Continuous Self-Assessment Diagnostic Steps
The following are typical process steps. They can be modified to meet client needs.
1. Management Team Orientation.
The QWLC team meets with the Management Team for orientation. These are information exchange sessions. The project overview is presented, and the steps are explained in as much detail as appropriate. Milestones on the timeline are scheduled, and recommendations for creating the Data Collection Team are discussed.
2. Management Team and Other Interviews.
A member of the QWLC team will interview selected Management Team members and others. The interviews allow us to confirm trends that are emerging in the data collected and ask open-ended questions that add to our understanding of the system.
3. Data Collection Team Facilitation.
The Data Collection Team is chartered and has its initial meeting. The team members, representing a cross section of the organization, are given an orientation similar to the Management Team Orientation. The process of drafting the survey is begun. The Data Collection Team selects items from QWLC’s pool of items that can be added to and modified for the final tailored survey. A Pilot for the survey is an additional option in this step.
4. Personnel Orientation.
The act of initiating an employee survey project creates anxiety and raises expectations. During this step, the ODI team is available to answer questions and help reduce any anxiety that may be stimulated. This Personnel Orientation normally includes literature distribution and employee presentations. Additional Personnel Orientation presentations are an option in this step.
5. Diagnostic Survey and Inventory Processing.
The primary methods of data collection are the organizational survey, a personal style inventory, and interviews. Every potential respondent receives a data collection package that includes a letter from the client who has sponsored the data collection initiative, data collection instructions, the survey and inventory. QWLC works hard to protect the anonymity of all respondents and includes in each package two addressed and postage-paid envelopes for returning the survey and the inventory directly to QWLC Respondents have the option to put a name on their surveys and inventories, which allows them to receive individual feedback. That is always an option, never a requirement.
Our approach includes participants taking a personal style inventory. This instrument has been designed as an assessment tool specifically for organizational learning. It is easy to understand, and avoids using language that has positive/negative connotations. We call it the "RGB" for short. With it we identify behaviors labeled "red, "green," and blue." We
find that these labels become so helpful that they are integrated into the common language of the organizations we serve, even among those who have not attended sessions.
6. WorkLife Culture Diagnostic Report.
The survey and inventory data is processed and our software displays the emerging worklife culture trends automatically. Results are cross-checked with on-site data collected to assure reliability and accuracy. A diagnostic report is generated that includes numerous graphic representations of the data as well as narrative interpretations and recommendations.
The WorkLife Culture Diagnostic includes reports on the overall systemic trends, the status of the systemic elements, and the specific survey items that require attention. The report provides a prioritization that highlights immediate areas of concern and facilitates timely action planning and resource allocation.
7. Management and Data Collection Teams Feedback.
First the report is presented to the client who has sponsored the data collection initiative, and anyone else that person invites to the session. Next the report is presented to the Management Team, then to the Data Collection Team.
8. Personnel Feedback Session(s).
The final feedback session(s) make the diagnostic data available for everyone in the organization. We use a "Data Fair" format to post the data for the employees to see. The QWLC team, in conjunction with the Data Collection Team, makes a presentation to orient attendees to what the data means. A package is provided for each employee with a summary of the report and copies of the systemic profiles with an interpretation guide. Each employee who has requested personalized feedback -- comparing the employee’s perceptions to the whole, and/or the style inventory feedback – receives that material in a separate packet. Copies of the WorkLife Culture Diagnostic Report will be provided. The report should be available to each employee in each location for reading, discussing, and use in planning.
9. Coaching Laboratories
The team is the fundamental unit of worklife culture change. The preferred, diagnostic-oriented technique used to develop the team is the ODI Coaching Laboratory. The coaching lab environment places team members with the coach for an exercise to learn about theirs and others’ perceptions concerning the organization. QWLC Coaching Labs can be undertaken at the client facility.
10. Evaluation and Planning.
Following the feedback sessions, the QWLC team will meet with the
appropriate decision-makers for follow-through. This includes an evaluation of the
initiative and an assessment of the commitment to continue with WorkLife Culture
Realignment, if appropriate.