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In this Issue
Unconscious bias is a quick and often inaccurate judgment based on limited facts and our own life experiences. These judgments can give individuals and groups both unearned advantage and unearned disadvantage in the workplace. Bias can be learned and reinforced by past experiences, inherited beliefs, and stereotypes learned from family, friends, media, and society. Bias can be dangerous because it allows our brain to make assumptions about someone that are not factual. Not only can unconscious bias cause harm in workplace interactions, it can also prevent some people from contributing fully and succeeding professionally.
The Met Council’s eLearning Unconscious Bias training reviews the definition of unconscious bias, shows how to recognize its impact in the workplace, and offers practical actions we can take to create a more inclusive culture where everyone can contribute, innovate, and improve business outcomes.
The Unconscious Bias course is part of the Councilwide racial equity training program and is required for all Met Council employees except bus operators, who will receive this information in a different format.
Employees will receive an emailed notification about this required training from Learn on Feb. 22 and must complete the online course by April 22.
You can find supplemental resources and training debrief material on the Human Resources Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page.
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Internship positions have been posted! Applications are being accepted Feb. 1 through Feb. 26. The Met Council is offering 43 internship positions for the 2021 program.
If you know someone who might be interested in applying for a Met Council internship please direct them to the Met Council's internship webpage and let them know about the virtual info session we are hosting on Feb. 22 at 3:00 p.m. Attendees need to sign up to receive the event link. The event will also be recorded and available for later viewing.
Conversations can be difficult when leaders need to confront troublesome behavior and hold people accountable to meet commitments. Crucial Accountability teaches you how to deal with violated expectations in a way that solves the problem at hand without harming the relationship, and, in fact, even strengthens it.
This virtual, instructor-led class is part of the Leading Challenging Conversations certificate and is open to those with direct reports. The class will be held May 6 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. To enroll:
- Log into Learn.
- If you are not in MTPD: Go to the Talent Hub page in MetNet and click on Learn.
- If you are in MTPD: Go to the MTPD MetNet site and click on Learn. Log in using your five-digit employee ID and your Learn password.
- Click the library book icon at the top of the page and scroll down to “A-Learning Institute” and click the arrow pointing to the right.
- Scroll to “LOD Classes Open for Registration.”
- Locate the class and register.
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How we work in the region matters as much as what work we do. Core competencies are important for everyone’s success regardless of their job title.
These five core competencies are essential for all Met Council employees:
Customer focus matters whether we work directly with transit riders or impact service through regular equipment maintenance or serve internal customers through the work of our
departments. Paying attention to and adapting to the changing needs of our customers translates into satisfied customers and a positive reputation for the Met Council’s work in the region.
Optimizing business processes in our complicated operational environment is all about
finding the best ways to get things done efficiently and effectively. Good processes impact
quality, customer satisfaction, even employee satisfaction. Employees at all levels have a role to play from paying attention to how things work (or don’t work), to asking good questions about what’s happening, to offering ideas and researching industry best practices.
Valuing differences is incredibly important because we need to understand and include
different perspectives and cultures in our decisions about everything from where to place a
bus shelter or a service line, to creating a new workplace procedure or a regional policy.
Everyone impacts the work climate through their behaviors to include, value, and support the contributions of others. The success of our work internally and regionally is measured by our ability to provide equitable access and create equitable outcomes.
Collaboration is a cornerstone quality for creating the best possible outcomes. The combined efforts of a team produce better results than those that can be achieved by individuals. The work of the Met Council requires partnerships and relationships with people or entities in the region, and as staff we need to work across our departments and divisions and with individuals in our own work units.
We instill trust by following through on commitments, keeping confidences, and showing consistency between our words and our actions. How we take responsibility for our actions and put the team first impacts the trust others place in us and ultimately in the Met Council as an organization.
Taken together these competencies demonstrate servant leadership – a genuine desire to
serve others. Through that service we make our organization and the region a better place for everyone.
Back by popular demand, the Living Paycheck to Purpose program is a four-week, live, online program designed to help you take control of your financial life so you can thrive in and out of the workplace. This program combines education, interactive discussion, and thought-provoking activities to help you overcome financial hurdles that are standing in the way of reaching your financial goals.
During this program you will:
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Refine your financial goals
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Learn strategies for increasing your savings
- Create a plan to pay off your debt
- Find a budgeting strategy that works for you
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Develop habits that lead to wealth building
This program will be held online on Wednesdays, March 10 to April 7 (skipping March 17) from noon to 1:00 p.m. and is limited to 15 employees. Sign up by contacting Crystal Felten.
Visit the Fit For Life MetNet page for a full listing of programs, events, and opportunities coming this winter, including new sessions around “caregiver support” as we approach the holiday season.
Please join hiring director Craig Edlund and Talent Acquisition Specialist II Kathi Primoli on Monday, Feb. 22, from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. for a virtual information session to hear more about the Assistant Manager, Business Unit, Operations position.
Join online via Webex with the event link: https://metrocouncil.webex.com/metrocouncil/onstage/g.php?MTID=ee5a0f09e93e9dcccf3abc5f38065f18a
Call in over the phone 1-415-655-0003 and use access code 187 424 7811.
For questions, please contact Kristi Goble, Environmental Services workforce and equity program coordinator.
Stay tuned for upcoming Environmental Services position information sessions for:
- Manager, Business Unit
- Manager, Asset Reliability
What does health equity mean to you?
Fit For Life is excited to interview advocates of health equity and share with you those equitably minded individuals throughout 2021. In these interviews, we'll see how health equity means different things to different people. Read more about this year's programming theme of health equity in Fit For Life's December article (PDF).
To get us started, read on for the interview with Environmental Services Workforce & Equity Manager Jenn Zuchowski. She shares how health equity has impacted her personally in healthcare settings, gives some good advice to those of us who may encounter similar issues, and demonstrates how to be an advocate for those who need it.
Q: What does health equity mean to you?
A: In my own experience, it’s having access to quality care and to providers who make my family’s health and well-being a priority. I’ve always had health insurance, so I have been blessed to have routine exams for myself and my children. While I’m grateful to have good insurance, I realize there are many people who don’t. With COVID-19, we’ve seen that generally speaking, people who are hit the hardest tend to have underlying health conditions and they may not have had access to regular, quality care. As a result, their chances of survival from this disease are greatly minimized, which is incredibly sad.
Wellness Around the Council is a monthly HR Connect series from the Fit For Life team that features initiatives, groups, and individuals who are exhibiting their well-est selves at work, and beyond – from fitness to healthy eating to mental health. If you’d like more information, contact HealthPartners on-site Health Coach Ashley.Starr@metc.state.mn.us.
The new Environmental Services organizational charts are now updated and posted on MetNet. Some of the new features include the Environmental Services divisional color, chart numbers, organizational structure revamp, and streamlining the look and feel.
If you know of any changes or needed revisions please send updates to Paula Crane.
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