DNR Meet and Confer Minutes July 15, 2020

Meeting notes for Meet and Confer 7/15/2020

Attendees:

Michelle Apman
Megan Benage
Adam Browning
Kristi Coughlon
Harland Hiemstra
Denis Legato
Barb Naramore
Monica Weber
Dan Englehart
Matt Olinger
 

Check-in

• Review agenda and time allotments (Megan)
• Review Meet and Confer Purpose (Megan/Dan)
• Round Robin for how meeting structure is going, discuss any changes, what we want to get out of these meetings (All)
• MAPE is formally asking for BMS involvement (Dan)
• Review action item spreadsheet (attached) (Megan)

Megan began with an introduction to the new agenda format and that this meeting was reserved for a check-in. She thanked everyone for their dedication. She acknowledged the meetings are a collective effort and that it is a difficult, stressful time right now. She thanked Barb and management for their compassion for staff.

 

Management Round-Robin

The meeting began with a round robin to see how attendees felt things were working, if things were improving and what everyone wanted to get out of the meetings.

Adam said with regards to this being a check-in since our reset in 2020, he appreciated the structured agenda and the opportunity to have productive off-line discussions with Jed Becher aside from the meetings. He was thankful of Jed’s availability. His meeting goals were to come together to exchange ideas, solve issues and share information.

Denise echoed Adam’s thoughts and added she thought the meetings should clarify roles in the organization and she wanted to get to a point of trust so when things are evaluated/responded to, they come with the understanding of a genuine recognition of common interest and the understanding that folks don’t always get what they want. She would like us to do a better job on the agenda and time management, and define the issues best addressed in this venue. She felt that individual concerns are best addressed in a different venue and we should save the meetings for broader issues. She recognized bigger topics need more time and that we need to manage expectations.

Megan said that the small team meetings aside from the regular meetings were in response to folks needing to delve deeper into discussion topics and were good at clarifying points of confusion

Barb said she was appreciative of the thoughtful and intentional approach by all. She suggested that rather than starting with proposed solutions to problems we start with a robust conversation about the issue and opportunities to improve or resolve them.

Megan said it takes trust, and we are not there yet. Sometimes we develop solutions and proposals to demonstrate the need and are frustrated with the response.

Matt said that it is important to understand the details surrounding the proposal to manage expectations and set priorities. The small group meetings have been a good way to do this.

 

MAPE Round-Robin

Megan gave perspective as being the DNR M&C chair. She meets with other chairs and gave an overview of other M&C agency meetings, how frequently other agencies meet, and all they are accomplishing together. She agreed smaller meetings were great for clarity of ideas and issues.

Dan gave an overview/history of his role at MAPE. He said that former DNR Commissioner, Tom Landwehr was committed to MAPE M&C. The meetings are an opportunity to avoid conflict, contractual or not, and avoid the grievance process, especially when we have trust, openness and good teamwork. He said he has confident MAPE can get there with DNR, as has been happening in other agencies.

Dan said MAPE is asking for mediation through BMS as a tool to get back on track. He has talked to Adam about it, as well as Jan from BMS. BMS will need a formal agreement from MAPE/management to proceed.

Denise is not opposed, but wants a better understanding from MAPE as to why it was decided to involve BMS. She thought it might take us down a different track where the process would take up more time than dealing with issues.

Megan said meetings have not been working well and responses to issues need to be functional and we haven’t found a successful meeting format that works to both cover issues in detail and work towards resolution.

Barb was surprised that was MAPE’s experience and wanted to understand how we envisioned BMS’s role. She had looked at the description of BMS services and thought they were more of a training or formal mediation involving labor disputes.

Dan thought that a further conversation with Jan at BMS to identify a prescriptive process for M&C, such as our own curriculum, would be appropriate.

Megan acknowledged our last meeting was derailed by a back and forth conversation where there was little understanding of what each other was trying to say and that BMS would help clarify these cases. We don’t want to derail meetings because of wrong perceptions. It causes frustration and a breakdown in good, two-way communication

 

After Action Spreadsheet

Megan turned the attention to the After Action Meeting Report spreadsheet to help with understanding some of the concerns. She went through what had/had not been accomplished by whom and why to point out some of the frustrations with accountability.

Barb asked if MAPE was looking for more evenness related to tasks on the spreadsheet. Megan clarified that she is looking for more of a back and forth conversation with management where we are brought in early to proactively consult on issues as well as bringing issues forward. Barb was open to that.

Harland reiterated the hierarchical decision-making and reiterated that management can bring problems and issues to the group for MAPE’s help and insight.

Barb said that maybe the interruption in the M&C meeting schedule and not getting to high level priority MAPE issues was cause for the unevenness felt by MAPE.

Megan suggested a facilitator would help us get past the unevenness MAPE feels.
 

Report from Small Teams

• PPL update and next steps (Led by Monica, Adam, Megan)

• Culture of respect and staff complaint resolution process (Led by Megan, Adam)
  • Add Quick links on HR toolbar

Barb started with the Organizational Health team and said it has been somewhat delayed due to COVID, She identified two alternatives:

• Resume joint labor meetings
• Create standing labor consultant group as long as it does not undermine M&C

Monica went through the PPL materials

Adam said the small team meeting was helpful and answered a lot of the “whys.”

Megan talked about the Culture of Respect/staff complaint resolution process and how links could be added, acknowledging that some are not under DNR control.

Adam said his discussion with Jed was helpful regarding splitting Culture of Respect page from HR page

 

FY 21 Budget

Barb offered a big picture look. She acknowledged that people are anxious, both with this FY budget and 2022/23. She said she can’t share some aspects of the process, but it resembles the normal process. They still don’t know dates, MMB modifications and things may change. The DNR process will be interactive – CMO/OMBS/Division leaders. DNR will likely have particular challenges with dedicated funding so there will be a departmental approach and divisions will be tasked with working collaboratively to share funds. They still don’t have knowledge of all tools to use and want MAPE’s perspective and approaches on tools to manage budget constraints. Management is willing to communicate the challenges and hear these perspectives.

Megan said MAPE will do more targeted engagement with membership on this issue.

Monica asked about the hiring freeze and uncertainties with the legislative body.

Barb said there were very few exceptions to hiring and the majority of exemptions were critical seasonal work at parks and fire response. Hiring is an uncertainty and there will be a conservative approach to permanent, full-time staff hiring.

Denise mentioned the Governor’s executive order responses and how it fits into the hiring framework and that DNR does not have an overall agency quota yet.

Megan asked about teleworking analysis – money savings, office closures

Barb said they will be seeing what they learn, but a target for this analysis has not been set due to immediate needs of the pandemic. She said there is no baseline data from which to draw regarding savings as everything happened quickly and buildings still need to be maintained. She said they don’t know how long people will be teleworking and what the long-term implications will be for future office space. She said they will perhaps look at the new co-located office in Cloquet for information.

Megan asked about under-represented/protected classes and layoffs.

Denise said there are a number of agencies looking at it, but it was a premature question and DNR is bound by labor contracts. Seniority would prevail. DNR has a complicated workforce and a targeted approach based on funding level would be used. DNR has not made a lot of progress diversify its workforce to date.
 

DNR Preparedness Plan and Return to Work Preparedness Plan

What are the next steps?

Barb said the plan is a living document and all guidance documents are continually evolving. For the foreseeable future, all staff who can telecommute will. What we’re seeing in other states with reopening and covid-19 cases increasing underscores maximizing telecommuting. They are also busy looking at guidance documents and understanding what a return to work would look like geographically. Management has communicated to staff through a variety of tools – webinars, Spotlight articles, all-staff emails. They also want division leadership to bring things forward, too. Next week there will be a Wireside chat on the Preparedness Plan.

 

Next Steps

Megan circled back to BMS and asked if management needed more time to contemplate it.

Barb said she is not prepared to answer today and needed consultation on information and basis MAPE provided. She would provide an answer by July 31.

Megan and Dan agreed there could be flexibility to the BMS process for M&C meetings and Megan emphasized that MAPE feels we have made progress, but we don’t want that progress to be lost.

Meeting adjourned at 4:37.

 

Respectfully submitted by the DNR-MAPE Meet and Confer Team