Seattle Housing Authority
Helping people experiencing homelessness and low-income individuals and families to find housing in Seattle is rewarding, but also very difficult. In recent years, the combination of rising rents, reduced low-income housing stock, and not enough funding for supportive services causes those working in the field to feel tired and demoralized at times.
When I began working as the Director of the Housing Choice Voucher program at the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA), I experienced this first-hand. My team was skilled and passionate about their work, but also, understandably, a bit burnt out. In addition to the daily pressures of trying to find housing for people in this market, they faced the pressure of meeting outcomes that were extremely challenging.
My objectives were two-fold: 1) improve outcomes, which in this case was focused on voucher utilization, and 2) improve morale. Without focusing on the culture of the department, it would not be possible to achieve results for the agency.
After struggling through the first year, I was able to identify what I saw as the root causes of the problems, and began the process of changing the culture from one of distrust and anger, to a place where people supported one another and felt pride in working toward common goals. The steps I took are applicable to any organization:
Ensure that the leadership is on the same page about the vision and goals of the organization and that these are clear to all staff
Train all staff in LEAN management. Not so they all could be experts, but so that everyone is speaking the same language. “What problem are we trying to solve?” and “How will we know that we solved the problem?”
Spend time, sometimes in teams and sometimes as a department, identifying what the problems are, and then prioritizing them - what is crucial to solve quickly? What are fast and easy wins versus things that will take more time and/or involve people outside the department?
Document everything and make it visual. We used paper and sticky notes in cubicles at first, and then we moved to a large screen that we could update and everyone could monitor.
Identify the metrics needed to monitor progress and course correct as needed.
Ensure that the data being tracked is accurate and that everyone is using the same data.
At the same time, focus on improving trust and accountability. Help staff to know that they won’t get in trouble for not knowing something, that we are learning together.
Have training available and encourage professional growth opportunities.
If people are not willing to change their way of doing things, be ready to help them find other opportunities.
Celebrate often. Focus on joy.
In time, the department exceeded their goals and the office became a much more positive, happy place to work. Staff had been frustrated because they knew what was wrong and how to fix the problems. But unless the time is taken to slow down and problem solve together, to come up with solutions together and then work in sync through one problem at a time, nothing changes. People understandably do not feel seen, heard or respected.
The key to success, for any organization, is to focus on the people. To listen and respect differences, in background, skills, perceptions, values, expectations – and then to identify how to make the most of these differences. I believe all people want to do good work and to feel that what they do is valuable. It is the job of management to ensure that a culture is fostered that allows staff to do their best work and to experience the satisfaction that comes with not only working hard, but also seeing the success that come with being part of a healthy, effective organization.