Developing Effective Work Plans

Oregon Head Start Specialist ConferenceEagle Crest Retreat Center

April 3, 2003

Presenter: Johnnie CainRegion X Quality CenterPortland State University

Developing Effective Work Plans

Integrated Work Plan

Ownership of Tasks Shared Work Tasks

Dependencies and Back-ups Timelines and Frequencies

What’s What or Who’s Who?

• We hope to provide you a map and be a guide through your experience!

• We hope to be clear and applicable.

• So who’s on First??!

Who’s on First?(Thanks to Mr. Abbott and Mr. Costello)

Tomorrow Pitcher

TodayCatcher

WhoFirst Base

WhatSecond Base

I Don’t Know Third Base

HowRight Field

BecauseCenter Field

Why Left Field

I Don’t Give a Darn Short Stop

Developing Effective Work Plans are not a Destination,

but a Journey!

Head Start Team

• The larger the team, the more communication channels that must be maintained

Johari’s WindowPanes of a Window

Johari’s Window

WHAT YOU KNOW

Johari’s Window

WHAT YOU KNOWWHAT YOU

DON’T KNOW

Johari’s Window

WHAT YOU KNOWWHAT YOU

DON’T KNOW

WHAT YOU THINK

YOU KNOW

Johari’s Window

What I Know What I Don’t Know

What I Think I Know What I Don’t KnowThat I Don’t Know

Head Start Team

• A group of individuals working collaboratively together for a common and share goal

CollaborationCooperation: Working harmoniously

Cooperative: Sharing the workCollective: Working together

Laboratory: A place for discoveryLabor: The work and people

Oration: Group CommunicationRation: Distribution of the work

Rational: Logical PathRationale: Logical reasoning

Head Start Team

• In order to work together, individual efforts must be coordinated

BANK OFFICE EXERCISE

• With the information below, you WILL be able to solve the problem that faces your team.

• * ALL of the information you need to solve this problem has been given to you in the six statements below.

• * There are no tricks to this exercise. The people mentioned in this story are traditionally labeled, and conventional standards are applied. EXAMPLE...

• • Miss means not married, never been married, and has no children• Bachelor means not married, never been married and never had

any children.....etc.• * Your working together is the only way that you will be able to solve

this problem.• * As you solve this problem, please NUMBER the order in which

you place people in the • positions.• * This exercise is not over when it is solved! It is only over when

EVERYBODY in the group UNDERSTANDS how the answers were arrived at for the solutions.

BANK OFFICE EXERCISE• THE STAFF • Miss Alexander • Mrs. Brown • Mr. Fields• Mr. Stevens • Mr. Smith• Miss Anderson

• FACTS OF THE STORY • 1. The Office Manager is the General Manager's Grandson.

• • 2. The Cashier is the Stenographer's Son-In-Law. • • 3. Mr. Smith is a Bachelor. • • 4. Miss Alexander is the Teller's stepsister• • 5. Mr. Fields is 21 years old.• • 6. Mr. Stevens is a neighbor of the General Manager.

Positions

General Manager

Office Manager

Stenographer

Cashier

Clerk

Teller

flow•chart n.

a diagram, often using geometric symbols, showing steps in a sequence of operations.

How to Make a Flowchart 1. A simple format for a flowchart is to use:

- Circles (to represent Start and Stop)

- Rectangles (to represent Process Steps)

- Diamonds (to represent Decisions)

- Arrows (to Connect Steps) 2. Identify the process that you will represent in the flowchart. 3. Determine its starting point. 4. Using standard flowchart symbols. 5. Name each operation and decision. 6. Connect all operations with arrow lines showing the direction of the flow of the process.

It’s Not a Puzzle!

• Flow-Charting is as easy as making toast!

Making Toast

Flow Charting (Summary)

• A work process is essentially a task or sequence of tasks with a beginning, middle, and end point. It is not an idea or a concept.

• Those people closest to the work are the ones who can best delineate the process; these individuals can identify the steps based on their different perspectives at work.

• They can most accurately reflect and analyze the work and describe it to others.

• Doing a flow chart can seem like stating the obvious: "Everybody knows that!" It can seem like a waste of time.

• Not every process can benefit from being analyzed and displayed in this way: many can!

Health and Welfare Agency Contract

 Health/Welfare Refer Parent to Head Start

 Policy Council Monthly Update

Administrative Office Volunteer File

 Interviews at Center

  Center Staff will Route Application

Personnel Files Maintained and Updated Time Sheets and Performance Evaluations

Termination

Placement and Other Actions

HS Dir InformsPolicy Council

Head Start Director InformsPolicy Council

Enrollment of TAFI Volunteers

Summary of Program Outcome Model

INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

Resources dedicated to or consumed by the program

What the program does with the inputs to fulfill its mission

The direct products of program activities

Benefits for participants during and after program activities

The Logic of Outcome Measurement/Performance Measurement (Program Logic or Theory)

These resources are used…

For these activities…

To produce these

outputs

In support of children and families,

and for internal and external

audiences

So they can change in these ways

(short term outcomes)

Which leads to these

outcomes/ results

E.g., -Funding -Staff -Staff time -Facilities -Equipment

E.g., -Developmentally appropriate curriculum -Comprehensive services -Parent training

E.g., -number of children served -number of full day slots –number of health referrals made -number of parent trainings offered

E.g., -Children make progress across developmental domains -Parents increase involvement in at-home literacy activities

Children’s social competence / school readiness

Note: Performance measurement can occur across any one of these phases.

Adapted from: Performance Measurement, Gretchen Jordan & John McLaughlin,

HOW We Conduct the Performance Measurement Process

WHY We Conduct the Performance Measurement Process

Flowchart For Problem Resolution

Don’t Mess With It!

YES NO

YES

YOU MESSED UP BIG-TIME! NO

Will it Blow UpIn Your Hands?

NO

Look The Other Way

Anyone ElseKnow?

You’ll Have To Live With It!

YESYES

NO

Hide ItCan You Blame Someone Else?

NO

NO PROBLEM!Yes

Is It Working?

Did You Mess With It?

Enrollment

• What are the steps?

• Flowchart the process!

The Destination

• The road to WORKPLANS

has been traveled, and now the bumpy ride begins unless you have the proper road-map.

I-99 the Road from OSPRI to PRISM

Others can’t do it!

• It’s up to YOU!

The Future?

• Emma Lee Cain

• “It’s your little red wagon, and you’re going to have to pull it!”

Good Luck!

johnnie.cain@worldnet.att.net

johnnie.cain@worldnet.att.net

Abilene ParadoxI-99 the Road from OSPRI to PRISM

What is a Paradox?1. A statement contrary to common belief.

2. A statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but that may actually be true in fact.

3. A statement that is self-contradictory in fact and, hence false.

4. Something inconsistent with common experience or having contradictory qualities.

5. A person who is inconsistent or contradictory in character or behavior.

Characteristics of going to Abilene

• 1. Action Anxiety: When a sensible idea comes up, there is a refusal to act on it at all.

• 2. Elaborate Negative Fantasies: Bizarre justifications for not taking the risk.

• 3. Search For A Scape-Goat: Focusing on conflict versus dealing with the reality.

• 4. All Conspire And Collude With One Another: Unless someone has the courage to break the conspiracy.