SEEKING EXCELLENCE? ASK THE STAFF.

The pursuit of excellence is currently a popular topic in corporations and educational institubons. Many
companies and colleges have gone to considerable effort to inquire about the "secrets" other companies and
colleges use to achieve growth, increase productivity and profits, and improve employee morale. Rather
than depend on stealing ideas of successful practices from other colleges—which we are not above—we
decided to have our college search for excellence among our most important resource—-our staff! Facully
were asked to submit ideas tor improving their courses and programs in departmental five-year plans. The
physical plant staff developed plans through a Quality of Work Life program. Adsiitistrators and support office |
staff attended separate workshops at which they were asked to make suggestions for the improvement of the
college. The results were overwhelming!

Of particular interest were the workshops for the office staff. A steering committee—workshop leaders
and staff representatives—was established to plan and promote the workshops and coordinate follow-up
activities. At the first workshop, the union president for the employees welcomed the group, and the
college president spoke about the importance of the support staff to the college. The workshop’s objectives
were discussed, and the participants were divided into eight groups and asked to participate in a creative
brainstorming exercise: an attempt to generate ideas for the improvement of the college from their
perspectives.

Ideas were collected and reviewed by members of the steering committee and then organized around the
topics of training, internal communication, orientation, job exchange and recognition. These topics were
announced in advance of the second workshop, participants selected the topics they wanted to discuss, and
the various groups discussed the topics and developed action plans. The following recommendations were
generated:

I. to include office staff in the faculty and staff meetings prior to the beginning of each new semester to

 

learn more about events, activities, and plans tor the college

2. to create a clerical directory—describing the responsibilities of each office-—to assist those who answer
the telephones

3. to develop an orientation for new clerical employees that includes a buddy system

4. to involve them in the development of a student aide training and recognition program

5. to start a job exchange program that would help them better understand the inter-relationships otf

people and responsibilities of various offices
6. to begin to develop a clerical procedures manual
to develop a recognition system for the clerical employees
8 to develop a pad of college maps (similar to those used by motels to help guests locate their rooms) to
give students and guests, helping them locate classrooms and offices on campus
While the college protitted from the good ideas that were generated, the greatest benefit was the change in
all those who participated. The staff worked hard to plan the workshop activities; consequently, the
workshops were fleirs. lt is interesting to note that most of the recommendations were not about what
others should do for them but about what they wanted to do tor themselves. As some of their}
recommendations have been implemented, office staff have become involved in the faculty and statt
meetings, become recognized as full-status employees of the college, and have gained contidence in their
abilities to tackle a wide variety of problems.
We have discovered that the fine, talented, competent, concerned people who constitute our support staff

~~]

are better able to do their jobs if we let tiem decide how best to do them. Their personal pride in

 

improvements and innovations is‘obvious. So when we ponder actions tor college excellence, WE ASK THE — j
STAFF!

Richard W. McDowell Lea Allison, Office Manager
President Office of Instruction

 

For turther information, contact the authors at Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, MI
48152-2696.

 

Suanne D. Roueche Editor
May 1, 1987, Vol. Ix. No. 14

INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, EDB 348, The University of
Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, (512)471-7545. Subscriptions are available to nonconsortium members for $35 per year. Funding in
part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation. Issued weekly when classes are in session during fall and spring
terms and once during the summer.

’ The University of Texas at Austin, 1986
Further duplication Is permitted only by MEMBER institutions for their own personnel. ISSN 0199-106X