1. Communications
Responses
Challenges
General lack of clarity in communication from agency and facility leadership
Lack of understanding by staff on the intent or the “why” in decision making
Regular updates on critical agency and facility issues
Reinforcement of professional style, tone, and behaviors
Ask the Director
Lynnita:
We also developed a mission for this initiative, which was to:
To create a common perception of respectful workplace values and professionalism that is received in a positive manner
Develop a consistent method of communicating information throughout all shifts to ensure staff receive the correct information countering the rumor mill and the dissemination of misinformation.
For the Communications Workgroup, of which I served as Chair, we:
Engaged the Vision Team (explain what that is).
Implemented roll call blasts to share or update staff on policy changes and requirements.
Maximized the use of multi-media: agency newsletters, social media etc. to share progress
Warden’s Top 5 Grievances

2. Leadership Accountability
Responses
Challenges
Developed a structure to promote leadership to include:
Clarity and consistency of expectations
Standards for accountability
Enhancing their competency and proficiency to support a respectful workplace
Mentoring and coaching to maintain and support standards
Staff relationships
Staff recognition
Accountability
Lennard:
It was important to develop leaders and set clear expectations in order to hold them accountable.
Key challenges:
Staff relationships, recognition, accountability.
Lack of transparency regarding shift and overtime assignments.
Responses:
Created the Leadership Accountability workgroup to…review slide
We focused on sergeants because they have direct access to staff and inmates for information sharing and effecting change.
Clarity and Consistency/Accountability: Updated and revised policies regarding sexual harassment, ethics, EEO, and conduct.
Formed an EEO/Diversity Unit separate from HR.
Enhanced competency: Trained staff on policy updates.
Mentoring/Coaching: Identified resources to better manage incidents and issues that arose related to sexual harassment.

3. Fair and Consistent
Responses
Challenges
Lack of transparency regarding shift and overtime assignments
Lack of clear policy
Perception of favoritism in shift and overtime assignments
Developed and implemented an impartial and transparent system to manage shift assignment and overtime assignment
Policy review and revisions
New electronic system to facilitate shift and overtime assignments
Lynnita:
Wanted to explore what staff thought about management.
Took a look at what staff thought was unfair.
Wanted to be progressive to resolve issues of unfairness and model the right behavior.
What emerged was a process.
Example:
We included a workgroup representative in the shift and bid process
Representatives reported that the process was fair; provided transparency
Learned this was an issue of misinformation – which needed to be addressed by the Communication workgroup.

4. Training Training is critical to culture change
Requires regular review of training delivery techniques and evaluation to support long-term fidelity and alignment with policy
Align content and delivery with policy and leadership expectations
Lennard:
Although there isn’t a particular workgroup to address training issues, we realized training is integral to everything we do; training is critical to culture change.
Realized that all training courses needed to be reviewed for adherence to practice, leadership expectations, and clarity.
The goal was to take staff from corrections staff to corrections professionals.
Training is a lifestyle with constant and continuous change.
What we’ve done:
Established consistent supervisory training.
Developed a series of Respectful Workplace trainings to focus on:
Leadership, professional boundaries, and cultural diversity
Specialized training:
PREA
Managing LGBTI inmate population
De-escalation skills
Trauma-informed care
Joint staff/inmate training

5. Maintaining and Sustaining
Stevyn and Lennard: Describe how the Respectful Workplace initiative has become a routine part of the agency.
Stevyn:
We started working with the agency about 7 years ago.
We are actively working to support the agency’s ownership of this initiative.
Lennard:
We are maintaining the work started under Director Faust and carrying the work forward under Director Booth.

6. Lennard: Describe the creation, purpose, and use of the DCDOC roadmap.

7. Where Are We Now? Lennard and Stevyn:
Discuss the impacts of the Respectful Workplace initiative.
Examples of signage throughout CDF and CTF to signal the expected way of working.
Issues uncovered by the assessment and the results:
Communication improved through a variety of methods (i.e., electronic kiosks, newsletters, signage)
Favoritism and Retaliation reduced through more apparent evaluation system
Sexual harassment and fraternization reduced through creation of EEO department, revision of policies, and vigilance
Sexism reduce: promoted more women to leadership positions (i.e., 2 women majors, 7 captains)

8. Where Are We Now? Lennard and Stevyn:
More examples displaying the impacts of the Respectful Workplace initiative.

9. Steps to Change Name it: Consider the issue(s)
Claim it: Acknowledge and decide to address
Understand it:
Define what is known about the issue(s)
Identify what you need to know
Use your resources and identify possible solutions
Plan it: Create a precise and specific plan for solving or reducing the challenges
Sustain it: Evaluate the solution
Stevyn: Review improvement process: Read slide.

10. Tips and Advice Be in it for the long haul
Recognize there will be bumps
Engage people at different levels within your agency
Be consistent
Strive for excellence
Celebrate successes
When the horse is dead, dismount
Lennard: Review lessons learned and provide advice for other similar facilities.
Don’t be afraid to make a decision.
Symbolize the new identity. Use Mr. Faust’s quote about getting on board and Mr. Booth’s quote about coaching in and coaching out.
Stevyn:
What’s important to note is that what we’re doing is based on best practice in the field.
An additional benefit is that the new director was a member of the Support Team, so we have complete buy-in for maintaining and sustaining this initiative!

11. Have you made it a part of your workday?
Lynnita:
The messages posted throughout agency administrative offices, facilities, and lockup, also convey that it’s a new day.
Agency motto is/Ask audience: Have you made Pride, Professionalism, and Passion a part of your workday?
If not, can you identify one thing you can commit to doing when you return to your place of work that does make Pride, Professionalism, and Passion a part of your workday?