HUD Wants to Help You Motivate Co-workers and Boost Morale

Federal employees interested in motivating their co-workers and improving morale in the workplace should mark their calendars for June 28-29, when the Housing and Urban Development Department is hosting its first executive coaching conference.

The event, which is open to all federal employees and will be held in the auditorium of HUD’s Washington headquarters, will feature industry and government speakers, individual training sessions, and smaller group panels all aimed at providing information on how to become a federal coach – and how to benefit from one.

“It’s not just a HUD show,” said Sheila Wright, HUD’s chief learning officer, in a recent interview with Government Executive. “We’ve engaged thought leaders in the private sector, but also more importantly, in the federal workspace. This is definitely a federal conference.” Other departments participating in HUD’s event include Defense, Interior, and Health and Human Services, Wright said. Officials from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership also will be on site.  HUD employees who work outside of Washington in field offices will be able to access the conference and sessions remotely.

The Office of Personnel Management last year launched its federal coaching network, which included a governmentwide database of internal federal coaches, to help guide employees at every level to boost engagement and productivity. A 2009 ICG Global Coaching Client Study found that organizations with coaching programs reported stronger work performance and career growth, increasing employees’ self-confidence and communications skills, among other positive outcomes.

Wright said that the conference’s first day will focus on “coaching 101” and highlight the subtle differences between coaching, counseling, and mentoring. Mentors share experiences and create a roadmap for mentees, while coaches help individuals “discover their own path using powerful questions,” Wright said. The second day of the conference will be more for federal leaders and managers, teaching participants how to use coaching anywhere, anytime. Both days will be very interactive, Wright said, and the goal is for participants to “walk away with tools they may not have had before” and to be more aware of the power of coaching to change the individual and the organization for the better. There will be special workshops for senior executives, federal coaches, and those in the process of getting certified as coaches.

HUD has been working on its coaching program for a few years, and has received positive feedback from participants, said Wright. The department is talking to HUD’s unions to promote the idea of coaching and mentoring among rank-and-file employees.

Wright said HUD is focused on tracking the effectiveness of its coaching program through an internal system called Link. “For those employees who are part of Link, they can be matched to a coach or mentor based on need,” said Wright. The automated system helps HUD more effectively track how many people are participating, monitor the program’s return on investment, and share more accurate information with OPM.

“We really recognize that we have the talent within federal government to coach our employees, and know best how to move government forward,” Wright said. “This whole conference is just the beginning; it’s a conversation. We hope other agencies will replicate it, make it better, and connect.” The goal is to ensure that “coaching is a household name,” Wright added.

HUD employees can register for the two-day conference now. On Wednesday, the department will open registration to the rest of the federal workforce. The conference is not open to federal contractors.

For more information contact HUDcoachconf@hud.gov.