ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGNS AND CHANGES

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1 ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGNS AND CHANGES AND CULTURE SHIFTS SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, ANYWAY?

2 Head Start has been in business 50 years and some of you work out of the same offices that were in place in That is a significant organizational cultural effect! Head Start has endured changes in service delivery, regulations, expectations, requirements and almost everything else in each and every one of those 50 years, and a lot of us are becoming

3 BOILED FROGS!

4 WE HAVE ADAPTED INCREMENTALLY TO ALL THESE CHANGES BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE Changed our organization and it s culture sufficiently to accommodate the myriad of changes that are inherent in Head Start ensuring that our organizations are sufficiently structured to support our changing program

5 In the last five years We have gotten among other things - DRS CLASS 5 year grants Birth to five pilots Proposed new standards Major change in fiscal requirements More and more restrictive oversight School Readiness Requirements even for babies Possible MAJOR changes in service delivery models Parent, Family and Community Engagement Initiative Net loss of income (COLA vs. Consumer Price Index) Huge influx of technology and technological requirements And pretty much everything in between!

6 Any one of which can affect the organization s culture, and all of which together are major change elements and potentially major culture shift determinants As we consider Head Start of the future we need to recognize the shifting paradigms we have experienced, and look to what we might be facing as shifting paradigms for the future Joel Barker is the world s guru on paradigms

7 So a paradigm is A system of rules and regulations that set boundaries like the expectations of how we operate our Head Start programs within the boundaries of the standards and the review system A paradigm shift is when we move from one set of rules to another like when we move from a 3 year grant cycle to a 5 year grant cycle, or a simple review system to a DRS review system or a simple part day part year system to a full day, longer year, partnership model What have been your paradigm shifts????? Did you know that s what your were experiencing????? And how have those shifts worked for you?????

8 And during all these shifts and changes how has your organization shifted to make accommodations? You should be looking at things like: Enhanced HR Systems HR and HRD to accommodate the changing requirements for Head Start staff Organization structure who reports to whom to ensure the smooth operation of the program Fiscal systems how is Head Start money managed within a larger organization and how are Head Start expenses payroll, purchases, etc. accommodated within the organization s culture Board member understanding of the Head Start program so they can meet the requirements of the ACT Non-Head Start staff knowledge of and appreciation for Head Start and its program requirements Head Start staff members ability to adapt, change and engage

9 Assuming that all those organizational systems are in place and are working well, then how do we impact the culture?

10 SO, WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE EXACTLY? The culture defines appropriate behavior Bonds and motivates individuals Asserts solutions where there is ambiguity Governs the way a company processes information Governs the way a company manages it s internal relations and it s values It functions at all levels, from subconscious to visible 10

11 So, then, what is Organizational Climate? It is a subset of behaviors within an organization s culture INCLUDING Orientation: member s principal concern (control, excellence and so on) Interpersonal relations: such as dependency, cliques, etc. Supervision: supervisors influence on employee motivation Problem management: how the organization view and solves problems 11

12 more... Management of mistakes: leaders attitudes toward subordinate errors Conflict management: processes used to resolve conflict Communication: prevalent styles and characteristics of communications Decision Making: how decisions are made and by whom; how the decision making process affects relationships 12

13 and still more... Trust: who trusts whom, for what Management of rewards: what behaviors are rewarded, and what behaviors are reinforced Risk taking: The organization s way of handling risky situations Innovation and change: who is responsible for instigating change, by what methods and to what effect 13

14 If the organization s CLIMATE IS not healthy The organization s culture will deteriorate and become 14

15 THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CONTAINS... Organizational history Deep rooted beliefs Assumptions Presumed norms Values How things work The way we do things around here! 15

16 And these things support the culture... Policies and procedures Written and unwritten dress codes Voluntary activities (but expected to attend) Avoid conflict at all times Rites and rituals War stories Informal vs. formal communication channels How change is managed How decisions get made and who makes them 16

17 So how does the culture of your organization work and has it impacted your ability to manage the changes we face?

18 Okay so what???? Now what???? In the face of current changes, potential changes with the standards in 2016 and the challenges in the field including state efforts what is necessary back at home to get your agency culture and climate aligned with these changes

19 MANAGING COMPLEX CHANGE VISION SKILLS INCEN- TIVES RE- SOURCES ACTION PLAN = CHANGE SKILLS INCEN- TIVES RE- SOURCES ACTION PLAN = CONFUSION VISION INCEN- TIVES RE- SOURCES ACTION PLAN = ANXIETY VISION SKILLS RE- SOURCES ACTION PLAN = RESISTANCE VISION SKILLS INCEN- TIVES ACTION PLAN = FRUSTRATION VISION SKILLS INCEN- TIVES RE-SOURCES = TREADMILL

20 LEVELS OF CHANGE L E A D E R S H I P M A N A G I N G Targeted Stability Efforts to repeat our previous performance Must manage even this change in order to remain stable Incremental Gradual to major change more of or less of what we have been doing This is manageable change for Head Start Transformational Changing the way we do things possibly whole new lines of business. Major changes in the assumptions and rules by which we do business Transformation Plus Multiple transformational changes happening at the same time almost the perfect storm A very high level leadership challenge

21 MY ORGANIZATION S CULTURE Organization s Function 1. Our agency has a deeply embedded history and that history is very much a part of who we are now. We make sure our new employees know and understand the importance of the history of our organization. 2. Our organization s leaders believe strongly and deeply in our history and our current work is merely an extension of our foundation 3. Our organization s values stem from the early days of our business And that drives everything we do. 4. Our policies and procedures are traditional and very thorough so we don t Often have to change or update them 5. There is rarely any overt conflict in our organization. Our leaders choose not to deal with or address issues where there is likely to be conflict. 6. The communication in our organization is pretty formal, and the leadership controls what gets communicated down the line. People don t need to know everything 7. The people at the top in our organization have deeply rooted beliefs about how things should happen in our business. We don t cross them. 8. Everyone in our organization is pretty clear about the rules we have to follow and no one dares break them 9. There is a clear understanding of how decisions get made in our organization. They are made at the top by one or two people 10. Frequently some people get treated differently than others in my organization. It s not fair. 11. I often feel as though I m battling an army when I try to get needed changes done in my organization 12. There is often irritation or even resistance from top management when we have to create a new procedure or policy for Head Start 13. We are just one of many programs in our agency and have to understand that Head Start s interests can t come before everything else 14. Some of our board members have been on the agency board for over 20 years 15. Our systems and procedures make it difficult to process work easily Totals This NEVER happens 1 point This Sometimes Happens 2 points This Often Happens 3 points This is Routine at our place 4 points Score: Your culture is fairly flexible and supportive Your culture is not very flexible Your culture is fairly rigid Your culture in anchored in stone

22 MY ORGANIZATION S CLIMATE Organization s Function 1. In my organization most people don t trust their fellow workers. Too many reasons not to. 2. People in my organization are often unclear about their roles and responsibilities. 3. Small groups of workers in my organization cluster together often, in support of each other and exclude people they don t trust. 4. Mistakes in my organization are not treated kindly. People who make mistakes need to be reminded of their errors. 5. In my organization we communicate with each other without going through formal channels because we never get the truth or straight talk from the formal channel anyway. 6. Everyone knows it is not wise to take too many risks in my organization. We could be in deep trouble if we went outside the corporate box. 7. Communication in my organization is sometimes fuzzy and often misunderstood. We don t seem to get details right when we are communicating with each other 8. Change does not come easy to us. There is a lot of resistance to changing things and ways of doing things in my organization 9. Sometimes when I walk into my office I can pretty much tell that it is not going to be a good day, just by the looks I see on my fellow employees and the attitudes I sense from them 10. My fellow employees often are caught up in interpersonal conflict. 11. Many of the supervisors in my organization are not well thought of by those they supervise. 12. Some people in my organization can ruin my day by their snotty attitudes 13. We have interpersonal problems among and between our employees that never get resolved 14. Some people in my organization get away with breaking the rules, and no body ever stops them 15. We do not deal with conflict well in our organization. Totals This NEVER happens 1 point This Sometimes Happens 2 points This Often Happens 3 points Score: Your organization s climate is pretty cool Your organization s climate is moderately cool Your organization s climate is pretty warm, Your organization s culture is red hot, and is probably not And could be an uncomfortable place to be a comfortable place to be at all This is Routine at our place 4 points