Background
Job Corps is a 50-year-old federally funded program that services at risk youth and young adults, ages 16 through 24. The goal is to improve their quality of life through vocational and academic training, which has the potential to lead to a job or further educational placement; Title I-C of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 authorizes Job Corps. To date Job Corps is the largest federally funded program with costs ranging over a billion dollars annually. There are 125 centers in the nation spread across seven different regions. Currently, the Milwaukee Job Corps Center, contracted by MINACT Inc., which is apart of the Chicago Region, is the center undergoing adaptive change.
Problem – Need for Adaptive Change
After participating in a host of assessments it is fair to say some findings are on the center level and will continue to be if there is not a structural change, which will lead to an improvement in the quality of service for the students. Adaptive change is necessary, unlike a technical change, it requires new learning, change must come from the collective intelligence of the employees at all levels, working together they will learn their way towards solutions. This particular adaptive change consists of creating a counseling department for streamline counseling services as well as the counselors. This department will help counselors receive consistent guidance, effective counseling training and professional development to provide quality-counseling services to the entire student population at the Milwaukee Job Corps.
There are two counselors designated to each team; there are 3 trade teams and one career preparation team comprising of eight counselors. Each counselor is required to give outlined services to each student on their caseload as well as being heavily involved in documenting and following up with students depending upon their behaviors and conduct. The problem with this setup, depending on the team, there are different procedures on every team, so when students are passed back and forth from caseload to caseload depending on both their need and center’s need, services may not be present or applicable in each situation. By creating a counseling department, there is one director to oversee a cohesive counseling department. The challenge comes in making sure each department’s voice is heard and expectations are continuously being meet in providing services for the students, easier planned then executed.
Current Reality
Learning will need to take place in order for this change to be effective. “The first step in tackling any adaptive challenge is to get to the balcony so you can see how your organizational system is responding to it,” (Heifetz et al. 2009 p. 49). As a leader with the efforts of driving this change, creating a counseling department for consistent services, getting to the balcony is key; understanding the bigger picture will help sell the change in positive light. Creating an understanding of the role of a counselor and how to develop job duties consistent with the vision of the center to improve the quality of service will be primary goal of this adaptive change, it drives the vision. This will be a collective effort for all levels of employees, line staff managers, directors and the contracting corporate office. The departments will have to merge one important entity but within this merger make sure their departments lose its own effectiveness. With this proposed structure change the vocational teams would lose their counselors and just have the trades and trade instructors. The CPP Team Director would become the Director of Counseling and the CPP instructors would be apart of the academic department with the rest of the instructors that handle all academic services.
Devising a political strategy is important in implementing this change. Knowing who the allies, opponents, authority, casualties, and dissenters are will set the platform.
| Allies | Center Director
Counselors |
See the same vision
Have the same concerns Advocate and provide clarity to the change |
Buy-in from other center staff (protect time on task/lets resistance
Accountability
|
Consistency
Dedication Maintain quality of service |
| Opponents | Supervisor
Academic Instructors Government (changes submitted plan) |
Consensus
Support |
Power
Voice |
Create a plan that they are in agreement with |
| Authorities | Center Director
Corporate Directors Government |
They have to understand the vision
They have to see the change through |
Continuously monitoring goals
Center position |
Show a difference in productivity in comparison to all other center
Improving the overall quality of service |
| Casualties | CPP Instructors
Students (if change does not happen or unsuccessful)
|
Quality of service
Input Jobs |
Create buy-in (big picture)
Ensure the value of their opinion (voice) Create visual models |
Build time in to train with counselors
Show how concerns and problems will be addressed and solved |
| Dissenters | Team Managers | Giving them responsibility in the change
Ask them to identify any unseen pitfalls in the proposed change |
Utilize their findings on weaknesses in the change | Move forward with identifying their contributions to this change |
-Devising a Political Strategy Table
Diagnosis the System
Strategy
The strategy is to create a counseling department, which will help streamline and make consistent the services that are given to the students enrolled at the Milwaukee Job Corps. Several departments will have to merge, positions will be eliminated, and supervisor duties will change as a result of implementing this change.
Structure
Focusing on the roles, power and authority, and reporting relationships of the structure this is the proposed model:
Structurally, the Counseling Student Services Department is the core of the model. The outside components are the various teams. This just depicts the directly affected departments. Essentially this department will be the foundation for the center. “An organization’s formal structures create the playing field and rules for all activities that take place in the overarching system,” (Heifetz et al. 2009 p. 54).
Leadership roles with in this proposed model are affected by this change. Team Managers will lose some of their subordinates. Not having a direct supervision over the counselors will affect some day-to-day routines, for example having counselors on a specific team substitute in the classroom. They will not be controlled primarily by the Team Managers, which will require them to be in the classroom more then desired. This change takes away direct authority and is perceived as having less power. “A high need for power which is socialized: that is greater than the need for affiliation; and a moderate need for achievement,” (P. Anderson, August 2014).
Lateral Capability Systems & Processes
Focusing on networks, processes, teams, integrative roles and matrix structures within these changes are most important in this area. Team selection will be strategic; as mentioned in People Practice identifying strengths and weaknesses when setting up teams to implement this change is crucial. Having an even balance creates cohesive teams that are able to work together and provide input where needed. The entire change itself included integrative roles.
Metrics and Rewards
Focusing on the reward system, goals, scorecards/metrics, values and behaviors, compensation and rewards is key. It will be in the interest of change to express to the Team Managers they are no longer held accountable for counselor productivity goals. This will help curve the behaviors during this change. Creating rewards for benchmarks reached while implementing this change will be critical but needs to be controlled. Avoiding the possibility of creating a narrow focus by putting time limit incentives in place will be eliminated. The purpose of this is so the vision can be reached with as much creativity as possible. If possible taking a look at salaries, compensating for increased duties maybe an option. The metrics and rewards systems will have to be reviewed and changed accordingly as it pertains to the center, contractor and government keeping in tact the values and principle in which Job Corps is based on. It is the writer’s understanding that the rewards system is a significant area that needs to be developed throughout this process.
People Practices
Focusing on staffing and selection, performance feedback and learning and development is necessary will addressing people practices. Knowing different strengths and weaknesses of personnel is important when selecting people to assist with and help drive adaptive change. As for the Milwaukee Job Corps Center screening is a high priority and the interview process and well as the selection for center involvement is rigorous. During adaptive change, feedback will be critical. Having visual benchmarks for measured performance goes all long way when motivating and pushing change. Staff should be well informed about process both successes and failures; transparency keeps the playing field level and produces realistic goals. “In practicing adaptive leadership, you make interventions that, though sometimes unwelcome, are designed to help people in your system (your organization, team, community, society, or family) address worthy challenges,” (Heifetz et al. 2009 p. 109). There has to be forward motion and constant learning throughout this change; the team has to be able to reflect as well as see progress.
Plan of Action
There is a definite plan of action in place for the purposed change to develop a Counseling Student Services Department. The proposal has been submitted to the Center Director, Corporate Office and is waiting for approval to be forwarded to the Department of Labor. Typically the writer is not able to proceed with plans until after approval. Some next step in the interim will be to create a survey to begin receiving feedback about the proposed plan. After data is collected, starting to identify possibly pitfalls. The writer will diagnosis the system as discussed earlier. Focusing on protecting the culture walking through the five points of diagnosing the system. Creating teams to help work on training individuals how to refer and solicit counseling services. The counselors will be speaking at all staff meetings giving a depiction of the new plan. Making the center aware of possible upcoming changes to be able to set the platform and avoid the surprise element will be strategic planning. This adaptive change is necessary it will take the center to the next stage raising the level of quality service, increasing the center level of competition and productivity. That is the overall vision of this change.
References
Heifetz, R., Grashow, A. & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.
Kokemuller K. (2014). Small Business Chronicle. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/transformational-leadership-vs-situational-leadership-18819.html
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