Hy Resnick

Last month’s column focused on concepts in the field of Ergonomics as applied to a child care agency’s built environment. In this month’s column, I will suggest an organizational change process model to help agency staff modify some aspect of their agency’s physical facility.

Steps
1. Obtain the go-ahead from administration to establish a planning group of staff and supervisors to develop an action plan to improve some part of their agency’s physical facility. ( It is probably best to use an outside person trained in working with groups, to facilitate this process).

Planning group ( 10 -12 persons representing as many agency positions as possible).

Tasks
1. Brainstorm a list  —  on newsprint  —  of the major areas of the physical environment of their agency e.g. lounge, group therapy/class rooms, entry way, bathrooms, kitchen, etc.

2. Discuss and come to agreement on three or four areas of the agency's physical environment that are particularly problematic e.g. lounge, dining room, hallways, etc. and on which the participants in the planning group are willing to work.

3. Brainstorm a list  —  on newsprint  —  of answers to the following two questions*:

• What’s wrong with these areas?

• What’s right with these areas?

4. Form Working Parties based on participants interest in one or another area e.g. those interested in working on improving the lounge area meet in a separate breakout room/space, those concerned with the dining room problems meet in another breakout room/space, etc.

5. Working Parties’ tasks

Come to agreement on:

• a list of specific changes the working parties would recommend to improve their selected area

• a list of possible persons, structures, norms or units who or which might resist these changes

• a list possible action steps to deal with these sources of resistance

• then select a reporter to present the Working Parties’ recommendations to the larger planning group.

6. Planning group meets

Tasks:

Report out activity
Reporters present their recommendations to the planning group. The planning group participants listen to the recommendations, take notes, ask questions for clarification, suggest modifications, etc.

Discussion and voting
After all the reporters have presented their recommendations (and responded to comments from the other participants ) , a vote is taken which hopefully supports, some or all, of the recommendations. These are then passed on to top management for implementation.

Assuming that the above process model does a good job of involving staff and middle management in this organizational change process, it’s possible that implementation of the Working Parties recommendations will be successful. If they are, at least two outcomes can emerge:

1. Some aspects of the built agency environment will be improved aesthetically or functionally.
2. Agency personnel can believe that they have the capacity to make changes.
 

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* with respect to client service, staff concerns, efficiency, comfort, safety, security, inclusiveness/friendliness, age and cultural appropriateness, type of activity/therapy performed in that area, etc.