. This person very much does exactly what is asked no more no less. He is not at all pro-active about taking on assignments or being able to be assigned something broad that he can be counted on to think through and come back with something polished. For example every time I give an assignment I have to anticipate his very narrow interpretation aimed at doing the least amount of work. Frankly I spend more time managing him than I do other lower graded staff on the team.

Coming from the private sector I find this frustrating and a bit ridiculous. Another manager said he just made it to this level though attrition. When I discuss him with my manager what are the expectations of what a GS-15 on being a self-starter (for lack of a better term)?


Excuse typo
*what are the expectations for a GS-15 on being a self-starter (for lack of a better term)?

This person is a supervisory management and program analyst. Their job describes being able to manage projects or lead streams of work. He does established work on time and w/o complaint but will not take on new or different assignments at leadership's direction. I recognize its him being difficult on purpose that is why I am curious the broader expectations.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:29     Subject: gs-15 expectations
Check the position description. If you don't like it, work with HR to create a new slot, write the PD the way it needs to be done, tell the guy that he can apply for the new job but the old one is going away. Of course, by the time that happens, either he or you will have moved on and the cycle begins again.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:21     Subject: Re:gs-15 expectations
Why would the GS-15 do more than is asked? There's no room for promotion (unless they want to go SES, which for most non-supervisory GS-15s is a big no thank you). And in government, "initiative" is as likely to get someone in trouble as rewarded (to the extent rewards are even available).

So, basically: welcome to management in the federal government. If your worst problem is an employee who does what's asked and nothing more, consider yourself lucky.
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:16     Subject: gs-15 expectations
What is in the job description?
Anonymous
Post 05/06/2022 14:14     Subject: gs-15 expectations
I am relatively new Fed at GS-15 level. I manage a staffer who is also a GS-15 who has been with the agency a while. This person very much does exactly what is asked no more no less. He is not at all pro-active about taking on assignments or being able to be assigned something broad that he can be counted on to think through and come back with something polished. For example every time I give an assignment I have to anticipate his very narrow interpretation aimed at doing the least amount of work. Frankly I spend more time managing him than I do other lower graded staff on the team.

Coming from the private sector I find this frustrating and a bit ridiculous. Another manager said he just made it to this level though attrition. When I discuss him with my manager what are the expectations of what a GS-15 on being a self-starter (for lack of a better term)?