Developing Professional Tax Administrators for the Future Leadership Development

Program Outline

2012 Federation of Tax Administrators Annual Meeting 1

Christopher Kolb, CPA Facilitator, Leadership Development Program

Comptroller of Maryland

RLDP Orientation – Setting the Stage • Opening remarks by RAD’s Director. •  Provided the basic premises and

features of the course were introduced. • Reviewed the agenda of the course. • Discussed the focus areas of the course.

I. RLDP - Introduction

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II. RAD Leadership Competencies

Module A: Leadership Core Responsibility

Module B: Employee Satisfaction Core Responsibility

Module C: Customer Satisfaction Core Responsibility

Module D: Business Results Core Responsibility

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III. Section-Specific Mobile Lesson: Who Are We?

Module 1: Focus on RAD

Module 2: Taxpayer Accounting Section

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III. Section-Specific Mobile Lesson: Who Are We?

Module 3: Taxpayer Service Section

Module 4: Returns Processing Section

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 Focus on making the transition to a leadership role.

 Understand the differences between Management and Leadership.

 Examine the meaning of Management and Leadership within RAD.

  Identify common challenges faced by new leaders and strategies to handle them.

IV. Stepping Into Leadership

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V. Tuning In

 Emphasize the manager’s role and responsibly to communicate.

 Understand how their preferences and styles impacts communications.

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V. Tuning In

 Learn practical tools for communication; •  Active listening •  Giving and receiving

feedbacks •  Effective presentation

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  Increase the understanding of diversity related issues and their responsibility for leading a diverse workforce.

 Enhance the self-awareness of how individual beliefs, values and viewpoints affect others in the workforce.

VI. Getting Below the Surface

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  Increase the understanding of the ethical principles

 Examine how to handles situations that are not clear cut whether “right” or “wrong.”

 Learn the way to provide useful feedback to their directors.

VII. Doing the Right Thing

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VIII. Coaching for Success

 Enhance the understanding of coaching and the role of a coach.

 Discuss manager’s role and responsibility for coaching.

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VIII. Coaching for Success

 Learn the characteristics of effective coaches and how to practically apply a coaching model.

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 Gain skills to lead effective meetings. •  Recognize the importance of leading effective

meetings for: •  Information Sharing, •  Planning • Decision-making, •  Problem Solving, •  Improving employee engagement and morale.

IX. Getting the Most Out of Meetings.

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 Emphasize the importance of Process Management / Process Analysis in leading a work unit. •  The Balanced Measurement System •  Strategic goals.

X. Leading Quality Process Improvement

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XI. Changing Times

 Highlight the impacts of changes and transition on employees and on RAD.

 Learn how to evaluate organizational changes. 15

XI. Changing Times

 Examine the way to facilitate the transition process.

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 Target on how to help themselves and their employees balance work life and home life.

 Define stress and identify key sources of stress (stressors).

 Examine the impact of stress on their life and figure out the ways of coping with them.

XII. Balancing Your Life

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XIII. The Low Down From the Higher Ups

 Offer an opportunity in a discussion with RAD’s top management by providing a panel of RAD’s Director, Deputy Director and Assistant Directors.

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XIII. The Low Down From the Higher Ups

 Encourage open dialogue on leadership and current issues in RAD.

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 Focus on how to plan time and schedule work.

 Apply Stephen Covey’s “Time Management Matrix” to learn day-to-day time management techniques.

 Practice leadership styles in previous lessons and apply for decision-making and problem solving.

XIV. 168 Hours

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XV. Building Engaged Workgroups and Teams

 Explore the concept of building workgroups and teams and ways to create a positive work environment.

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XV. Building Engaged Workgroups and Teams

  Identify : 1)  Characteristics of an

ideal work environment,

2)  Leader and follower behaviors,

3)  Step to building an effective team, and

4)  Building trust.

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XVI. SkillSoft Course Assingments

XVII. Reading Assignments

Final Assignments  Provide a presentation to demonstrate what they have learned as a team

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Developing Professional Tax Administrators for the Future Leadership Development

Program

2012 Federation of Tax Administrators Annual Meeting 1

Rhea Reed, Esq., CPA Director, Revenue Administration Division

Comptroller of Maryland

 The Comptroller of Maryland’s Revenue Administration Division launched an 18-month leadership development program in June 2009.

  It was designed to develop and enhance skills of employees as potential section managers in the near future.

 The success of this program allowed the Comptroller of Maryland to expand training initiatives.

Introduction

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 Designed for Assistant Section Managers and highly-motivated RAD employees

 Consisted of 25 employees  Team-based training program  Comprised of online coursework, research

projects, reading assignments, presentations, and classroom discussion

 Assigned Senior Fellows to perform as team leaders as well as mentors for Junior Fellows

Nature of Program

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 At the time RLDP was being planned, 92% of the Comptroller of Maryland’s top management would be eligible for retirement within the next 5 years.

 The Deputy Comptroller tasked the senior managers of RAD to develop a succession plan to address this situation.

Background of Program

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 To recruit, identify, and develop high-potential employees who would be the management team of the future

 To grow a well-trained, professional, empowered management team

 To cultivate an agile, flexible, workforce, capable of responding quickly to daily changes in processing requirements and backlogs

Purposes of Program

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 To provide rotational assignment opportunities in order to expand managers’ and employees’ knowledge of the overall operations of RAD and encourage cross-sectional cooperation

 To encourage evaluation of RAD’s operational processes and suggestions for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of operations

Purposes of Program

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 Two-week “Front-Line Manager Course” •  Managerial and Leadership Skills - based

on the IRS training course material •  Operational skills specific to RAD

 SkillSoft Course •  Expanded learning opportunities •  CPE

Contents of Program

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 Team projects led by Senior Fellows  Six-month rotations into different sections of

RAD  Four-hour monthly classroom discussions  Guest speakers from other COM divisions

and outside COM •  The Naval Academy’s Ethics Department •  Roundtable discussions with senior management

Structure of Program

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 An inter-Sectional employee network   Intranet used for training  Courses centered on organizational unit

functions  Required readings and book reviews  Rotational job assignments  Regular meetings with the Deputy Director  Round-table discussion with RAD Directors

Innovative Features

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 Revitalized Workforce  More “Agile” Employees  Career Advancement Opportunities   Increased Use of Online Training  Enhancements in of Use of SkillSoft  College Course Offerings  Expanded Leadership Development

Program

Impact of Program

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 Cost Effective – inexpensive compared to formal/commercial training program

 Focus on leadership and management training

 Cross-training opportunities  More engaged workforce  Provided better inter-sectional

understanding, cooperation and networking

SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths

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 Challenging adjustment period as employees were rotated to different positions; frequent upheaval

 Created anxiety among some nonparticipants  Not well-funded   Limited rotational choices for some professionals,

such as CPAs  Requires an 18-month commitment from

participants  State personnel regulations = constraints!

SWOT ANALYSIS Weaknesses

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 Identified future leaders  Created a pool of future section

managers  Promotional opportunities for employees  Provided a spotlight for participants to

demonstrate their skills and abilities

SWOT ANALYSIS Opportunities

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 Trained leaders may leave for other agencies

 Non-participants may exhibit resentment when participants are promoted, especially when participant has less seniority

 Training may not be successful for all individuals, but expectations are created

SWOT ANALYSIS Threats

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 RLDP is a compelling, cost-effective management and leadership training program.

 RLDP generated enthusiasm among the participants as they gained career-focused knowledge and skills.

 RLDP increased tax knowledge and awareness of management/leadership theory and strategies.

Conclusion

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The RLDP Program  Established the idea that future promotion would be the result of demonstrated skills and achievements, high-performance as well as management and leadership potentials.  Gave the opportunity to provide leadership and management training prior to placement in a supervisory role.

Conclusion

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