Systems Alignment; Continuous Improvement in the Support Services Departments
Are support services departments and personnel included in your continuous improvement efforts? Applying systems thinking includes the involvement of all support services departments and non-classroom personnel as significant resources in process of increasing student achievement. Support services such as: Food Service; Technology; Human Resources; Custodial/Maintenance; Transportation; Payroll and others play an important role in school systems and have their "niche" which impacts the learner and the learning environment.
Often, the support service departments of educational institutions are forgotten in continuous quality improvement initiatives as most of the focus is on the labors of schools and classrooms. Effective organizations ensure that all employees, regardless of their position or rank, understand how their work directly contributes to the vision, mission, core values and goals of the district.
Systems thinkers ensure that all employees within support services departments…
- Know “what is most important” in the department- often captured in the form of the Department: Vision, Mission, Goals, Core Values & Measures.
- Recognize how their work directly contributes to the Department Mission- In essence, every employee identifies how their work is aligned to the department goals and the strategic plan.
- Understand how progress will be measured toward the Department goals and know how their performance contributes to departmental and systems effectiveness.
Continuous improvement is for everyone. Is your support staff involved in improvement efforts? Does every employee know how his/her work directly contributes to strategic plan (or school improvement plan)? What are some ways to get every employee involved in the work of schools; improving student achievement? Are you a systems thinker? Is your system aligned?
