Getting Staff “Buy-In”

Bobbi Douglas, MSSA, LICDC, LPCExecutive Director

STEPS at Liberty CenterWooster Ohio

Where We Were Before NIATX

Dirty Little Secretsof the Addiction Treatment Field

• Long Wait Times• High “No-Show” Rate• Low Continuation in Treatment• Waiting Lists Considered Badge of Honor

The Answer:

Reasons that Staff Do Not Have Buy-In

• Staff feelings – something is being done to them

• Workloads increase• Resources run low to keep it going• Feedback on progress not routinely offered to

stakeholders• Lack of understanding about the purpose/aim

of change

More Reasons…

• True benefits haven’t been clearly assessed & communicated

• Staff unsure about their role in the change• Staff do not feel like they were included in the

change• Staff do not feel they have the

knowledge/skills to make it work• Senior Leaders do not invest any time/energy

into the change

Leadership Buy-In Critical

• This is a process not a project• Method for making change in our

organization.

Strategies

• Make it fun! • Do things that make jobs easier first.• It is all an experiment.• Provide research that shows it works.• Feed data back to staff.• Use “natural" communicators.

Strategies

• Send staff to NIATx Change Leader Academy.• Involve people at all levels of organization

(support staff, Board, referral sources)• Work on issues that the staff cares about.• Make those who participate “special.”• Share data at staff and Board meetings.

Strategies

• Let staff know that they a part of national movement and on the cutting edge.

• Make trained staff “teachers.”• Encourage learning opportunities.• Integrate into culture and environment. • Include NIATx in performance evaluations and

job descriptions.

Be Persistent!

Communication ContinuumSharing Information Shaping Behavior

General Publications

Personal Touch

Interactive Activities Public Events Face-to-Face

       

Newsletter Letter E-mail Fairs One-to-one

Website Postcard Phone Conferences Mentoring

Storyboards Card Site Visits Presentations Shadowing

Case Studies Stories Trainings Story-telling  

Annual Report      

Articles        

Staff buy in is critical for sustaining change

Most Important

Have belief that staff want to provide excellent services and have positive outcomes for their clients. This is why they are in the field.