700: agency culture: promoting and supporting critical thinking through psychological safety and...

700: Agency Culture: Promoting and Supporting Critical Thinking Through Psychological Safety and Accountability


The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program

Learning ObjectivesParticipants will be able to:• Identify the importance of creating a work environment that

supports critical thinking;• Identify the four quadrants of psychological safety and

accountability; • List the key elements necessary for the creation of a

learning environment; • Assess their work environment related to psychological

safety and critical thinking;• Identify strategies to create and support a learning

environment within their agency; and• Develop a communication plan to transfer information from

this session to staff at their agency.

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Agenda• Welcome and Introductions

• The Connection Between Work Environment and Critical Thinking

• The Desired Future State

• Assessing the Work Environment

• Next Steps

• Wrap-Up and Evaluations

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What is “Learning by Doing” and how does it relate to critical thinking?

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What is a Leaders Role in Developing a Learning Environment?• Make it safe for employees to ask questions.

• Only then…

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What is a Leaders Role in Developing a Learning Environment? (continued)• Provide process guidelines, using the best

available knowledge;• Encourage collaborative decision making;• Collect process data describing how work

unfolds; and• Use the data to identify process-improvement

opportunities.

• Used with permission from “The Competitive Imperative of Learning" by Amy C. Edmondson. Harvard Business Review, July 2008.

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Learning Environments

Companies that support a learning environment have a dual focus:

– Carrying out key processes more efficiently than rivals; and

– Learning faster than rivals.

– Used with permission from “The Competitive Imperative of Learning" by Amy C. Edmondson. Harvard Business Review, July 2008.

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Efficiency-Focused Environment

• Leaders provide answers;

• Employees follow directions;

• Optimal work processes are designed and set up in advance;

Learning Environment

• Leaders set direction and articulate the mission;

• Employees (usually in teams) discover answers;

• Tentative work processes are set up as a starting point;

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• New work process are developed infrequently, implementing change is a huge undertaking;

• Feedback is typically one-way (from boss to employee) and corrective (“You’re not doing it right”)


• Work processes keep developing; small changes- experiments and improvements- are a way of life.;

• Feedback is always two-way: The boss gives feedback such coaching and advice; team members give feedback about what they are learning from doing the ever-changing) work.

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• Problem solving is rarely required; judgment is not expected; staff ask managers when they are unsure;


• Problem solving is constantly needed, so valuable information is provided to guide staff’s judgment;

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• Fear (of boss or of consequences) is part of the work environment and generally does not appreciably harm the quality of execution; It may even motivate effort and attentiveness in those facing an otherwise dull task.


• Fear cripple the learning process; It inhibits experimentation, lowers awareness of options, and discourages people from sharing and analyzing insights, questions, and problems.

• Adapted from Amy C. Edmondson. Used with permission of the Harvard Business Review.

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Ben and Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzvVx6PbYp

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• http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2010/04/ben-and-jerrys-flavor-graveyard-vermont-factory-tour-slideshow.html#show-84139

• http://www.benjerry.com/fun/halloween/?fg=1

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Small Group Discussion• If an agency was operating under each zone

quadrant,

– what would you see?

– what would you hear?

– what would external stakeholders see and hear?

– what three suggestions can you make to move this agency toward the learning zone?

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Possible Approaches to Assess for a Learning Environment

• Readiness Model Quick Tool;• Knowledge Management Assessment Conducted

Using Knowledge Management Principles; and• Organizational Readiness for Change (TCU ORC).

What might be some of the merits and pitfalls to such an assessment of a learning environment?

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Assessing for a Learning Environment

Safety

1 5 10

Accountability

1 5 10

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Communication Planning• Develop a communication plan to transfer

information from this session to staff at your agency.

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Thoughts?

Comments?

Questions?

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700: agency culture: promoting and supporting critical thinking through psychological safety and...

Documents

critical thinking

accountability slide

learning environment

agency culture

work environment

desired future state

leaders role

key elements necessary