MEASURING THE CLIMATE OF YOUR PROGRAM

Climate assessment undertaken by many in business and industry Early childhood programs are unique due to funding structures, decision-making hierarchy, professional roles and the nature of the work itself Most instruments designed for other work settings not practical for us

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Defines clearly how different dimensions of centre are perceived by staff Clarifies feelings about work Helps explain why and where things are going well Promotes better problem solving Increases staff involvement Gives direction for program Improves overall morale and performance Targets areas for staff development

COMPONENTS OF A GOOD SURVEY Should have a clear purpose (why and how it will be used) Should be confidential (scored by a neutral person) Information about results should be shared “Without data, you are just another person with an opinion.” – T. F. Kelly –

CONDUCTING AN INFORMAL ASSESSMENT Develop it with staff input Forced- response format (yes/no, multiple questions, or ranking on a scale) OR open-ended questions Give out at staff meeting or at end of day Give time deadline for return – 1-2 days works well Need at least 80% response from staff for helpful results

EARLY CHILDHOOD WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY Short version (see sample) Formal version is copyrighted and can not be reproduced to distribute to staff May be ordered from ($12.00 US per employee) and scored by McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership for nominal fee ($30.00 US) In approx. 4-6 weeks, your program will receive a Work Environment Profile summarizing the data with an interpretation of the results.

WHAT IS THE “BEST” CLIMATE? A healthy organizational climate is typically characterized by high energy, openness, trust, a collective sense of the ability to get things done, and a shared vision An unhealthy organizational climate can be described as having poor communication, conflict and low staff morale The best climate is a unique blend that meets the individual and collective needs of all concerned

PERCEPTION SHAPES OUR SENSE OF REALITY! TASK: Look at the images given to you. What do you see? Not everyone sees things the same, even when they see the same thing! THE WINDOW FROM WHICH WE LOOK EXERCISE Our perceptions depend on the perspectives we have when looking at things!

We often make decisions not based on objective facts but on our perceptions of the facts and information TASK: Vignette Perceptions are powerful regulators of behaviour- taking the time to consider different perspectives can expand our understanding of why people say the things they say and do the things they do!

THREE PERSPECTIVES EGOCENTRIC Our own unique point of view, shaped by our past experiences, values, and education We are often guilty of not seeing someone else’s point of view and perceive our perspective to be the only valid one

DRIVING DOWN THE EGOCENTRIC HIGHWAY

ALLOCENTRIC Takes into account another point of view Allows us to feel empathy for others – to walk in their shoes It involved deep listening – really trying to see the world through a different lens Asking questions can help staff move out of narrow egocentric frameworks

DRIVING DOWN THE ALLOCENTRIC HIGHWAY

MACROCENTRIC Being able to see the big picture – how one’s actions intersect with others Is not easily achieved Requires having the capacity to be part of the picture while being able to step outside the picture and see all the connecting elements

DRIVING DOWN THE MACROCENTRIC HIGHWAY

TASK: Plot on the chart provided where you think your program is in regard to each of the ten dimensions of organizational climate.

Early childhood administrators usually have a good sense of how things are going at their programs, but they also tend to see things through rosier glasses than do their teachers and support staff HANDOUT: A Comparision of Administrator and Teacher Perceptions of Organizational Climate WHY?

PARTLY CLOUDY OR PARTLY SUNNY – VIEWING THE WORLD THROUGH DIFFERENT LENSES Individuals who hold different positions in the organizational hierarchy tend to view organizational climate differently Supervisors tend to view the organization more positively than other staff members Why? Role differentiation is closely tied to perceived control Differences in work attitudes have a lot to do with one’s role and corresponding perspective of life at the center

There is no reality, only PERCEPTION.

WHERE TO NEXT? Simply assessing is not enough; diagnosis and evaluation of the results NEEDS action!