Tarea 7Creating a Work Climate That Motivates Staff and i

8/11/2019 Tarea 7Creating a Work Climate That Motivates Staff and i

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M ANAGERM ANAG EMENT S TRATEG IES FOR I MPROVING H EALTH S ERVICES

2002Volume 11Number 3

THE

Creating a Work Climate ThatMotivates Staff and ImprovesPerformance

In This Issue

EditorsN ote

H EALTH M A N AG ERS A RE U N D ER PR ESSU RE to achieve sustainable

results. To m eet this challenge, m anagers m ust develop high-perform ing

w ork groups and cultivate a positive w ork clim ate that fosters staff

m otivation. A positive w ork clim ate encourages and sustains staff m otiva-

tion. In fact, experience in industry has show n that a positive w ork

clim ate can account for nearly 30 percent of im provem ents in financial

results. H ow can the findings in industry be used to im prove em ployee

m otivation and organizational results in the health sector?

M anagers can often sense w hen the w ork clim ate is affecting staffs

perform ance. A bsenteeism , unm et perform ance objectives, lack of

initiative, and reduced interest in their w ork or organization are signs

that a w ork clim ate m ay be less than optim al and that staff m ay be

holding back the discretionary,or extra, effort they could bring to their

jobs. M anagers can often turn their w ork groups arou nd by applying

leadership and m anagem ent practices that prom ote on-the-job clarity,

support, and challenge.

TH IS ISSU E O F THE MAN AGER ou tlines the connections betw een w ork

clim ate, em ployee m otivation , and perform ance. It describes how m anag-

ers can assess the clim ate in their w ork group and show s how they can

use the results to m ake changes in leadership and m anagem ent prac-

tices that w ill m otivate their group to do the best w ork possible and

im prove results.

Recognizing the Impact of Climate onMotivation and Performance ......................... 2

W hat Exp erts H ave D iscovered aboutW ork Clim ate .........................................................3

Understanding the Managers Role inInfluencing Work Climate ................................ 3

Factors Influencing W ork C lim ate ..............4

U nd erstand ing W hat M otivatesEm ployees ...............................................................5

Extern al and Intern al M otivation .................5

Focusing on D evelop ing a M otivatingW ork Clim ate .........................................................6

R esearch Findings on the Effects ofEngaged W ork G roups...................................6

Improving Climate in Your Work Groupthrough Good Leadership andManagement.............................................................. 7

Indications of Lo w M otivation and

Perform ance ...........................................................7U nd erstand ing Th ree K eyD im ensions of C lim ate .....................................8

Working SolutionsNicaragua ...................... 9

Assessing Work Group Climate .................10

How toApply the Work GroupClimate Assessment ...........................................10

Th e W ork G roup C lim ate A ssessm entForm .........................................................................12

A nalyzing the G aps.........................................13

Taking Action to Improve Your WorkGroups Climate ....................................................14

Leadership an d M anag em ent Practicesfor Im proving W ork C lim ate .......................15

Working SolutionsWorldwide...................18

C ase StudyThe N G O H ealthy Fam iliesIm proves ItsW ork C lim ate


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MANAGER

Vol. 11, No. 3, 2002THE

2

Editorial Review Board

Dr. Alfredo Ariez, JHPIEGO, Bolivia

Dr. M ed Bouzidi, International PlannedParenthood Federation, London

Dr. Borbala K, SECS, Romania

Abu Sayeed, TAI, Bangladesh

Celicia Serenata, Department of Health,South Africa

Dr. Enrique Surez, The Mexican Federation of Private Health and Community DevelopmentAssociations

Dr. A . B. Sulaiman, Planned ParenthoodFederation of Nigeria

Sixte Zigirumugabe, USAID, Mali

Field Advisor Dr . Elonore Rabelahasa, PRISM, Guinea

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The Manager (ISSN 1060-9172) is publishedquarterly by Management Sciences for Health.

This publication does not represent officialstatements of policy by MSH or its donors.

2002 Management Sciences for Health.All rights reserved.

Recommended citation: Management Sciencesfor Health. Creating a Climate that MotivatesStaff and Improves Performance The Manager (Boston), vol. 11, no. 3 (2002): pp. 122.

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M ANAGERTHE

Recognizing the Impact of Climate on Motivationand Performance

Health managers at all organizational levels are responsible for producingsustainable resultsstrengthening institutional capacity, expanding accessto health care, and improving the quality of services. They are asked to en-hance organizational, programmatic, and financial sustainability. They striveto reduce health risks, morbidity, and mortality in their communities. While

they face multiple challenges to producing results, they cannot adequatelyface these challenges and achieve results by themselves. They must rely onthe efforts of their staff and colleagues, day in and day out.

Most managers who have achieved results recognize how much theirachievements are due to a group effort involving staff members. Perhapsthese staff members contributed to a particular project or to a communityfaced with overwhelming social and economic needs. Perhaps they gener-ated new ideas or helped to improve a management system. Maybe theysimply stayed committed to their work under difficult conditions.

Overall performance is apt to be strong and sustained when both man-agers and staff are motivated. They are committed to the mission of their

organization and work energetically to carry it out. They show up, take re-sponsibility, cooperate with others, and follow through. Highly motivatedemployees willingly address challenges, innovate, take risks to make thingshappen, and achieve results. In contrast, unmotivated employees often donot appear at work, fail to reach performance targets, and may even offendclients. They may be uninterested in or opposed to new ideas or processes,engage in staff conflicts, and communicate poorly with others at the work-place.

Staff motivation to perform well is influenced by many factors, includ-ing the climate in an organization. People think of climate as related toweather conditions that affect their outdoor activities, but they may not

have considered the climate of their workplace and its effect on theirproductivity.

WWWWWork clim ateork clim ateork clim ateork clim ateork clim ate is the prevailing w orkplace atm osphere asexperienced by em ployees. It is w hat it feels like to w ork in a place.

Leadership and m anagem ent practices that provide clarity, support,and challenge contribute to a positive w ork clim ate.

A positive w ork clim ate increases the discretionary effort,or level ofextra effort, that em ployees exert above and beyond job expectations.

A positive w ork clim ate leads to and sustains em ployee m otivation and

high perform ance.

Research has shown that work climate significantly affects employees de-sire to learn and apply material, and ultimately affects results. For this rea-son, it is critical that managers learn ways to improve a less than optimalwork climate. Improving the work climate is the responsibility of healthmanagers at all levels who oversee employees on a day-to-day basis, fromthe executive director of an organization or program to the leader of a team


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Factors Influencing Work Climate

Leadership practicesLeadership practicesLeadership practicesLeadership practicesLeadership practices

providing vision, living organizational values know ing staff aspirations, skills, an d interests

focusing staff attention on critical challenges aligning w ork w ith skills and interests,

m otivating team w ork recognizing accom plishm ents; and inspiring

confidence in staff

M anagem ent practicesM anagem ent practicesM anagem ent practicesM anagem ent practicesM anagem ent practices

w ork group com m unications, inclusion indecision m aking w here appropriate

revisions of job descriptions im provem ents in planning, policies, proce-

dures, w ork planning supervision and feedback, including perfor-

m ance review s, and job recom m endations the organizations m anagem ent system s, or

procedures and processes that affect bothtasks and the flow of inform ation, and thew ork system s that affect efficiency andem ployee satisfaction.

Factors All Managers Can Influence Factors beyond the Control of Most Managers

O rganizational historyO rgan izational historyO rganizational historyO rgan izational historyO rganizational history organizational experience w ith success and failure its experience w ith incentives, sanctions, and consequences its reputation in the com m unityO rganizational cultureO rganizational cultureO rganizational cultureO rganizational cultureO rganizational culture values, beliefs, traditions, and assum ptions shared by em ployees,

w hether expressed or unexpressed the w ay w e do things around hereM anagem ent strategyM anagem ent strategyM anagem ent strategyM anagem ent strategyM anagem ent strategy approaches related to job opportunities and grow th that help an

organization m eet its goalsM anagem ent structureM anagem ent structureM anagem ent structureM anagem ent structureM anagem ent structure defining roles and responsibilities addressing policies regarding rew ards and prom otionsExternal environ m entExternal environ m entExternal environ m entExternal environ m entExternal environ m ent the broader context in w hich the organization operates. Prevail-

ing disease patterns, political and econom ic conditions, regula-tions, processes of health sector reform , donor priorities,com petition, and an organizations reputation in the com m unityadd pressures on staff to perform .

available w orkforce skills, salary expectations, cultural and genderbarriers, and the condition of roads and public transportation.These m ay restrict the pool of potential em ployees, possiblyrequiring a stronger focus on developing and retaining staff.


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understand what motivates employees;

focus on developing a motivating work climate.

Understanding What Motivates Employees

As a manager, you need to create conditions that will en-courage employees to perform. To find out what thatmeans, reflect for a moment on your own experience. Haveyou ever been a member of a high-performing team in anorganization? What motivated you and your colleagues toperform well? Or, if you have ever been part of an unmo-tivated team or organization, what held you back? Howdid it affect your performance and that of your colleagues?

Motivation is the energy to do something. Each per-son has motives, needs, and reservoirs of energy thatrepresent potential motivators. As a manager, your taskis to discover your employees motivations and help un-leash their energy. Then you can direct their energyinto productive work. It is also critically important foryou to understand more about your own sources of mo-tivation. Part of the capacity to create a positive workclimate comes from learning to choose the leadershippractices and management styles you use rather thanallowing yourself to be solely directed by your naturalinclinations. To understand motivation, you need topay attention to both its external and internal forms.

External and Internal Motivation

EXTERN ALM O TIVATIO N

External m otivation involves using m otivators that com e w ith a job, for exam ple,pay, benefits, office space, and safety. A dangerous w orksite or pay at survival leveldem otivates m any em ployees. External m otivation can also include giving positivefeedback and recognition, often constructive m otivators.

Internal m otivation com es from w ithin an em ployee. It can be influenced by thefeeling that a supervisor cares about her or him as a person, and opportunities forgrow th, advancem ent, recognition, and responsibility. Think back for a m om ent toyour ow n experiences as a m em ber of a high-perform ing team . W hat w ere som e ofyour internal m otivators? W ere they related to the satisfaction of innovating andcreating a new approach, solving problem s, m aking a contribution, surpassingestablished standards and goals, or learning and w orking w ith a dynam ic group ofpeople? Everyone has m any of the sam e internal m otivators, but individuals m ay bem ore inspired by different m otivators. D o you know w hat m otivates each m em berof your w ork group? O nce you get to know your staff m em bers and w hat m otivateseach of them , you can create a w ork clim ate that offers opportunities that w illm otivate them and encourage their perform ance.

IN TERN ALM O TIVATIO N

How you, as a manager, exercise leadership andmanagement practices is very important. In fact, yourpractices have the largest impact on the climate of yourwork group. At least 50 percent of the differences inwork group climates can be attributed to differences inday-to-day practices of those who manage the workgroup (Buckingham and Coffman 1999). The organiza-tional elements that you can arrange, such as the de-sign of tasks and jobs, reward systems, policies andprocedures, and strategy can also have a large impact(Stringer 2002).

A w ork grou pw ork groupw ork grou pw ork groupw ork g rou p is a group o f peop le w ho w orktogether on a regular basis to produce results. W orkgroups include:

em ployees in a structured reporting relationship,such as in a departm ent or clinic;

an ad hoc team brought together to carry ou tspecific tasks to develop or refine a service or

product, or produce another result.

The performance of the various work groups in anorganization affects the overall performance of the or-ganization. In order for you and other managers of work groups to motivate personnel, you need to:


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Vol. 11, No. 3, 2002THE

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Focusing on Developing a MotivatingWork Climate

Developing a positive work climate takes concentratedeffort. If there are demotivating factors within yourcontrol, you can look for ways to change the work cli-mate and stimulate different kinds of motivation.

Where should you start to affect climateat the or-ganizational level or the work group level? While everyorganization has an overall climate, each work groupalso has its own climate. A work groups climate may be

similar to or different from the overall organizationalclimate. High-performing work groups sometimes op-erate in organizations clouded by declining funding orinadequate leadership at the senior level. No matterwhat your organizational level, your leadership andmanagement practices can create a positive work cli-mate within your work group, even if your organiza-tions climate is less than optimal. Your efforts toimprove your work groups climate can contribute tostrong organizational results. Consider these examplesfrom major corporations.

Research Findings on the Effects of Engaged Work Groups

EM PLO Y EEM O TIVATIO ND EPEN D S O NW O RK G R O U PC LIM ATE

In 1998, G allup, a polling com pany surveying opinions on political, econom ic, w ork,and other issues, studied em ployees in 2,500 business units and 24 com paniesthroughou t the U S. Findings from this study show the influence of em ployee m otiva-tion and w ork group m anagers. Engaged em ployees im proved business outcom es(productivity, profit, reten tion, and custom er service). W hen asked about their w orkenvironm ent (w hat is expected of m e, support to do m y w ork, recognition and praisefor m y w ork, im portance of m y w ork, having the opportunity to do w hat I do best,etc.), em ployees responded differently depending on w hich w ork group they w orkedin, rather than w hich com pany they w orked for. In other w ords, their im m ediate w orkgroup m anager w as m ore critical in building a strong w orkplace than the overallpolicies and procedures of the com pany. (Buckingham and C offm an 1999)

In the m id 1980s, British A irw ays adopted a new putting people firstvision in re-sponse to changes in the airline industry. They needed to change from a bureaucraticstate-controlled transportation com pany to a custom er-focused, m arket-driven serviceorganization. The strategy w as com m unicated from senior m anagem ent, but thechanges w ere prim arily im plem ented at the level of the w ork group.

Every staff m em ber participated in a tw o-day putting people firsttraining program .A cknow ledging the im portance of w ork group m anagers, British A irw ays im plem enteda five-day m anagersprogram that stressed the im portance of trust, vision, leadership,and feedback. The m anagers then reinforced the putting people firstm essage am ongthe m em bers of their w ork groups. The changes introduced at the w ork group leveldrove the reorientation of the com pany and led to record-setting im provem ents in theairlines financial perform ance and a m arked change to a custom er-focused culture.(G oodstein and Burke 1991)

W O RK G R O U PM A N A G ERSTRAN SFO RMC O M PA N IES



Improving Climate in Your WorkGroup through Good Leadershipand Management

You can make a difference in the climate of your workgroup. Your work groups climate is the key to unleash-ing the discretionary effort available in the work group.In order to make beneficial changes, you can examine

and enhance your leadership and management prac-tices, the structure of your work group, and the normsand standards you adopt, all within the framework of existing organizational policies and procedures.

Reflect on your work groups motivation and perfor-mance for a moment. As the manager of a work groupyou are usually aware whenever something is notright in your group. Does your group show signs of low motivation and performance?

Indications of Low Motivation and Performance

Staff m ay show specific signs of low m otivation or perform ance:

increasing em ployee absenteeism and tardiness

decreasing em ployee productivity

disengagem ent and inflexible w ork habits

reports of dissatisfaction am ong your clients

the failure of your w ork group to m eet specific perform ance targets frequent or unresolved conflict am ong staff

poor com m unication am ong group m em bers and w ith you

staff resistance to new processes and ideas

Staff m ay also com plain. The follow ing are som e of the com m on com plaints that m an-agers w orldw ide have heard:

This place is so disorganized. We dont know what direction we are going in. Today, one task has high priority, but tomorrow a different task has priority.

We are asked to produce results, but we dont have support or necessary resources.No one appreciates our work. N o one says thanks.

We get plenty of criticism when things go wrong, but rarely any positive feedback.

Things are tense and unpleasant. Our boss just barks at us. Sometimes I wish I didnt have to go to work.

SIG N S

C O M PLA IN TS

If you see signs of poor motivation and decliningperformance among even a few employees, you need tolook for the reasons. If there are no visible signs, ask

your staff to be sure you have not overlooked some-thing important. If your work group has just beenformed, take the time to think together about the kindof climate you want to create to stimulate high motiva-

tion and performance. To influence your work groupsclimate, you need to:

understand three key dimensions of climate; assess the climate of your work group;

take action to improve your groups climate.


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Understanding Three Key Dimensions of Climate

In order to influence climate, you can survey employ-ees perceptions of three key aspects of work environ-ment. The following dimensions of climate have apredictable impact on motivated behavior:

clarity support challenge

Understanding these dimensions of work group cli-mate can help you think about what interventions youcan use to improve climate and performance. When em-ployees perceive these properties as present and strongin their work group, they perceive the climate of theirgroup as positive.

Clarity. An environment provides clarity when the groupknows its roles and responsibilities within the big pic-

ture. Each member understands what I have to do andwhy and perceives his or her role as aligned with thepurpose of the group and the organization. Group mem-bers are aware of the needs of their clients. Standards of performance are clearly expressed, and the consequencesof failing to achieve these standards are understood.

Support. In a climate of support, group members feelthey have the resources and backing they need toachieve the work groups goals. Resources include es-sential supplies, equipment, tools, staff, and budget,

without which their performance would be severelyconstrained. Emotional support includes an atmosphereof trust, mutual support, and deserved recognition, inaddition to individuals inner resources. Such an atmo-sphere is created when group members feel their capa-bilities are acknowledged, when they participate indecisions that impact the work group, and when theysense appreciation and reward for both individual andgroup successes.

Challenge. A climate of challenge exists when groupmembers experience opportunities to stretch, take onchallenges with reasonable risks, and discover newways of doing things to be more effective. Group mem-bers feel a sense of pride in belonging to their workgroup and a commitment to shared goals, purposes, andactivities. They are willing to learn from mistakes andfeel prepared to adopt alternative activities when re-quired. They actively take responsibility, develop skillsand capabilities to deliver appropriate services, and are

better equipped to take reasonable risks.Interaction among the dimensions. All three dimensionsare critical for fostering performance. Employees facedwith challenges but lacking support or clarity can ex-perience stress and frustration. They may feel set up tofail. Without challenge or support, employees who areclear about expectations may find their workday restric-tive, deadening, or even punitive. Supported staff willnot stretch themselves or build their skills if they feelunchallenged.

IMIMIMIMIM PPPPPRRRRROOOOO V IV IV IV IV INNNNN G W OG W OG W OG W OG W ORRRRRK C LIK C LIK C LIK C LIK C LIM AM AM AM AM ATE ITE ITE ITE ITE IN A D EN A D EN A D EN A D EN A D ECCCCCEEEEEN TRN TRN TRN TRN TRA LIA LIA LIA LIA LIZZZZZ EEEEED HD HD HD HD H EA LEA LEA LEA LEA LT H SYT H S YT H SYT H S YT H SYSSSSSTETETETETEMMMMM

WWWWWorking SolutionsN icorking SolutionsN icorking SolutionsN icorking SolutionsN icorking SolutionsN ic araguaaraguaaraguaaraguaaragua

The M inistry of H ealth (M O H ) in N icaragua is in

the process of strengthening decentralized health

services in regional departm ents throughout the

country. In M atagalpa, Boaco, and Jinotega in the

northern part of the country, the M SH Prosalud

Project and M & L Program , financed by U SA ID ,have assisted the M O H in strengthening the

leadership skills and com petencies of M O H

m anagers w orking at the decentralized level.

The clim ate assessm ent.The clim ate assessm ent.The clim ate assessm ent.The clim ate assessm ent.The clim ate assessm ent. O ne of the m ain

challenges that M O H m anagers described in a

tw o-day dialogue on leadership w as unm otivated

personnel. This becam e the focal point of the leader-

ship developm ent program . To better understand the

organizational clim ate in the M O H s facilities, a

clim ate survey w as conducted in m unicipalities

participating in the leadership developm ent program .D eveloped by the Pan A m erican H ealth O rganiza-

tion, the organizational clim ate survey instrum ent

exam ined four com ponents: leadership, m otivation,

reciprocal relations betw een supervisors and em ploy-

ees, and participation. W ithin each of these areas, the



survey explored factors such as direction, encourag-

ing team w ork, encouraging excellence, conflict

resolution, recognition, adequate w ork conditions,

equity, sharing inform ation, and participation am ong

a representative sam ple of em ployees and m anagers.

The leadership develop m ent prog ram .The leadership d evelop m ent prog ram .The leadership develop m ent prog ram .The leadership d evelop m ent prog ram .The leadership develop m ent prog ram . The

subsequent leadership developm ent program helped

the M O H to build the capacity of local m unicipal

m anagers to im prove clim ate and perform ance. The

data from the clim ate survey w ere analyzed and

shared w ith all of the m unicipal m anagers and then

the m unicipal staff. Together, they developed a

perform ance im provem ent plan in each m unicipality.

Their plans targeted tw o or three areas they w ished

to im prove, such as increasing em ployee recognition,im proving com m unication, m aking inform ation m ore

accessible to personnel, increasing participation in

the health team and in decision m aking and, in som e

cases, im proving w orking conditions.

O utcom es.O utcom es.O utcom es.O utcom es.O utcom es. A t the conclusion of the leadership

developm ent program , the Prosalud Project reap-

plied the clim ate survey to determ ine w hether there

had been any change in clim ate.

O f the 12 participating m unicipalities, four show ed

im provem ent in all four com ponents (leadership,

m otivation, reciprocity, and participation), and four

show ed partial im provem ent. O f the 12 m unicipali-

ties, San Lorenzo in the D epartm ent of Boaco

show ed the greatest im provem ent. Both the results

of its follow -up survey on w ork clim ate and its

perform ance im proved. Its staff surpassed its fam ily

planning, prenatal care, and other service goals for

the num ber of people covered.

C loser investigation into leadership and m anage-

m ent practices in San Lorenzo indicated that letters

of recognition w ere given to the best em ployee for

the period, and the best team w as given a banner.

Efforts w ere m ade to procure equipm ent and

training for staff to im prove w orking conditions.

Through a special em ergency fund and help from

the m ayor, funds w ere sought to im prove the

infrastructure of the health posts.

In San Lorenzo, the team w ork, self-learning, and

com m itm ent of individuals and health units to goals

w ere strengthened. A s the D irector of the m unici-pality said, In the beginning [after the clim ate

diagnosis and w ith the start-up of the leadership

learning m odules], w e began to see how it w as a

process of leadership. W e developed team w ork, w e

clarified our goals and m ission, and once w e

determ ined the positive and negative aspects of our

w ork clim ate, w e focused on things that needed to

be im proved. W e developed a plan for im prove-

m ent; the interventions began. A ll m em bers of

the m unicipal team took part. W e are w orking as

team and there is really a w arm atm osphere, a lot of

friendliness.

The leadership developm ent program has been

successfully im plem ented in 17 other m unicipalities

and w ill be offered in other regions of the country.


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Assessing Work Group Climate

To improve your work groups climate, you will needto understand how your employees perceive their workenvironment. Their perceptions guide how they re-spond to workplace situations. While you and your em-ployees may differ in how you perceive the climate inyour work group, remember that climate is always char-acterized in terms of employees perceptions. Surveyingemployees perceptions offers a way for you to exploreperceptions other than your own. It is also importantfor you to complete a survey. Then, you can compareyour perceptions with those of your team.

C lim ate exists objectively in an organization, but it canonly be described and m easured indirectly through theperceptions of the m em bers of the organization.

(Stringer 2002, p. 10)

To get a better idea about what may be reducing theproductivity of your work group, you can assess its cli-mate using one of several available surveys. The WorkGroup Climate Assessment developed by MSH and usedby work groups in Latin America and Africa offers astraightforward process that will give you insight intothe three key dimensionsclarity, support, and chal-lengethat describe work group climate.

Using the Work Group Climate Assessment

The Work Group Climate Assessment is an instrumentfor scanning work groups of three or more people andthe groups manager. It can be used with or without atrained facilitator. The Assessment is a 14-item surveythat all members of a work group complete. Each itemfocuses on a specific perception. The guidelines for us-ing the Work Group Climate Assessment follow.

H ow toH ow toH ow toH ow toH ow to

A PA PA PA PA PPPPPPLLLLLY THY T HY THY T HY T H E W OE W OE W OE W OE W ORRRRRK GK GK GK GK G RRRRROOOOO UUUUUP CP CP CP CP C LILILILILIM AM AM AM AM ATE A STE A STE A STE A STE A SSSSSSEEEEESSSSSSSSSSMMMMM EEEEEN TN TN TN TN T

Before A pplying the SurveyBefore A pplying the SurveyBefore A pplying the SurveyBefore A pplying the SurveyBefore A pplying the Survey

A sk a associate to act as survey adm inistratorA sk a associate to act as survey adm inistratorA sk a associate to act as survey adm inistratorA sk a associate to act as survey adm inistratorA sk a associate to act as survey adm inistrator .....

The adm inistrator m anages the assessm ent process,

including distributing and collecting com pleted

surveys, analyzing the data, and giving feedback toyou and your staff. The adm inistrator also acts as a

resource to m em bers of the w ork group w ho have

questions about the survey or the process for com -

pleting it. The adm inistrator can be som eone w ho

w orks either w ithin or outside the organization, but

should be som eone w hom the staff trusts, so that staff

are m ore likely to respond honestly.

Encourage staff to participate.Encourage staff to participate.Encourage staff to participate.Encourage staff to participate.Encourage staff to participate. A sk the adm inistrator

to invite each m em ber of your w ork group to com -plete the assessm ent.

Ensure the confidentiality o f all participan ts.Ensure the confidentiality of all participants.Ensure the confidentiality o f all participan ts.Ensure the confidentiality of all participants.Ensure the confidentiality of all participan ts. The

w ork group needs to have at least three m em bers to

ensure confidentiality. Five or m ore m em bers is

optim al. Encourage staff to answ er honestly. To do this,

you and the adm inistrator should stress that:

their answ ers are anonym ous;

a feedback report w ill be produced only w hen

three or m ore group m em bers com plete the

assessm ent. The feedback report w ill not iden tify

any individuals responses;

in no case w ill individual ratings be released to

others in your organization;

the usefulness of the assessm ent depends entirely

on the frankness and hon esty of the responses.

D istribute the surveys.D istribute the surveys.D istribute the surveys.D istribute the surveys.D istribute the surveys. H and out the assessm ents and

ask that they be com pleted w ithout discussion am ong

group m em bers.



C om plete the A ssessm entC om plete the A ssessm entC om plete the A ssessm entC om plete the A ssessm entC om plete the A ssessm ent

To follow the steps below , please refer to the sam ple

assessm ent form on page 12.

Rate each item for A ctual PRate each item for A ctual PRate each item for A ctual PRate each item for A ctual PRate each item for A ctual P erform ance.erform ance.erform ance.erform ance.erform ance. A ctual

Perform ance reflects the w ay that respondents feel

things curren tly are. In the colum n labeled A ctual

Perform ance (H ow are things now in your w ork

group?),each respondent enters a score from 0 to 4

for each item . (Please note: Q uestions 13 and 14 in

Part II. W ork G roup O utcom es only require a score

for Actual Perform ance.)

Rate each item for Im portance.Rate each item for Im portance.Rate each item for Im portance.Rate each item for Im portance.Rate each item for Im portance. Im portance reflects

the level of significance that respondents feel w ould

apply to this item . In the colum n labeled Im portance

(H ow im portant is this in your w ork group?),each

respondent assigns a score from 0 to 4 for each item .

Su bm it the surveySu bm it the surveySu bm it the surveySu bm it the surveySu bm it the survey ..... Respondents subm it their anony-

m ous surveys to the adm inistrator.

A nalyze the R esultsA nalyze the R esultsA nalyze the R esultsA nalyze the R esultsA nalyze the R esults

The adm inistrator can analyze the data w ith pencil

and paper. A lternatively, he or she can access a

spreadsheet on the Internet that w ill sim plify the

analysis of the data and produce a feedback report.

Please refer to http://erc.msh.org/toolkit and click on

Leadership D evelopm ent. If the adm inistrator uses

the spreadsheet to score the assessm ent, then he or

she enters the data from each assessm ent into the

spreadsheet. The spreadsheet w ill calculate the score

for w ork group clim ate and p rovide a feedback

report.

Find an average score for each item .Find an average score for each item .Find an average score for each item .Find an average score for each item .Find an average score for each item . The adm inistra-

tor en ters the scores from each assessm ent onto a tally

sheet. Enter the scores from the m anagers assessm ent

in the first row of the tally sheet. Enter the scores from

the staffs assessm ents below that of the m anager. A dd

up the staffs score for each item (Q uestions 112) and

divide by the num ber of responding staff to find theaverage for each item . Remember, the scores are only

estimates of behaviors that affect climate.

C om pute the gaps bC om pute the gaps bC om pute the gaps bC om pute the gaps bC om pute the gaps b etw eetw eetw eetw eetw e en A ctual Pen A ctual Pen A ctual Pen A ctual Pen A ctual P erform ance anderform ance anderform ance anderform ance anderform ance and

Im portance.Im portance.Im portance.Im portance.Im portan ce. For the first item , the adm inistrator sub-

tracts the groups average score for A ctual Perform ance

from the groups average score for Im portance. This gives

the gap betw een the actual perform ance and the as-

signed im portance for the item . C om pute this gap for

each item . Then list the item s in order from the largest tothe sm allest gap. Repeat for the m anagers scores.

C om pute the score for the WC om pute the score for the WC om pute the score for the WC om pute the score for the WC om pute the score for the W ork G roup O utcom es.ork G roup O utcom es.ork G roup O utcom es.ork G roup O utcom es.ork G roup O utcom es.

The adm inistrator adds up the staffs score for Q uestion

13 and divides by the num ber of respondents to find

the average for this outcom e. Repeat for Q uestion 14. A

higher score indicates a greater perception of the level

of quality produced by the w ork group (Q uestion 13) or

its productivity (Q uestion 14).

Prep are a report.Prep are a rep ort.Prep are a report.Prep are a rep ort.Prep are a rep ort. The adm inistrator prepares and

presents a report for the group. This report lists the

item s from the largest to sm allest gap for the staff

(and for the m anager if the m anager agrees).

Review the results.Review the results.Review the results.Review the results.Review the results. The m anager and w ork group

look at the gaps together and identify tw o or three

areas that need im provem ent. Please see the section

A nalyzing the G apson page 13 for m ore inform ation .


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Vol. 11, No. 3, 2002THE

12

The Work Group Climate Assessment Form

PPPPPA RA RA RA RA RT I. WT I. WT I. WT I. WT I. W ork G rou p C lim ateork G roup C lim ateork G rou p C lim ateork G roup C lim ateork G rou p C lim ate

R AR AR AR AR ATITITITITINNNNN G SG SG SG SG S C A L EC A L EC A L EC A L EC A L E

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

not at all to a sm alldegree

to a m oderatedegree

to a greatdegree

to a verygreat degree

A C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C E

(H ow are things now inyour w ork group?)

Please rate each item on a scalefrom 0 to 4 w here:

0 = not at all1 = to a sm all degree2 = to a m oderate degree3 = to a great degree4 = to a very great degree

1. W e are recognized for indi-vidual contributions

2. W e have a com m on purpose

3. W e have the resources w eneed to do our jobs w ell.

4. W e are developing our skills

and know ledge.5. W e have a plan that guides

our activities.

6. W e strive to im prove ourperform ance.

7. W e understand each otherscapabilities.

8. W e are clear about w hat isexpected in our w ork.

9. W e seek to understand theneeds of our clients.

10. W e participate in the decisionsof our w ork group.

11. W e take pride in our w ork.

12. W e readily adapt to newcircum stances.

I feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork group

IMIMIMIMIM POPOPOPOPO RRRRRTTTTTA NA NA NA NA NCCCCCEEEEE

(H ow im portant is this inyour w ork group?)



00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

W OW OW OW OW ORRRRRK G RK G RK G RK G RK G ROOOOO UUUUUP CLIP CLIP CLIP CLIP CLIM AM AM AM AM ATETETETETE

Please read each item belowand indicate your selection bycircling the appropriatenum ber in both colum ns.



W OW OW OW OW ORRRRRK G RK G RK G RK G RK G ROOOOO UUUUUP O U TP O U TP O U TP O U TP O U TCCCCC OOOOO MMMMM EEEEESSSSS

Please read each item and decidehow things actually are now .

I feel thatI feel thatI feel thatI feel thatI feel that

13. O ur w ork group is know n for quality w ork

14. O ur w ork group is productive

Analyzing the Gaps

You and your work group need to analyze the gaps inperceptions between the actual performance and the im-portance of each item. This gap analysis can help iden-

tify the items with the largest gaps and prioritize yourmanagement and leadership efforts to address two orthree of these areas. It is a short cut for identifying andaddressing the most urgent climate issues in your workgroup.

A gap analysis usually focuses on the items with thelargest differences between Actual Performance and Im-portance. (For this analysis, use the gaps for the staffsscores, not those of the manager.) Discuss together thekinds of improvements that could make a difference in

your groups perceptions. The example on the next pageillustrates how a gap analysis works.

Next, discuss the scores for the outcomes (Questions13 and 14). Where the perception of the level of quality

or productivity is low, examine the reasons. Your dis-cussion may influence the areas you and your groupwant to address.

As a manager, you also need to compare the gaps youidentified against those of your staff. If you find largedifferences in these perceptions, you need to reflect onwhat your staff is saying and be ready to make changesin your behavior. Suggestions from your staff or theadministrator of the assessment may help in resolvingthese differences.

PPPPPA RA RA RA RA RT IT IT IT IT I I. WI. WI. WI. WI. W ork G roup O utcom esork G roup O utcom esork G roup O utcom esork G roup O utcom esork G roup O utcom es

This section is an assessm ent of your feelings about w hether your w ork group is know n for quality w orkand w hether it is productive.

Being know n for quality w ork m eans that your w ork group is know n for m eeting your clientsor custom ersneeds and receives positive feedback from your clients or custom ers.

Productivity m eans that your w ork group consistently m eets w ork objectives, such as m onthly serviceobjectives, and is recognized by others as a group that gets the job done.

O nce you have thought about the quality of yourgroups w ork and your groups productivity, answ erthe questions below. A C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C E

(H ow are things now in your w ork group?)

Please rate each item on a scale from 0 to 4 w here:


00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444


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Vol. 11, No. 3, 2002THE

14

Taking Action to Improve Your WorkGroups Climate

Once you have discussed the results of the Work Group

Climate Assessment with your staff, it is important foryou to work on improving the climate of your workgroup. Think about what you can change in your lead-ership and management practices so that employees inyour work group are clear about the purpose and di-rection of the work that all of you are engaged in. Con-sider what support is lacking for members of theworkgroup. Reflect on what you have done to be surethat staff are challenged and excited about their work.

Can you improve your communication with thegroup? Keeping your office door open can foster this

communication. Individual employees need your feed-back, and your group needs up-to-date information thatrelates to their work. Are you recognizing employeesgood work and achievements? Nothing is more encour-aging to an employee than a manager who recognizesthe positive contributions an individual makes. You can

acknowledge an employees efforts through formalwork reviews, remarks, or personal notes. If specificnegative feedback is later called for, the employee can

see this in a more supportive context. Have you takenenough time to make a personal connection with peoplein your workgroup to make them feel part of their or-ganization, continually underscoring how their contri-butions help the organization succeed?

The table on page 15 provides concrete examples of how you and your work group can improve your workgroup climate. Each item reflects one of the three cli-mate dimensions. Review the recommended leadershipand management practices associated with each itemand determine how you and your group could use

these practices to reduce the size of the gap betweenActual Performance and Importance. Implementing thesuggested practices may not be easy, but it will improvethe climate of your work group, bolster employee mo-tivation, and strengthen work group performance. Thefollowing practices are arranged by the item they address.

Sam ple G ap A nalysisSam ple G ap A nalysisSam ple G ap A nalysisSam ple G ap A nalysisSam ple G ap A nalysis

W OW OW OW OW ORRRRRK G RK G RK G RK G RK G ROOOOO UUUUUP C LIP CLIP C LIP CLIP CLIM AM AM AM AM ATETETETETE

The tw o item s below show gaps inthe scores betw een the colum ns.These item s are exam ples and donot appear in the assessm ent.

I feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork groupI feel that in m y w ork g roup

1. W e have a positive attitude*

2.W e enjoy our w ork*

In the first of the follow ing item s W e have a positive attitude,the gap betw een A ctual Perform ance andIm portance is 1, w hereas in the second item W e enjoy our w ork,the gap is 2. Since the second item has thelargest gap, you w ould list the second item above the first item and give it a higher priority in deciding on theissues you should address.

A C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C EA C T U A L PER FO R M A N C E(H ow are things now in

your w ork group?)



IMIMIMIMIM POPOPOPOPO RRRRRTTTTTA NA NA NA NA NCCCCCEEEEE(H ow im portant is this in

your w ork group?)



00000 11111 22222 33333 44444 00000 11111 22222 33333 44444

00000 11111 22222 33333 44444 00000 11111 22222 33333 44444



W ith your w ork group, identify the key w ork challenges and develop (or revise) thegroup m ission, key goals, and strategy.

C om m unicate the m ission, key goals, strategy, and critical challenges to all m em bersof the group.

A gree on a group perform ance p lan and group standards and review these regularly.

Review anticipated group results, including expected outcom es, and verify that theyare clearly understood.

M eet frequently as a group to review prog ress.

M eet w ith group m em bers individually to clarify individual expectations, set individualperform ance indicators, m ake individual w orkplans, and review individual perform ance,all in the context of the groups plans and standards.

U pd ate job descriptions and m ake them available to group m em bers.

Leadership and Management Practices for Improving Work Climate

C lim ateC lim ateC lim ateC lim ateC lim ateD im ensionD im ensionD im ensionD im ensionD im ension

A ssessm entA ssessm entA ssessm entA ssessm entA ssessm entItemItemItemItemItem

Leadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anagem ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anagem ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent Practices

C larityC larityC larityC larityC larity W e feel w e havea com m onpurpose. (2)

Invite and facilitate participation in the decision-m aking process.

W ith your group, set clear priorities to m eet clien t needs, and trace the alignm ent ofthese goals all the w ay from the effect on the clien t back to the groups specific output.

Share respon sibility for solving problem s w ith other m em bers of the w ork group.Expect them to resolve difficulties, but be availab le to assist if required.

C om m unicate clearly the results expected of group m em bers and how they affect thecom m on purpose.

D efend the decisions of the w ork group if challenged by others outside the grou p.

A dm it your m istakes and uncertainties, and be w illing to learn from others.

M ake m eeting the com m on goals the focus of your w ork groups activities, andassess the progress m ade to determ ine future activities.

W e have a planthat guides ouractivities. (5)

D evelop a w orkplan that clearly defines the goals of the group and w ork to be don eto reach those goals.

Set up a system to track the g roups processes, tim etables, and outcom es.

D iscuss how individual plans of group m em bers align w ith group (and organizational) plans.

Im plem ent the w orkplan, and schedule regular m eetings to discuss progress tow ards goals.

W e are clear w hatis expected in ourw ork. (8)

H ave conversations w ith clien ts that focus on iden tifying their concerns.

Build your staffs skills to assess clientsneeds by involving them in:

scanning the organization and external environm ent to understand patterns and trends; efficien tly gathering inform ation by using varied sources (interview s, docum ents,

observation, com puters, etc.); analyzing routinely collected statistics to understand clien t needs; facilitating focus groups w ith clien ts to discuss their needs.

U sing the techniques listed above, reflect on client needs and expectations, and adjustpractice w ithin the guidelines of the updated group m ission, key goals, and strategy.

C larityC larityC larityC larityC larity W e seek tounderstand theneeds of ourclients. (9)

C larityC larityC larityC larityC larity

C larityC larityC larityC larityC larity


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Leadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anagem ent Practices

SupportSupportSupportSupportSup port W e are recognizedfor individualcontributions. (1)

Regularly acknow ledge the contributions and new skills of staff, both publicly andprivately and in w ays that are appropriate in your organization. A sim ple, sincerethank you is often the best form of recognition.

A sk group m em bers w ho have specific talents and know ledge for advice, andencourage them to take the lead on specific assignm ents.

D eleg ate tasks in peoples areas of interest and strength, as w ell as in the areas theyw ant to develop .

SupportSupportSupportSupportSupport W e have theresources w e needto do our jobsw ell. (3)

Fam iliarize yourself often w ith the activities of the w ork group, and determ ine w hatresources are needed to carry out these activities.

M on itor w hether the existing resources are adequate for the task at hand.

M eet w ith m em bers of the w ork group to find w ays to better align existingresources or, alternatively, to seek additional resources.

SupportSupportSupportSupportSupport W e understand

each otherscapabilities. (7)

Take tim e to know each m em ber of your w ork group. Learn w hat m otivates him or

her on the job .Learn about the skills, values, and interests of each m em ber of your group.

C reate opportunities for group m em bers to inform you and each other of theirskills, values, and interests.

O bserve how the g roup functions under pressure. Build on m em bersadaptivecapacity and help them cope even m ore effectively.

O rganize inform al events ou tside of w ork during w hich m em bers of the group canestablish rapport and talk about personal interests and skills.

SupportSupportSupportSupportSupport G ather and build on the ideas of others. H old form al and in form al sessions in which

group m em bers can offer ideas and suggestions.M eet as a group to consider ideas and determ ine the practicality of each suggestion.

M eet regularly to discuss how the group is w orking together and solicit ideas abouthow to im prove cooperation.

A gree on criteria for choosing w hich suggestion to p roceed w ith.

C onsider all ideas advanced, even those w ith w hich you disagree.

W e participate

in the decisionsof our w orkgroup. (10)





Leadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anagem ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent PracticesLeadership and M anagem ent PracticesLeadership and M anag em ent Practices

C hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallenge W e are devel-oping our skillsand know ledge.(4)

Encourage group m em bers to take on new challenges and create opportunities forthem to learn skills and broaden their know ledge.

A sk each group m em ber to d raw up a self-developm ent plan and share it w ith you.D evelop a plan for yourself.

Support group m em bers in their efforts to learn new skills.Provide incentives, such as tim e aw ay from w ork, for group m em bers to acquire m oreknow ledge.

A rrange tim es for guest speakers from other departm ents and organ ization s to helppeople think in new w ays.

A rrange site visits to learn how other organizations or groups operate.

C hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallenge W ith the w ork group, set perform ance goals.

A ssess current perform ance against group goals and identify opportunities forim provem ent.

G ive w ork group m em bers specific responsibility for leading a perform ance im prove-m en t activity.

W ith the group, continually com pare current activities w ith stated plans for im provem ent.

D elegate responsibilities for addressing new challenges so that staff stretch theircapabilities and develop new ones.

Personally m odel expected behaviors in your daily activities.

W e strive toim prove ourperform ance.

(6)

C hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallenge W e take pridein our w ork.(11)

Set high standards for the group, and recognize w hen they are m et.

Let others in the organization know about your groups accom plishm ents.

D iscuss frequently the im portance of your groups w ork and the im pact it has on thelives of your clients.

W e readilyadapt to newcircum stances.(12)

C hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallengeC hallenge Scan your environm ent, identify needed changes in practices, and develop justifica-tions for them . A lso show that you can be influenced by good data and argum ents.

Listen to and understand the reasons for resistance am ong group m em bers tow ardchanges.

Regularly rem ind people to focus on the vision of the future and use it as a point ofreference, so that all group m em bers can see the reasons for changes.

W hile being clear about purpose and values, dem onstrate flexibility about plans andtactics.

W ith other m em bers of the w ork group, develop plans for dealing w ith changes.

M odel your preparedness to accept changes and dem onstrate new , appropriatebehavior.

C reate cerem onies and rituals that allow people to form ally leave things behind.


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WWWWWorking SolutionsWorking SolutionsWorking SolutionsWorking SolutionsWorking SolutionsW orldw ideorldw ideorldw ideorldw ideorldw ide

Meeting the Challenge of Creating aFavorable Work Climate

As a manager who leads a work group, your task in-cludes creating and sustaining a desirable work climatethat will motivate your staff. Even as you continuallyscan the external environment for information aboutclients needs, competitors, challenges, and opportuni-

ties, you must also scan your internal organizational en-vironment for practices that can motivate or demotivateyour staff.

The findings of your climate assessment can helpyou strengthen your leadership and management prac-tices to provide your staff with clarity, support, andchallenge. Together, you and the other members of yourgroup will create a climate that inspires every memberto perform at the highest possible level.

The following working solution, illistrates the use of the Work Group Climate Assessment to assess leader-

ship development programs.

The W ork G roup C lim ate A ssessm ent has been

applied w ith encouraging results to leadership

developm ent program s in several countries,

including Brazil and Egypt.

BrazilBrazilBrazilBrazilBrazil

Leadership developm ent has been a priority for

SESA , the State Secretariat of H ealth for C ear, a

large state on Brazils northeast coast. SESA has

w orked closely w ith the C ear State School of

Public H ealth to build leadership developm entprogram s for first-line and m id-level m anagers.

Since the beginning of these efforts, m ore than 450

m anagers in C ear have participated in leadership

developm ent program s. G iven that public health in

C ear has undergone a revolution, brought on by

the recent decentralization of the health system , the

focus on leadership developm ent has been tim ely.

Initially leadership developm ent in C ear occurred

in a traditional face-to-face training program . A s

dem and increased for the leadership developm ent

U SU SU SU SU SIIIIINNNNN G THG THG THG THG TH E W OE W OE W OE W OE W ORRRRRK G RK G RK G RK G RK G ROOOOO UUUUU P CLIP CLIP CLIP CLIP C LIM AM AM AM AM ATE A STE A STE A STE A STE A SSSSSSEEEEESSSSSSSSSSMMMMM EEEEEN T TN T TN T TN T TN T TO A SO A SO A SO A SO A SSSSSSEEEEESSSSSS LEA DS LEA DS LEA DS LEA DS LEA DEEEEERRRRRSSSSSHHHHH IIIIIPPPPPD E V ED E V ED E V ED E V ED E V ELLLLLOOOOO PPPPPMMMMM EEEEEN T PRN T PRN T PRN T PRN T PROOOOO GGGGG RRRRRA MA MA MA MA MSSSSS

program as w ell as for ongoing opportunities for

learning and self-developm ent, SESA and the

School of Public H ealth looked for alternative

m ethods of training. Lidernet, a com m unity of

practice draw ing on face-to-face and distance

learning m ethods, w as developed to provide on-

going education in leadership developm ent and

offer opportunities for exchanging experience.

A s one w ay to evaluate these program s, several

groups com pleted M SH s W ork G roup C lim ate

A ssessm ent. A group in C ear w ith substantial

exposure to leadership developm ent w as com pared

to groups from another state w ho w ere just begin-

ning the leadership developm ent process. The

C ear groups scores for actual perform ance w ere

higher than the scores of the other groups. A ccord-

ing to a leadership developm ent consultant based in

C ear, the C ear team s show indicators of clim ate

that are m uch higher, w hich can in part be attributed

to the efforts of the PD L (Leadership D evelopm ent

Program ).



EgyptEgyptEgyptEgyptEgypt

In the A sw an governorate of U pper Egypt, an

intensive D eveloping M anagers W ho Lead

program w as conducted over the past year. This

program brought together team s of doctors,

nurses, and m anagers from M inistry of H ealth

facilities in the region. Representatives of the

M inistry and local consultants co-facilitated the

program w ith M SH support. The W ork G roup

C lim ate A ssessm ent w as applied at the program s

start to obtain baseline data and at its end to assess

the im pact of the program .

The participating team s w ere engaged in identifying

specific perform ance challenges and m aking plans

to overcom e them . They used leading and m anag-

ing practices to close the gap betw een their actual

perform ance and their desired results. A ll of the

team s reported im provem ents in their perform ance

indicators and a vast im provem ent in the clim ate of

their w ork groups. They said their w ork groups

w ere m ore focused and their facilities m ore effective

as a result of their participation in the program .

The W ork G roup C lim ate A ssessm ent resultssupported their reports. It indicated that w ork

clim ate am ong w ork groups w as substantially m ore

positive at the end of the program than at the

beginning. W hile the baseline scores for clim ate

varied from .8 to 2.1 (on a scale of 0 to 4), the

scores after the program ranged from 3.1 to 3.8.

The tw o outcom e m easures also rose. The score for

O ur w ork group m eets quality standardsin-

creased from 1.4 to 3.3, and the score for O ur

w ork group is productiveclim bed from 1.7 to 3.7.

The participantsm otivation and involvem ent in

producing results have been eviden t in all of their

interactions. They now have the m otivation to take

on com plex challenges and organize them selves to

address them . Em erging client data suggests that

clients are benefiting from the changes in staff

attitudes and behaviors.

Experience in Brazil and Egypt suggests that

leadership and clim ate are intim ately linked. A s

m anagers develop their leadership skills, they

im prove the clim ate of their w ork groups. The m ore

positive w ork clim ates, in turn, help to im prove the

perform ance of these w ork groups.


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A forum for

discussing

concepts and

techniques

presented in th is issue

Review ersReview ersReview ersReview ersR eview ersC ornerC ornerC ornerC ornerC orner O n d evelop ing a sane w ork clim ateO n d evelop ing a sane w ork clim ateO n d evelop ing a sane w ork clim ateO n d evelop ing a sane w ork clim ateO n d evelop ing a sane w ork clim ate

One reviewer emphasizes, This issue is particularly im portant since m anagers findthem selves in a situation w here they have to face changes on a daily basisprim arily inthe form of policy shifts and technological advances. O ften w e use a crisis m anage-m entm ode in the attem pt to address everything at the sam e tim e. The need for som esense of sanityand an environm ent that is adaptive to these changes adds to a betterw ork clim ate. The responsibility of every m anager should be to steer the ship w ith asteady hand. C onfusion is alw ays detrim ental to an enabling w ork environm ent.

O n interacting w ith staffO n interacting w ith staffO n interacting w ith staffO n interacting w ith staffO n interacting w ith staff

Another reviewer sums up, So m uch of this issue reduces ultim ately to the w ay leadersand m anagers behave in relationship w ith their staff and to how they engage in w hat Itend to call the leadership dialogue.

O n caring about em ployeesO n caring abou t em ployeesO n caring about em ployeesO n caring abou t em ployeesO n caring about em ployees

A reviewer noted that, M otivation influences retention (the opposite of turnover) asw ell as perform ance, especially in developing countries. A m anager w ho cares aboutem ployees as people, and show s it, applies a critical job retention factor.

O n feedback from w ork clim ate to lead ership practicesO n feedback from w ork clim ate to lead ership practicesO n feedback from w ork clim ate to lead ership practicesO n feedback from w ork clim ate to lead ership practicesO n feedback from w ork clim ate to lead ership practices

One reviewer elaborated on the diagram on page 4, There are feedback loopsgoing from good w ork clim ates back to positively influence leadership practices. A lso,there is negative feedback w hen things get out of balance. A dem oralized em ployeecan poison the w ell and unsettle an otherw ise good w ork clim ate, w hich m ay thendem oralize the em ployees m anager (or not), and this calls for som e sort of correctiveaction.

O n finding a balance betw een m anagem ent and staffO n find ing a balance betw een m anagem ent and staffO n finding a balance betw een m anagem ent and staffO n find ing a balance betw een m anagem ent and staffO n find ing a balance betw een m anagem ent and staff

A reviewer warns, Be careful in changing things w hen em ployee perceptions do not

have substance. . . . The subjectivity of em ployeesperceptions becom e objective w henthey are generalized across respondents. There w ill alw ays be som e w ho com plain,w e dont have enough resources.If people do not have support and the resources thatthey need and the organization does not recognize the need to give these, the questionis W hat are people doing to save this situation?W e need to seek an equilibriumbetw een m anagem ent and staff. Both are responsible; both m ust act proactively.

O n m on itoring w ork clim ateO n m on itoring w ork clim ateO n m on itoring w ork clim ateO n m on itoring w ork clim ateO n m on itoring w ork clim ate

A reviewer suggests one way to monitor climate, W e had a subgroup in m y projectcalled barom eter buddiesthat helped to take the pulse of staff during a difficult projectreorganization. That is one w ay to ensure that changes com e from w ithin the w ork

group and not the top dow n.



ReferencesReferencesReferencesReferencesReferences

Buckingham , M arcus, and C offm an, C urt. First Break All The Rules: What the Worlds Greatest M anagers Do Differently. N ew York: Sim on and Schuster, 1999.

G olem an, D aniel. A n EI-Based theory of Perform ance.In G ary C herniss and D aniel G olem an et al., eds.,The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace. San Francisco, C A : Jossey-Bass, 2001, pp. 2744.

G olem an, D aniel. Leadership That G ets Results. Harvard Business Review (M archA pril 2000).

G olem an, D aniel. W hat M akes a Leader. Harvard Business Review (N ov.D ec. 1998).

G oodstein, Leonard, and W . W arner Burke. C reating Successful O rganizational C hange. Organizational Dynamics vol. 19, no. 4 (1991): 517.

H erzberg, Frederick. O ne M ore Tim e: H ow D o You M otivate Em ployees? Harvard Business Review vol.46, no. 1 (1968).

Kouzes, Jam es, and Barry Posner. Encouraging the Heart . San Francisco, C A : Jossey-Bass, 1998.

Leahey, Jam es and Kotter, John. C hanging the C ulture at British A irw ays.H arvard Business School C aseno. 491-009, 1990. w w w .innovation.org.uk/casestudies/expert/ba.htm l

Linkage, Inc. M anagem ent Skills: M otivating Individuals and Team s.Training program m aterials. Linkage,Inc.: Burlington, M A , 2002.

Litw in, G eorge, and Stringer, Robert. M otivation and Organizational Climate. C am bridge: H arvard U niver-sity Press, 1968.

N elson, Bob and D ean R. Spitzer. The 1001 Rewards & Recognition Fieldbook: The Complete Guide. N ewYork: W orkm an Publishing, 2002 .

Stringer, Robert. Leadership and Organizational Climate. U pper Saddle R iver, N J: Prentice H all, 2002.

W atkins, C hris. The Leadership Program for Serving H eadteachers: Prob ably the W orlds Largest Leader-ship D evelopm ent Initiative. Leadership and Organization Development Journal vol. 21, no. 1 (2000):1320.


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Checklist for Creating a Work Climate ThatMotivates Staff and Improves Performance

The Manager is designed to help managers develop and support the delivery of high-quality healthservices. The editors welcome any comments, queries, or requests for subscriptions.

M ANAGERTHE

MSH PublicationsManagement Sciences for Health165 Allandale RoadBoston, Massachusetts 02130-3400 USA

Phone: 617.524.7799Fax: 617.524.2825E-mail: [email protected] site: www.msh.org

Recognize the im portance of your role as a w ork group m anager as som eone w ho can influ-

ence your groups w ork clim ate and, consequently, m otivate staff to perform w ell, regardless ofyour organizations clim ate.

Focus on the w ays in w hich m em bers of your w ork group perceive their w ork environm ent.Reflect on outw ard signs, such as absenteeism , declining productivity, client com plaints, andem ployeesexpressions that m ight reveal a less than optim al w ork clim ate.

C oncentrate on factors related to the w ork clim ate that you can influence: the dim ensions ofclarity, support, and challenge in w ork.

A ssess these dim ensions in your w ork groups clim ate, using a tool such as the W ork G roupC lim ate A ssessm ent.

W ith your w ork group, take action to im prove the groups clim ate by increasing:

the clarity w ith w hich your staff m em bers perceive their roles;

the support that they experience in doing their w ork;

the challenges that they are encouraged to undertake.

Tarea 7Creating a Work Climate That Motivates Staff and i

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