A Caring Extension Workplace

In mid-1990, an informal network of Extension professionals formed to explore creating a healthier work environment. As a result of eight organizational workshops focused on "Change and Renewal" in the Kansas Cooperative Extension Service, a group of workshop participants developed a draft document entitled "CPR (Caring People Respond) for Extension Health Maintenance." Its purpose is to "create an environment that will enrich community, foster pride, and encourage responsibility, both personally and within the organization."

The CPR group outlined a belief system about the components of a healthy organizational environment and the behavior of individuals within the system. It includes statements such as:

• I believe that each person is unique and valuable.
• I believe that to be healthy, this organization must be founded on mutual trust.
• I believe the performance of this organization depends on its members showing an equally high concern for people and for quality productivity.

The group also formulated the "ethics of caring," a set of principles for interaction in a healthy workplace. These principles include, for example:

• I will provide a safe environment for people to speak their truths.
• I will speak simply, directly, and immediately to the person with whom I have a problem.
• I will ask myself: "What can I do to help us be a healthy community?"

CPR is neither a union nor an administrative lobbying group, but simply an informal, evolving group interested in understanding and managing the forces limiting the ability to function professionally in a stressful, changing environment. Extension personnel at the state, area, and county levels are involved.

Administrators were informed of the group's intentions and activities, with a sincere request for input and help into the development of the philosophy and values. Subsequently, the office of Extension Professional and Organizational Development mailed the CPR draft philosophy and principles document to all Extension employees in the state. The recipients were encouraged to return an enclosed card confirming their desire to be actively involved with the CPR group in future activities and discussions, requesting further information, identifying resources, or simply indicating support of the principles.

Three months later, a survey was done to learn more about co -workers' perceptions of job satisfaction and the characteristics most valued in the workplace and to solicit creative suggestions that might make CPR stronger. Nearly 150 of the 800 Kansas Extension professional and clerical staff returned completed surveys. The most frequently mentioned responses to "items most wanted to remain the same" included the opportunity for teamwork, feeling a sense of acceptance and belonging, the ability to work for the benefit of others, and the opportunity for self-directed work. Other responses indicated current job responsibilities and/or the current organizational structure are adequate, that there are ample opportunities for variety in work, and that respondents highly value the people with and for whom they work.

Most frequently mentioned perceived barriers to effectiveness dealt with the need to improve the overall organizational effectiveness and need- and resource-related issues. Although of critical importance to some respondents, personal distress and personal effectiveness issues were much less frequently expressed.

A summary of the survey results was presented to the administrative staff, with opportunities for feedback and input. Articles outlining the responses to each of the three questions were printed in the Communicator, the statewide in-house newsletter.

To promote discussion of workplace concerns, the CPR group conducted two sessions at the annual Extension Conference:

• "Being Happy at Work-A Response-ability Workshop" offered a skills-based overview of the essentials of job satisfaction, group goal-setting, team building, barriers to effective communication, and the ethics of caring.
• "CPR-What You Said" summarized the survey findings, then had participants work in small-group brainstormig sessions to explore potential improvements, which then were shared with the entire group.

Because it's a grassroots philosophy of caring for one's self and one's co-workers, CPR is a part of the movement toward a change in the relationship between employee and organization. CPR's mission, beliefs, and ethics contribute to personal and organizational well-being by promoting open and continuing discussion and encouraging individual responsibility for creating a healthy workplace climate-one that makes Extension a great place to work.