ERIC ED380725: Building Staff Morale in a Season of Change through Supportive, Growth-Oriented Supervision.

70 Pages·1994·0.88 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CG 026 130
ED 380 725
Hickey, Laura M.
AUTHOR
through
Season of Change
Building Staff Morale in a
TITLE
Supervision.
Supportive, Growth-Oriented
94
PUB DATE
Nova University.
70p.; Master's Practicum,
NOTE
Papers (043)
Dissertations/Theses - Practicum
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Relationship;
Employer Employee
Employee Attitudes;
DESCRIPTORS
Performance; Morale;
Evaluation Methods; Job
Climate; Professional
*Objectives; Organizational
*Supervision;
Development;. Staff Development;
Methods; Work
Supervisors; *Supervisory
Environment
Relationship
Supervisor Supervisee
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
facility serving abused
A residential group cLre
in
both internally and
unprecedented changes
children had encountered
stressful for this
changes had been highly
the community. These
the
closest to the children,
the morale of those
agency, affecting
strategy
address these stressors, a
Child/Youth Care Workers. To
developed so as
growth-oriented supervision was
utilizing supportive,
Child/Youth Care Workers as
intensive support to
to: (1) deliver
adjustment to internal
(2) support positive
growing professionals;
to agency program
trust-based relationship
changes; (3) establish a
component of the
increase morale. The central
management; and (4)
of mutually
and supervisory support
strategy was the development
application of this
growth goals. The
agreed upon professional
in the quality and
resulted in increases
supportive supervision
Care Workers and the
between child/Youth
quantity of communication
making, greater
participation in decision
supervisor, heightened
the employee, and
of the individual and
trust, more appreciation
fostered structure
of supervision also
improved morale. This system
growth plans were added
evaluations; professional
and objectivity in
accountability and
records which increased
to permanent personnel
evaluations. Appendices
of performance
enhanced the objectivity
activities and the survey
for implementation
include a calendar plan
references. (RJM)
instrument. Contains 12
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Reproductions supplied by
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in
Change through
Building Staff Morale in a Season of
Supportive, Growth-Oriented Supervision
oo
by
Laura M. Hickey
Cohort 58
the Master's
A Practicum Report Presented to
and Family Support
Program in Child Care, Youth Care,
Requirements
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Science
for the Degree of Master of
NOVA UNIVERSITY
1994
U.S. DEPARTMENT OR EDUCATION
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
°trice of Educational Research and Improvement
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
L. fa_cxEr
CENTER (ERIC)
0 This document has been reproduced as
received from the pinion or organization
.originating it
0 Minor Changes have been made to improv
reproduction qualify
opfuonl stated in this docu-
Points 01 weve
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
mint do not neCtMailinly represent official
2
OERI Million or poliCy
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
Authorship Statement
and the work
it
hereby testify that this paper
I
been
has
Where
it
entirely my
own.
reports are
work of others, published or
necessary to draw from the
work
in
such
acknowledged
have
unpublished,
I
I
and editorial practice.
accordance with accepted
the
for
respect
of
out
freely,
testimony
give
field and in the
scholarship of other workers in the
earn
will
presented here,
hope that my own work,
similar respect.
7416,ozt_ 7)1-
Signature of Stu
3
Abstract
change
of
season
a
in
morale
staff
Building
supervision.
growth-oriented
supportive,
through
Nova
Report,
Practicum
1994:
M.,
Laura
Hickey,
Child and Youth Care
University, Master's Program for
Staff
Supervision
/
Descriptors:
Administrators.
Staff
Supervision / Staff Growth /
Morale / Supportive
Satisfaction / Goal Setting.
facility serving abused
A residential group care
unprecedented season of
children had entered into an
internally and in the external
significant change, both
changes
The impact of multiple
community environment.
had been highly stressful
within a brief period of time
dramatically affecting the morale
for this agency, most
children, the Child/Youth Care
of those closest to the
Workers.
strategy
and implemented a
The author designed
growth-oriented supervision to
utilizing supportive,
to Child/Youth Care
support
intensive
deliver
(a)
support
to
(b)
professionals,
growing
as
Workers
(c) establish
changes,
positive adjustment to internal
prograM
agency
to
relationship
trust-based
a
(d) increase morale.
importantly,
management, and, most
the
impacting these employees was
A primary vehicle of
support of mutually agreed
development and supervisory
goals.
upon professional growth
the
received' by
favorably
was
project
This
Program
and
Director,
Program
Director,
Executive
The nature of this
Management Team of this agency.
element of structure and
system of supervision added an
previously
supervision
of
mode
objectivity to the
to
added
were
Profession Growth Plans
utilized.
increasing
both
records,
personnel
permanent
of
objectivity
focused
the
and
accountability
Training in the development of
performance evaluation.
requested to support
Professional Growth Plans has been
with program staff.
continued use of this mechanism
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Chapter
1
Introduction and Background
I.
problem occurs
1
The setting in which the
the setting
3
The student's role in
5
The Problem
II.
5
Problem statement
5
Documentation of the problem
7
Analysis of the problem
12
Goals and Objectives
III.
14
Solution Strategy
IV.
models,
Review of existing programs,
14
approaches
23
Proposed solution strategy
Action Taken
Strategy Employed -
V.
28
and Results
and
Conclusion - Implications
VI.
41
Recommendations
43
References
45
Appendices
Calendar plan for
A.
45
implementation activities
Results of Before/After
B.
54
Employee Survey
59
Child/Youth Care Worker
C.
Data Sheet
61
Professional Growth Plan (Sample)
D.
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Setting
The work setting was a residential group care
facility with
children
licensed
capacity
of
53
a
A 90-95
between the
percent
ages and
of
6 18.
occupancy
maintained. Children care
had
was
in
typically experienced sexual and/or physical
abuse,
multiple
therefore,
multiple
placements,
and,
A number
had been
rejections.
these
children
of
admitted
from psychiatric
placement
directly
in
hospitals and most had received in-patient psychiatric
or psychological services with little impact.
The
therapeutic program in use was Positive Peer Culture
with added components to address the specific needs of
child or
Cottage peer
the sexually-abused
youth.
groups averaged 9 children per cottage unit.
The agency was located in a rural, mountain county
of a large southeastern state.
Distance from major
metropolitan areas was a minimum of one and one-half
10 percent of the
hours by automobile.
Less than
from the
program staff
recruited
were
local
clrea.
6
2
Care Workers
Requirements for entry-level Child /Youth.
driver's license,
included a high school diploma, valid
No experience was
a minimum age of 21 years
old.
was provided
training
biweekly
required; intensive
orientation
structured
a
to
addition
in
in-house
Care Workers
Less than 30% of Child/Youth
procedure.
had a Bachelor's degree.
of the six cottage
The staffing pattern for each
Care
Child/Youth
of
five-person team
a
was
units
staffed each
Four Child /Youth Care Workers
Workers.
additional
One
7-day shifts.
rotating
in
cottage
responsibility as
Child/Youth Care Worker was assigned
providing coordinated information
a Team Coordinator,
Team Coordinators with a
and services for each team.
team member provided
Bachelor's degree or a degreed
their
care
and
in
children
for
management
case
rotating staff
Staffing shortages within
families.
or
a
Coordinator
Team
the
either
by
filled
were
"floating" Child/Youth Care Worker.
season of
in the midst of a
This agency was
It
and externally.
significant changes both internally
its Program
the resignation of
faced
had recently
and developer of its
a long-term employee
Director,
This position, as well as three
therapeutic program.
7
3
internal
filled by
were
management team positions,
changes in management
Concurrent with these
promotion.
or
hierarchical
from
a
shift
a
was
personnel
An
to Teamwork Primacy.
departmental management model
to staff uncertainty was
additional factor contributing
to exclude
by local public schools
a radical move
The ensuing legal
enrollment.
children in care from
change in the external
proceedings signalled both a
of significant internal
environment and the possibility
staff
requiring
education
on-campus
as
change
participation was considered.
Student's Role
Care
two Child/Youth
of
one
student was
The
and
units
cottage
three
serving
each
Supervisors,
direct
included
responsibilities
Formal
teams.
Care
Child/Youth
of
15
evaluation
and
supervision
of therapeutic program
Workers in the implementation
provided a specified
Program services
intervention.
children in care as well as
daily living milieu for
facilitate
to
designed
intervention
family
The
adoption issues.
clarification of reunification or
second-level interviewing of
student was involvcd in
assessment of children for
prospective employees and
a
4
four-person program
a
of
member
As
a
admission.
responsibilities included
management team, additional
formulating
and
services
program
of
management
staffing changes to
recommendations for management and
the Program Director.
in
experience
of
years
had
five
student
The
Three
with this agency.
residential child/youth care
direct care as a Child/Youth
of these years were in
included group
Additional experience
Care Worker.
management,
leadership for peer sharing groups, case
During this five-year period,
and intake services.
significant changes in its
this agency had incorporated
resulting in
pattern,
management style and staffing
staff positions and
number of
in a
large
turnover
flexibility in long-term
requiring a high degree of
continue to be
Leadership and group dynamics
staff.
this
study
for
and
interest
of
areas
particular
student.
9
5
Chapter 2
STUDY OF THE PROBLEM
Problem Statement
Morale of Child/Youth Care Workers had suffered as
a result of major changes in administrative personnel
and a significant change in the dynamics and operating
model
The
of
teams.
agency
management
team
and
supervisor
been
had
unsuccessful
providing
in
consistent
and adequate
for staff
support
during a
period of
substantial internal changes and
external
threats.
Behavior of Child/Youth Care W9rkers, both
individually and as teams,
indicated a perception of
misunderstanding of or indifference to
their fears and
insecurities as they encountered multiple changes which
they had neither participated in nor sought.
Documentation of the problem
Low morale was apparent in the workplace through
frequent observation
number
of
of a
behaviors
and
responses of Child/Youth Care Workers.
Child/Youth
Care Workers assigned as Team Coordinators struggled to
accept an equal position with direct care team members
i0