Transcript Getting Staff “Buy-In” Bobbi Douglas, MSSA, LICDC, LPC Executive Director STEPS at Liberty Center Wooster Ohio.

Getting Staff “Buy-In”
Bobbi Douglas, MSSA, LICDC, LPC
Executive Director
STEPS at Liberty Center
Wooster Ohio
Where We Were Before NIATX
Dirty Little Secrets
of the Addiction Treatment Field
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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
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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 Continuum
Sharing Information
General
Publications
Personal
Touch
Shaping Behavior
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.