Back in February I was selected for a cross agency, cross organizational level team to work on a project that would take the results from an agency wide culture and climate survey into a new framework for operating. Back in February, it was interesting and seemed like it would be a good tool to put action to the change the work environment for the better instead of just a survey that then has the results sitting on a shelf. Now, five months later, finally, we are approaching narrowing action items down to three Vvlues, each with four correlating behaviors. I spent yesterday and will spend today in training on how we 12 will take the tools to the rest of the 380 employees. This has been going on for so long, it doesn't seem special to us-more just a huge time suck. It doesn't feel special to our colleagues, who think we are sitting in rooms messing with their work life. I have to have some degree of confidence and faith that this really will be good work and by late September, we see small and subtle changes that will lead to a more improved work environment. Just in time for the fall elections when our little world could change dramatically with the change of political leadership, a direct impact on all of us.
Have you ever been selected for projects or a work group that had you all jazzed up, but then fell flat? It seem to happen so much in my life that I have become jaded a bit. I feel bad right now for one of my team member, She went on behalf of my boss to a meeting around support systems for teen and expectant teen parents. She and I had brainstormed before and then after, some good ideas about how the three primary agencies could work stronger together to coordinate resources, and minimally, make sure the social workers and school counselors knew where to connect. Literally nothing has happened in three months despite her continuing to raise ideas, volunteering to take a lead on something. The response from other work group members seems to be, "that would be a lot of work." Well, yes, and so is it a lot of work to try and get a young mom with no high school diploma self sufficient three years later! Because teen parents are one of our four priority areas for the program I manage, I gave her the green light to move forward her ideas so at least for our needs and stakeholders, we could provide better resources. Maybe others will be more keen once they see something developing.
What's frustrating about these special projects that end up with little momentum is that they really shouldn't be special. Having a work atmosphere where people feel valued, have opportunity to contribute, and decisions are made with the intent of good, isn't an earth shattering concept. I'm off to work now, and by 9:00 until 5:00, I'll be focusing on this stuff and trying to help make it the norm. I really am looking forward to my vacation.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
8 comments:
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Often it seems that truly good ideas become mired in bureaucracy with agencies fighting to control their territory. Enjoy your vacation then get ready for the battle!
ReplyDeleteSo right you are! I am pretty vocal internally and externally that the territorialism needs to go. I have a couple people I connect with regularly and they face the same challenges in their own part of the cycle, but are trying to battle within.
DeleteI can't remember what field you are in, but I think you somehow stated much of my dislike of school system--ours, and most in general. The teachers, by and large, are great, and know how to do that which they do--teach. It's the administration, at all levels beyond the school principal, and the pedantic, and overall lazy guidance counselors, which zap all the creative, energetic, life force with nonsense such as you described. I joke with my favorite H.S. teacher, that if we cut district's staff by half, state's by 1/4, and gave that money to the teachers in the form of pay raises, we'd have a more productive, better school district. Well, being an FFA advisor, his words were, "Less use than two tits on a bull. The bull you can sell at auction."
ReplyDeleteWhat need to happen is systems just need to be de-complicated. nothing needs to have five sign offs. Nothing needs to be vetted by multiple committees if the right people are at the table to begin with. This isn't just education, but most large systems, and it gets mired in territorialism. Yes, if the system is de-complicated, the administration would be leaner, freeing up more funds. The problem with what the current Federal admin wants to do is just change who the admins are. Profit instead of territory will be the exchange, but I doubt any teachers will see a penny more in their classrooms, and the poorest schools will see less.
DeleteI eventually became jaded too, which is a shame as these kinds of brain-storming sessions can produce significant gains. I think if the "stake-holders" (I hate that word) - or the people who are actually doing the work can brainstorm improvements it can work, but from all the times we've had consultants who are NOT in-house come and try to "improve" things it has been a disaster. To me it just seemed like a way to spend the money allocated to "Training". One man wanted our group of 8 co-workers to have a kind of "chat forum" online to discuss potential "cases". God knows how much he was paid for that idea but as soon as he had finished "training/improving us" we went back to chatting and passing on information by the coffee machine. Yeah, I know, time to retire!
ReplyDeleteThe hopeful thin about this project is that while we have had consultants, they have more been facilitators shaping the process, with the ideas being generating, voted on, and prioritized by the 400 of us in some way shape or form. I'm hopeful that by giving my team member the green light and knowing she will engage people that get things done, something positive will come out of her work. Fingers crossed we all keep momentum going.
DeleteI have not got into any such situations...
ReplyDeleteLucky you-but I bet you've experienced them form the outside, or had the consequences of people not acting promptly on good ideas. I think you are anew commenter or reader-welcome and thank you for joining the conversation. I love your name and I am ready on Wednesday for the weekend.
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