Recommendations

So, how can we utilize the IPS data to improve our workplace, Columbia College Chicago?

Over the past several months, the Leadership Advisory Team has closely examined the implications of the results of the Institutional Performance Survey (IPS). The survey produced a large amount of data regarding the culture, leadership, and institutional effectiveness of the College. The Team recognizes that the survey data could be mined further; however, the Team feels that it is imperative to communicate the initial findings to the Columbia community as quickly as possible. The results of this survey brought forth a set of core organizational issues. In response to these issues, the Team is making several recommendations.

Recommendation 1:

The IPS data strongly reinforce evidence that employees are deeply committed to the distinctive mission and purpose of the College. Within this context, the data also show that Columbia is a more heterogeneous, pluralistic, and complex organization to work for than it was in the past. Employees perceive that rapid organizational transformation has increased conflicts and led to the rise of vocal special interest groups; they also perceive that organizational change has brought some resistance to change, which has put a strain on employees' morale. The Leadership Advisory Team recommends that the College's top leadership help to create opportunities to examine how Columbia could effectively address multiple dimensions (e.g., retooling skills, inter- and intrapersonal relationships, group dynamics and team building, different levels of communication, etc.) of working in a rapidly transforming organization.

The Leadership Advisory Team recommends that the President convene a small work group to identify specific actions that the administration could take to address employee morale issues that are reflected in the IPS results. The Advisory Team further recommends that such a working group include individuals from the Advisory Team and graduates of the Art of Leadership program.

Recommendation 2:

IPS data indicate that many employees simply do not know about the College's financial condition, i.e., how budgeting and resource allocation decisions are made and how external factors could positively or negatively impact the College's operation in the near future. It is recommended that the College's top leadership find ways to increase employees' collective understanding on these matters. Team members are confident that any efforts to increase employees' understanding of the aforementioned matters would promote a greater sense of operational transparency, sense of belonging, and sense of being "in-the-know."

Team members note that the new budgeting process in Academic Affairs, which is managed for the Provost by the Associate Provost, Administration, is a good model upon which to build.

Recommendation 3:

The IPS data show that employees perceive that Columbia is poised to accomplish the distinctive mission and the Columbia 2010 goals; however, employees also perceive that College faculty and staff lack the interdepartmental collaborations necessary to fully harvest internal knowledge and skills. The Team members feel that sometimes these collaborations break down or require an enormous level of effort to sustain because individual units within the College are operating at different levels and using different (frequently outdated) business policies and practices. The Team recommends that the College's top leadership find ways to foster meaningful collaborations, so that information/resource sharing and collaboration are the norm rather than a "unique" one-time effort.

Recommendation 4:

The Team recommends repeating the survey on a timeline that is most sensible for the College. Current IPS data can serve as a baseline for future comparison and for studying the overall trends in employees' perceptions and cultural shifts within the institution. Team members understand that implementation of the IPS is just the first step toward establishing a common understanding of our workplace and moving toward making Columbia a vibrant community for all. A respondent's comment below encapsulates the Team's thoughts on how such data can be used to bring about a sense of objectivity and an opening up of honest dialogue for improving our workplace, Columbia College Chicago.

"I have seen Columbia make major strides over the past seven years I have been with the college. The students have improved in terms of their commitment to learning and their professional goals. It has been a pleasure to see the growth. As a student of organizational structure and leadership this is a major accomplishment. It appears now to be time to focus more on establishing better communication internally among administration and faculty. We are growing so much into an interdisciplinary world and there needs to be better communication among administration-faculty and departments to continue the effects toward meeting our goals. Personally, it is a pleasure teaching at Columbia because of the students. I learn a great deal from being with them. I also appreciate being given the opportunity to evaluate Columbia."

Respectfully Submitted by the Leadership Advisory Team.

For further information, please contact: hwexler@colum.edu