Workplace Climate The Highlight Reel

1. Cooperative Extension Workplace Climate The Highlight Reel CEAC February 22, 2012

2. Workplace Climate Aligning Values Operations Programming

3. Workplace Climate Levels of Oppression: MAP Personal Interpersonal Institutional Cultural

4. Workplace Climate • Survey says… • Organization contributes… • Interventions needed… • Policies and expectations…

5. Workplace Climate 1997

6. Workplace Climate “The only reason there are women of color in the offices is because of the grant program. The only reason they have these jobs is because they don’t meet the degree requirement.”

7. Workplace Climate Strategic Alignment Survey - 2004 Values that build trust: Improvements needed Respect: 20% of respondents Straightforwardness: 17% of respondents

8. Workplace Climate Values Design Team Survey – 2007 “There are structures in place which divide rather than unite based on position classifications. I don’t quite know how that equates to values, but it is a reality that is an impediment to our best work.”

9. Workplace Climate Qualitative analysis of work place climate survey June 2011 Program Development and Evaluation Kerry Zaleski and Jeffrey Lewis

10. PURPOSE To understand the existing issues affecting workplace climate in CE To help you in your efforts to ensure that the environment is conducive to working, living and learning

11. BACKGROUND • Survey designed and analyzed by Rankin and Associates • PDE Unit was asked to look deeper into open-ended questions to better understand staff’s perspective of key organizational issues related to climate

12. Methodology • Excel spreadsheets with qualitative data (entered by Rankin) • No names attached to attached to # ID to protect confidentiality • Nvivo 09 + manual content analysis • Coded and categorized emerging themes • Themes were compared, discussed and agreed between Kerry and Jeffery

13. Data ANALYSIS and INTERPRETATION • Discussed particular themes, looked deeper into what people were saying • Interpreted meaning from organizational perspective • Used direct quotes to support themes

14. Limitations • PDE did not design survey • No access to raw data- could not identify CE specific responses • No analysis by district or county • Data heavily weighted on state staff (19.3% of CE respondents) • Quad counties had only 7% response rate • Disability questions did not include HIV

15. PARTICIPATION of CE

16. Participation by different IDs

17. PARTICIPATION BY RACE/ETHINC ID

20. DemograpHiC comparisons

21. FINDINGS 85% of respondents took time to respond to at least one open-ended question. Questions generating the most response: • Reasons for considering leaving and/or reasons for staying with UWEX (Q8) • Job satisfaction and career progression (Q6) • Comfort level with climate (Q4)

22. TYPES of REsponses • Most people who took time to respond to open answered questions expressed negative concerns • Sometimes this was coupled with positive observations • A few were indifferent about their feelings around climate, or felt the issue were out of anyone’s control

23. POSITIVES • Importance of work • Enjoy working with colleagues • Benefits

24. themes • Elitism, hierarchy and classism • Bullying and intimidation • Feeling “stuck” • Salary • Poor leadership/Lack of accountability

25. Elitism, hierarchy, classism Statements about unfair treatment, condescension, particularly toward classified staff “Classified staff are like good servants-invisible” “I usually feel no one really care how I’m doing…” “People are afraid to speak up” “No on listens. It’s like a dictatorship”

26. Bullying and intimidation Discrimination, lack of protection from administration/leaders, blame, deflecting responsibility Are staff clear about policies, protocol? “ I have seen an increase in bullying and arrogance by administrators in the division. People are in tears on a frequent basis.”

27. Feeling “stuck” • Lack of career progression • Inability to move up the ladder • Stress related to increased work load, reduction in take home pay • Limited in their roles • Uncertainty about where organization is headed • No where else to go

28. SALARY Second most discussed issue for dissatisfaction ”Salary is way too low for the work performed” “pay has been stagnant for five years. Cost of things I need to live has increased” “I am disappointed my career has not proved to be financially productive”

29. Leadership • Favoritism • Lack of accountability • Not feeling valued/appreciated • Lack of support for new ideas • Voices not being heard • Lack of support for professional development • Lack of trust • “out of touch”

30. Thinking about your role as a leader… • How would you know if this was happening in your department? • What would you do about it? • Why do these issues persist in light of our principles and values?

31. Some reasons Why is this important • People deserve fair treatment and reasonable opportunities for professional growth • Poor climate compromises the quality of work • People unable to reach full potential • Organization does not make good use of employee knowledge, experience, creativity, and innovative ideas • Organization not able to reach wider audiences • Other?

32. Let’s look at one of the themes Elitism, classism, hierarchical structure Colleagues who feel that their workplace contributions are not appreciated, respected or even known by those with more status and power. They are not asked to contribute ideas; their views and perspectives on workplace issues are not solicited or welcomed. They feel “silenced” and treated as less valuable than higher status individuals and are often among our lowest paid colleagues, though not always. They report that higher status colleagues often do not know or seem to care about their experiences of working in the organization.

33. Elitism—key words • “invisible” • “unknown” • “silenced” • “afraid” • “peons” • “inferior”

34. Questions to think about… Now think about your circles of influence in CE—the vertical and horizontal relationships, responsibilities and activities that define your work in the organization.

35. Keeping in mind the asymmetrical power relationships within your circles… • Do you know the extent to which elitism is an issue within your circles? • If so, how do you know? What are the policies structures, processes, practices and/or relationships that help you know? • If not, why not and how might you go about finding out whether or not this is an issue? • How do (or would) you respond to and change patterns of elitist behavior within your circles of influence? • What is your role and responsibility for addressing this and other climate issues? • How are you held accountable and by whom?

36. Workplace Climate Within your circle of influence, what’s your responsibility?

37. Workplace Climate Lets not be chicken: Are there systems or structures in CE that contribute to climate concerns?

38. Workplace Climate UW-Extension Policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation

39. Workplace Climate

40. Workplace Climate

41. Workplace Climate What are the consequences of not clearly communicating expectations?

42. Cooperative Extension