On Friday, we were scheduled to meet with our supervisor from 10 am to 5 pm to discuss Project 72. Project 72 is the most complicated process that I have ever seen. Project 72 details how the budget is executed on a daily basis. The problem with Project 72 is that it combines data found in the BEAs internal budgeting software with information stored on Microsoft Excel. It then requires a user to filter through the combined data, removing extraneous information in order to make the document easier to read. At the end of the process, a user has to convert the data into PDF format. The actual execution of this process is more difficult than words can describe.
During our meeting, Jeff gave our supervisor a new idea to help her get through the process more efficiently. His idea was to utilize a random protocol in Microsoft Excel that would color discrepancies purple, making them easier to remove after combining documents. Our supervisor was ecstatic, convincing him to try his idea. I was happy to see how easily she takes advice. Many bosses that I have seen are apprehensive about taking advice from interns. I am proud to say that she is not one of them.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Week 2: Day 3-4
On Wednesday, my teammates and I met with our supervisor to discuss our priorities for process mapping. She told us that we needed to conduct several interviews in order to properly construct the maps. I found her insight and experience very helpful. We then spent the rest of our day scheduling interviews with the key contacts that we needed. Our first interview was with a two-person team. Greg and Stacy were responsible for creating a system, called Status of Funds, to update the Director of ASD on the amount of money remaining in the BEA budget. It was our responsibility to document what Greg and Stacy do in order to make their process more understandable for a new person.
The best word to describe our interview with Gary and Stacy is awkward. The awkwardness of the interview was apparent from the start. We could tell that Gary and Stacy were nervous, but it took us several minutes to discover why. The truth behind their nervousness was revealed when Laura told the two of them that our process maps were not going to be used for hire/fire decisions and that we were only trying to help them. I smiled as Stacy playfully popped Gary on the arm, quietly whispering to him, “See, I told you so.” It was odd to me that two entrenched government employees would be intimidated by three barely paid interns who lack their age, knowledge, connections, and experience. It is not until I did the mental calculus that I realized that their fear was completely logical. Who better to replace an aging employee than one who is half their age, gets paid less, and can complete a task twice as quickly? I began to sympathize with them as I documented not only what they do, but also how it could be done better. I hope that they will utilize the lessons delineated in our process maps. If not, I fear that their replacement is only a matter of time.
The best word to describe our interview with Gary and Stacy is awkward. The awkwardness of the interview was apparent from the start. We could tell that Gary and Stacy were nervous, but it took us several minutes to discover why. The truth behind their nervousness was revealed when Laura told the two of them that our process maps were not going to be used for hire/fire decisions and that we were only trying to help them. I smiled as Stacy playfully popped Gary on the arm, quietly whispering to him, “See, I told you so.” It was odd to me that two entrenched government employees would be intimidated by three barely paid interns who lack their age, knowledge, connections, and experience. It is not until I did the mental calculus that I realized that their fear was completely logical. Who better to replace an aging employee than one who is half their age, gets paid less, and can complete a task twice as quickly? I began to sympathize with them as I documented not only what they do, but also how it could be done better. I hope that they will utilize the lessons delineated in our process maps. If not, I fear that their replacement is only a matter of time.
Week 2: Day 2
On Tuesday, my teammates and I were scheduled to receive Microsoft Visio training from 9:30 am to 4 pm. We were astonished that we had an all-day meeting to cover a subject learned in a previous gathering. It was at that point that I realized the significance of an age gap in an organization. Of course our supervisor assumed that we needed two full-days to understand a Microsoft product: she did not grow up with Windows like we did. That generational gap became more apparent during our training session. One of the SPAG members had a semi-panic attack when her computer showed an error message during start-up. My teammates and I looked at each other, sharing the thought that the technical error was not that critical. All the SPAG member had to do was read the message and press the enter button to get the computer to do what she wanted. I watched as my supervisor patiently explained to her teammate how to fix the problem. I gained a greater level of respect for both of them upon witnessing the depth of their relationship. I aspire to successfully replicate that part of my supervisor's management style when I eventually lead a team.
Week 2: Day 1
My second week working in the BEA was quite eventful. On Monday, my teammates and I received a surprise message that there was a second intern orientation. Initially, we were all hesitant to go to a meeting that we deemed unnecessary. We decided to attend the meeting together as a show of solidarity. We walked into the room and greeted our colleagues with politeness. We were surprised again when they barely responded, quietly laughing to ourselves about their shyness.
Several minutes later, the intern coordinator, who also happens to be another graduate student, walked into the room. She pressured the other interns to introduce themselves, assuring them that we would have a lot of time to get to know each other. We did not know what she meant until she passed out a calendar with several dates circled. Apparently, we were going to be meeting as a group twice per month. After receiving this news, the interns began to relax. The remainder of our meeting was largely productive, giving me a good sense of each intern’s personality. My teammates and I then returned to our office to find a list of the ten processes that we needed to map before the end of the summer. I was excited to have the opportunity to begin my work.
Several minutes later, the intern coordinator, who also happens to be another graduate student, walked into the room. She pressured the other interns to introduce themselves, assuring them that we would have a lot of time to get to know each other. We did not know what she meant until she passed out a calendar with several dates circled. Apparently, we were going to be meeting as a group twice per month. After receiving this news, the interns began to relax. The remainder of our meeting was largely productive, giving me a good sense of each intern’s personality. My teammates and I then returned to our office to find a list of the ten processes that we needed to map before the end of the summer. I was excited to have the opportunity to begin my work.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Week 1: Day 4
On Friday, our schedule remained fairly open. The SPAG group was stuck in meetings for the majority of the day, so I had the opportunity to discuss a more efficient method of process mapping with my teammates. We came up with several schemes that we thought could work, but decided to hold off on telling SPAG until we had already implemented our plan. The SPAG group met with us between 1:30 and 4 pm to train us on how to use Microsoft Visio. My teammates and I joked about the irony of being taught how to use a Microsoft product by people over twice our age. The generational difference became more apparent as the meeting continued. It took the ladies over two hours to explain a program that would take us twenty minutes to master. Regardless of how long the meeting took, my teammates and I decided to remain patient and respectful, learning the lessons that were provided for us that day.
Week 1: Day 3
On Thursday, I finally received a clear definition of process mapping. My team members and I met with the Deputy Chief and her team for training on the subject. When we walked into the meeting, we were surprised to find the three ladies there with Post-Its and poster board. They then spent the next couple of hours explaining their process mapping methodology to us. Process maps are visual charts that detail how a certain task is performed within an organization. We immediately understood the importance of understanding how tasks are performed, but we could not understand the logic behind writing down each step on a Post-It note and placing it on poster board. The ladies then explained to us that they would interview the individuals responsible for performing each task, have them fill out the Post-Its, and place them on the board. SPAG would then debate the proper order of each step in a process in order to make it more efficient. After a successful debate, the documented & improved process was then digitized using Microsoft Visio before being sent back to the individual responsible for completing the task. The ladies told us that it would probably take between 2-4 days to successfully complete a map. My teammates and I were baffled at the subtle inefficiency inherent in their “process mapping process”. We were determined to find a way to complete it more quickly.
Week 1: Day 2
The next day, Wednesday, I walked into the mailroom with the other interns and was astonished to find a set of desks in the back. Our office was in the mailroom. My teammates and I laughed as we found our respective desks, thinking of the old joke about putting the interns in the mailroom. Maybe someone took that joke to heart? Several minutes later, my supervisor came down from her office on the 3rd floor. She introduced us to each of the gentleman working in the mailroom before informing us that we were going to meet her teammates during our 10 am to 5 pm meeting. I could not believe what I had just heard. What event could possibly warrant discussion for seven hours?
Our supervisor's teammates are very much like her: polite, thoughtful, and helpful. Collectively, they are known as the SPAG group. The three of them explained to us the history of BEA, its organization culture, and the names of people that we should know. Ironically, the Chief of the Administrative Services Division walked into the room right after his name was mentioned. He is equally as friendly as his subordinates. My ears perked up when he told me that he was an AU alumni, which gave us a lot to talk about for several minutes. I was feeling pretty at home within the first two days. I also felt that I would acquire a substantial amount of useful knowledge out of my internship experience.
Our supervisor's teammates are very much like her: polite, thoughtful, and helpful. Collectively, they are known as the SPAG group. The three of them explained to us the history of BEA, its organization culture, and the names of people that we should know. Ironically, the Chief of the Administrative Services Division walked into the room right after his name was mentioned. He is equally as friendly as his subordinates. My ears perked up when he told me that he was an AU alumni, which gave us a lot to talk about for several minutes. I was feeling pretty at home within the first two days. I also felt that I would acquire a substantial amount of useful knowledge out of my internship experience.
Week 1: Day 1
My first week working in the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) was a lesson in workplace etiquette. My current SCEP position is my first experience with a true 9-5 job. My first day began the day after Labor Day at 9 am. The first task of the morning was to find something to wear. After two hours of constant changing, I finally settled on a polo and khaki pants. I saw workers who were dressed similarly to me when I walked into the office building on 1441 L Street, giving me the impression that my choice of dress was adequate. I realized how under-dressed I was when I walked into the meeting room where all of my fellow interns were seated.
As I looked around the table, I saw prim and proper students wearing their neckties and suit jackets. I sighed to myself and let out a low, “Good morning”. None of them responded. As I looked around the room for a second time, it became apparent to me that most of them were several years younger than me after I scanned their unlined faces. Most of them were clearly undergrads. I scanned around the room a third time, noticing two interns that looked pretty close to my age. I crossed my fingers, hoping that I would get to work with them rather than the others.
Several minutes later, the different division chiefs at the BEA walked into the room. They were not at all the kind of people that I expected. I was surprised that they all seemed easy-going, down to Earth, and generally relaxed. My first impression of them made it easier for me to feel comfortable in a room full of my introverted peers. Unfortunately, my comfort was disrupted when they told us that each chief had a presentation and we were expected to sit through them for the remainder of the day. I guess that’s the price you pay on your first day of work.
After the last presentation, which ended at around 2:30, the other interns and I finally had the opportunity to meet our respective superiors. My supervisor is the Deputy Chief of the Administrative Services Division. She is primarily responsible for troubleshooting the different problems that occur at the Bureau. I could immediately tell that she has good heart and can be a potential mentor for me in the future. Ironically, she introduced me to the two interns that appeared to be closer to my age. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief after learning that we would be together. Our similar senses of humor helped us break the ice fairly quickly. Our supervisor explained to us that we would meet again in the mailroom the next day to continue with our orientation.
As I looked around the table, I saw prim and proper students wearing their neckties and suit jackets. I sighed to myself and let out a low, “Good morning”. None of them responded. As I looked around the room for a second time, it became apparent to me that most of them were several years younger than me after I scanned their unlined faces. Most of them were clearly undergrads. I scanned around the room a third time, noticing two interns that looked pretty close to my age. I crossed my fingers, hoping that I would get to work with them rather than the others.
Several minutes later, the different division chiefs at the BEA walked into the room. They were not at all the kind of people that I expected. I was surprised that they all seemed easy-going, down to Earth, and generally relaxed. My first impression of them made it easier for me to feel comfortable in a room full of my introverted peers. Unfortunately, my comfort was disrupted when they told us that each chief had a presentation and we were expected to sit through them for the remainder of the day. I guess that’s the price you pay on your first day of work.
After the last presentation, which ended at around 2:30, the other interns and I finally had the opportunity to meet our respective superiors. My supervisor is the Deputy Chief of the Administrative Services Division. She is primarily responsible for troubleshooting the different problems that occur at the Bureau. I could immediately tell that she has good heart and can be a potential mentor for me in the future. Ironically, she introduced me to the two interns that appeared to be closer to my age. We all breathed a collective sigh of relief after learning that we would be together. Our similar senses of humor helped us break the ice fairly quickly. Our supervisor explained to us that we would meet again in the mailroom the next day to continue with our orientation.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Introductions
This summer I’m working as a Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) Intern in the Bureau of Economic Analysis. SCEP is a competitive federal program which provides work experience directly related to students’ academic programs and career goals.
In this role, it is my responsibility to help all BEA offices find a way to do their work more efficiently. Each of the offices has a list of processes that require significant improvement in order to be effective. My first analysis targeted the Separation Clearance Process. This procedure was requested by the BEA and directly pertains to ending Bureau or Federal service. My second project focused on the dudget compiling process that is used by the Budget Group. Project 72, the next assignment., was requested by the BEA Director and pertains to how the budget is executed over time. The fourth analysis involved the training process, which is needed by the Human Capital Group to detail how an employee’s human capital training is compensated.
I still have several other processes on my agenda for future mapping. The remaining processes that I have to review include travel request forms, maintenance request forms as requested by the Office of CIO, a desk guide needed by ASD, and building maintenance requests needed by the Physical Environment Group. The Physical Environment Group also needs details on how materials are transported from their warehouse to the BEA facility. Even though I am an intern within the Administrative Services Division, I get the opportunity to meet with various other stakeholders throughout the day while conducting my work activities.
In this role, it is my responsibility to help all BEA offices find a way to do their work more efficiently. Each of the offices has a list of processes that require significant improvement in order to be effective. My first analysis targeted the Separation Clearance Process. This procedure was requested by the BEA and directly pertains to ending Bureau or Federal service. My second project focused on the dudget compiling process that is used by the Budget Group. Project 72, the next assignment., was requested by the BEA Director and pertains to how the budget is executed over time. The fourth analysis involved the training process, which is needed by the Human Capital Group to detail how an employee’s human capital training is compensated.
I still have several other processes on my agenda for future mapping. The remaining processes that I have to review include travel request forms, maintenance request forms as requested by the Office of CIO, a desk guide needed by ASD, and building maintenance requests needed by the Physical Environment Group. The Physical Environment Group also needs details on how materials are transported from their warehouse to the BEA facility. Even though I am an intern within the Administrative Services Division, I get the opportunity to meet with various other stakeholders throughout the day while conducting my work activities.
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