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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBozeman Ethics Data from 2012 Trainings All Responses Bozeman Ethics – Spring 2012 Qualitative Results – Raw Data and Summary Chart SUPERVISOR RESPONSES Talk about how your group perceives the ethics “culture” within the City of Bozeman. Does your group perceive it as weak, strong, or somewhere in between. Why? Culture has improved, Culture has become more open Culture is strong within our department – we hold each other accountable, we know right and wrong innately (6) Strong, ethics are openly discussed, we are committed, stricter rules than State, employees know they are held to a higher standard, In a fish bowl, high profile departments, great culture, City has a strong sense of a high ethical culture (2) In-between, Good+, 50%+ “We see the culture as strong. The City is being proactive, as opposed to reactive. We have had no recent complaints.” “I’ve been here since we started the ethics trainings. I would say that we have moved from a 5 to an 8, on a scale of 1-10. We are more focused on ethics now, we talk about it more.” What steps would you take to strengthen ethical behavior within the City of Bozeman? (5) Continued Education, Trainings, Discussion (all City of Bozeman parties are part of this ethics program), 2-3 trainings per year, in-person better than online Be pro-active and not reactive with ethics Get public input on ways to strengthen ethics in Bozeman Promote more conversations among employees Consistent response to ethical complaints – culture of consistency Hold people accountable More realistic policy – can we receive thank yous? Eliminate the “cookie” clause (quote - $50 defined by State Code would be more helpful) Guidance in the gray areas of handbook Hold people accountable “Right thing versus the defined ethical thing. Regarding coffee and bagels and garbage crew scenario. Right thing is to accept the coffee and bagels – defined ethics is to not accept the gift.” As a supervisor and leader within the City, what role do you serve or should you serve in creating the ethical culture of the City? How can the City Leadership assist in creating a stronger culture? (11) Lead by example/Be a good role model for your staff Keep good ethics in the forefront Policing – enforce policies that exist Accept personal responsibility for your own behavior Provide feedback on ethical perception of issues Deal with issues fairly and promptly A Dilbert approach – common-sense No retaliation Open door policy to report ethics violations Promote continuing education on ethics for supervisors and staff Train supervisors first so they can promote among staff Supervisors to understand ethics code As a City employee, what do you want out of the Ethics Policy, Board of Ethics and the Ethics Trainings? (3) Clarity on gifts, $$ amounts (3) Department specific trainings – to cover unique issues – specific scenarios within departments (2) Clear expectations of what City wants in terms of ethical behavior and clearly followed in all departments, clarity (2) Like this format of scenarios and discussions, scenario-based training relating to actual codes Encourage training Guidance in the gray areas of handbook – write it so people can understand it City needs to practice what they expect of employees , City needs to lead by example – every employee Would like to understand the basis for ethics (eg. Bible) Tools for supervisors – performance management and ethics On-line or everyone together (supervisors and employees) – change up delivery methods Timing of trainings – winter Meet the Board of Ethics NON-SUPERVISORY RESPONSES Talk about how your group perceives the ethics “culture” within the City of Bozeman. Is it weak, strong, or somewhere in between. Why? (6) Strong classes, Ethics Handbook, trainings, no scandals, self-image, ethical standards, more to lose if unethical, annual class is good – adequate, people tend to be ethical in general, City clarifying issues, tend to self-regulate, peer influence, ethics program in place and reinforced (6) Strong culture on the department level Laborers are ethical may depend on department There’s room for improvement Strength varies by departments Ethics culture is isolated by department – no complaints in this group Strong in my own department Employees have/use street smarts when encountering ethical situations Small reliant teams, accountability (13) Somewhere in between strong and weak weak-leaning; middle leaning towards strong; above average (2) depends on department It’s all about perception We can always do better On a scale of 1-10; about a 7 Strong written policy, variable among departments, gray areas (3) Neutral about ethics culture Disconnect between upper and lower levels of employees Ethical expectations are higher for employees lower on the ladder Management not held to the same standard Strong with flaws, weak at the top (6) Weak overall Starting from top down to lowest level Top level needs to avoid elitist mentality Due to facebook issue Top administration received raises during this time Weak for administration They took raises during this time Particularly management Management chooses to use ethics when they will benefit/ can justify decisions through political speak If management would abide by ethics, employees would be more apt to apply a greater effort (2) Upper management questionable in terms of ethics (3) Rank & File seems ethical overall, rank & file strong Affects morale We perceive that unethical decisions have been made Improvement in management’s ethical behavior Why are supervisors going to different trainings than employees? Perception that the culture is progressing to better Lots of gray area in Bozeman Ethics – different departments have their own idea of ethics Weak – Medium- Strong: all are present even within one department, shifts We are generally responsive We welcome responding to needs from other departments Level of public service is strong Compared to the County, we are fabulous Supervisors need help leading by example “Mid management does not want to deal with negative situations in the department. Rather than welcoming questions and dealing with conflict, there is no resolution.” “There will always be some offenders, but we are doing well in a relative way.” “We are a house divided in terms of ethical culture. Management versus the rank and file. We see administration as weak, where each of us rated our individual departments as strong.” What steps would you take to strengthen ethical behavior within the City of Bozeman? (10) Trainings keep up with trainings, continue with some level of training, maintain trainings, more meetings/trainings trainings are good (this training in particular) continue education. It seems to be opening discussion. That’s what this class is for… Program in place reinforces ethics Information, education Inter-departmental trainings to go over department specific issues (more frequently to keep it fresh) (10) Accountability and oversight both bosses and employees! (2) Hold people accountable at all levels Take responsibility for yourself Enforce ethical discipline More accountability regarding ethical decision-making/violations Follow through on disciplinary action Employees police themselves in situations Accountability from the bottom up Supervisors get evaluated Workers evaluate management on ethics (5) Hire ethical people, incorporate ethics into the hiring process, make ethics a bigger part of the hiring process (3) Ethics Board more available – who do you go to with a problem, need to know Ethics Board, who is serving, how did they get on it, Employee Ethics committee – made up of staff from various departments Anonymous, safe survey that targets the City of Bozeman specifically Be allowed to name names & departments (2) More transparency, more interdepartmental communications, nothing hidden, explanations regarding decisions, more respect for workers pay & wages studies – take action on the study and implement the recommendations Report things Avenue to comment on supervisors conduct anonymously City could get data about compliance Application of ethics trainings – consistency within the City Helpful to meet with employees from different departments – show variety of problems Discuss ethics in performance evaluations Regular discussion of ethics in departments OK as it is Lead by example Top level needs to avoid elitist mentality. Peons have ethics forced on them, while upper continues unethical behavior without repercussions. Anonymous online form for questions on the employee website? Give each department more independence to develop ethical codes Anonymous protection Add ethics to performance evaluation – discuss in evaluations Maintain/improve positive working environment Positive reinforcement and recognition of ethical behavior Regular informative messages via an internal site (wiki?) Increase pay – think it is an issue of ethics – how we feel we are valued and our ability to make decisions More communication – more postings – reminders about patron privacy Extra training for supervisors Follow through with complaints and ethics issues Retaliation free environment – if you confront your supervisor or a manager, there won’t be repercussions Better communication, open, honest Equality across the board Ethical question of the month Evaluation of ethics within all departments Share what we are doing on ethics with the public (since they wanted it) More communication with the Board of Ethics Make it easier to report things – anonymous hot line? Would like to see core values exhibited by leadership Clarity is needed for behavior and ethics questions Don’t get too far with it – offends people Resources need to be approachable and accessible Hold people accountable at all levels Specifics – clear answers to dilemmas Ease of moving through the leadership chain More communication at all levels Stronger correlation between $$/promotions and ethical decisions “if the cookie clause and accepting bagels and coffee are all we need to talk about, we don’t need more ethics trainings. There are much more serious ethics issues going on here – that’s what we should be trained on.” What do you think the role of City Leadership should be in strengthening the ethical culture? (23) Lead by example – Set a good example, walk the walk, do what we say not what we do, skits – what to do and what not to do (3) Leadership held to a higher standard (set the example for ethical behavior you want to see) City leaders need to set a high bar Follow ethical standards themselves – lead by example Foster an ethical and transparent culture/environment Admin votes in raises, but can’t afford to give a decent raise to city employees (fire and PD) Rules apply to everyone Role model They have the public eye and the media attention – their actions matter They should set the tone Need to have more scrutiny on them (3) Create and reward culture where questions are invited and asked freely – make it safe, there is a reluctance now to bring things forward or to talk freely, Make it safe to go to leadership (2) Join crews in the field, work side by side with the hourly employees for a minimum of 2 weeks straight, 8 hours each day. Snow removal, graffiti removal, flushing, garbage route. Must be incognito (undercover boss). (2) Supervisors should be held to the same standards and transparency as employees (consistency), Lack of consistency between behavior of management and behavior of staff, hold supervisors accountable (2) Consistency in decisions for all employees Follow-up, take action on the survey listed in no. 2 Put this (lead by example) into the ethics training – how to role model behavior you want to see Bridging the gap between employees and city leaders (City Management attending departmental meetings, visiting departments, more communication, city attorney) Post clear guidelines about what is allowable for city staff and family, businesses Hire quality leaders Already provide training Transparency of recorded City Commission meetings is good More transparency Be ethical in all aspects Solicit employee feedback and participation to management Employee participation with the Board of Ethics? Keep mandating ethics training Reinforce good ethical behavior Increase knowledge of Ethical Framework that keeps all of us on track and accountable Put money where your mouth is – live outside of Bozeman because can’t afford to live here Have them take pay cuts Turn back the City cars Heads of departments are valued over workers – morale has plummeted More in tune with commission – frivolous spending We are one of the best cities in Montana – because of our staff – value them Wait too long to implement policy Regular communications from management to staff Interactive communications to keep thinking about ethics City Leaders need to be our ethics experts Want to know we are protected by the Code of Ethics Leaders talk about ethics more Two-way evaluations Follow through complaints and issues “The role of City Leaders is to create an environment where questions are welcome about the way we do things. A safe environment for frank discussions.” As a City employee, what do you want out of the Ethics Policy, Board of Ethics and the Ethics Trainings? (10) Board of Ethics (3) more visibility of Board of Ethics introductions (who are they? We don’t know them) personal relationships (not likely to go to a stranger with an ethics dilemma) bring in Ethics Board so they hear “our side” Know that they exist, know who the board is, that they are available Transparency – who’s the board? What are their credentials? The Board of Ethics should participate in these trainings – lead them or their presence More interactions with the Board of Ethics people BOE – tell us purpose, goals, how to contact, what they want from us as employees Who are they, what do they do? How do I access them? Communicate with us about changes Fix the gift thing Come to trainings, stop by City offices Didn’t know we had a Board of Ethics (6) Clarity and guidelines Clear answer to gift question and other gray ethics questions (6) Re-write/re-structure the gift policy (4) Scenarios were great! Interactive training was positive versus the other trainings, interactive trainings (2) More relevant ethics scenarios – personalize (2) Like the clickers (2) Liked meeting people from other departments (2) Every employee feels comfortable having some place to go when problems arise, Leaders/Supervisors/ BOE need to be safe to go to (2) Legal guidance – write common sense policies without jargon so every day people can read and understand them, take the legal speak out of the handbook Legal Department more available, more visible to employees, short intro by Greg Sullivan In person training Like small groups for discussion Like not mixing departments for training Like having supervisors separate Ethics cannot be the only time we mix departments – there needs to be other opportunities; it is too sensitive a topic Increase knowledge of legal rights to employees within the City A more realistic view of ethics (not just cookie clause and free coffee – larger, more complex issues than that) Want to feel like we are working for an ethical government Spend more time on ethics Specific training on ways to communicate in difficult situations would be helpful More of a common sense approach to ethics – helps with the gray areas Want to know changes and updates on ethics Reasonable outline of what will be expected as a “City” representative No zero tolerance – (discuss, teach, help understand the gray) Good to know that the Board and the policies exist Annual training is helpful All employees and management train together Will anything actually happen from this feedback? Go deeper on personal gain ethics issues Know you will be protected if you follow the ethics policy Know who you can go to/talk to Supervisors held to a higher standard Define legal rights more clearly Keep ethics up front as an issue Anonymous way to report and get advice Regular time and place for ethics questions Time to ask questions On line trainings were more convenient, but like the scenarios of this training Alternate trainings between meetings and on-line, but continue Like discussing the ethics scenarios with other employees Webinars? Videos? Update ethics policies to make them more user friendly Issues resolved fairly and promptly Utilize resources available Better communication Nothing comes up again Guidance, Leadership, and Clarity More granola bars Coffee with the granola bars Lunch “We can all read the handbook and take a test on the material but still not understand how the city wants us to act in situations with nuance.” “When Tricia was hired as the HR Director, she came to every department and introduced herself to employees. We have not met several of the City Management or the Board of Ethics.” “I’d like clarity on the behavioral ethical questions that exist. What is the clear right thing to do in this situation?” “I’d like a clear way to comment on a supervisor’s behavior anonymously to be able to talk about problem behaviors, without retaliation.” BOARD RESPONSES Talk about how your group perceives the ethics “culture” within the City of Bozeman. Do you see it as weak, strong, or somewhere in between? Why? (13) Strong culture (facebook issue was embarrassing) – great personal experience with staff, ethics culture is strong despite situational ethics decisions (made by a few), it is transparent, meetings are good, City leaders saying the word “ethical,” City government seems ethically strong – Community also, sense of community/area, gut reaction is strong, lots of transparency, Strong-ish, Strong – based on observations over last 20+ years, Strong with transparency and engagement (2) Better than the County City of Bozeman organization – strong ethical nature Relatively strong – having meetings Good to strong Between medium and strong Getting stronger/moving away from weak (3) Between weak and strong city/citizen mixed Evolving Gift policy diminishes Community sees it as fairly strong and pretty transparent Don’t have to work hard to find the info you want Vast improvement from 1996, partly due to ethics policy and transparency Awareness – night and day difference from now and years ago Voters adopted ethics policy Board discussions are healthy Regional Ethics based on “rural” culture Always room to improve… it has gotten better over the years “Ethics is an ambiguous area; it is often reactive and it is difficult to be pro-active until an issue arises. Talking about the ethics culture indicates that the City of BZ is trying to raise the issue. The Ethics Culture is strong despite situational ethics decisions made by a few.” What steps would you take to strengthen ethical behavior within the City of Bozeman? (6) Continue to reinforce current training regimen, more education (4) Flexibility with gift, lighten up on gifts – coffee, lemonade should be OK, reasonable limit of gift, amend code to look at exemplary service – definition of “gift” (3) Hiring process – interview questions (2) Create a culture of positive reinforcement and reward Opportunities for dialog Discussion is very helpful Review Handbook on consistent basis Meeting in person is more effective than online Keep public disclosed for checks/balances Focus on transparency Live ethics trainings Make ethics more clearly defined, better define regulations as they apply to situations Make Montana Ethic the standard, maintain the 36% level versus 63% national Annual review and reflection Pay attention to perception Legal guidelines up to date Educate public about training and ethics efforts Publicize ethics program/training More face-to-face ethical discussions independent of issues Continue with “top of the mind” training and discussion Keep it on your plate Do schools discuss it? Maybe take it to the schools Chief City Attorney required to attend all sessions Each individual conscious of their own decisions – personal transparency Communicate ethical issues and solutions among all City participants Look at frequency for seasonal board members, important for employees Make public any ethical breaches and consequences Leadership serving as role models Rules of engagement for the boards – not as clear Consistency around ethics interpretation Regular discussions within boards What do you think the role of City Leadership should be in strengthening the ethical culture? (10) Lead by example/be the example, walk the talk (2) Hold employees and officials accountable Demonstrate an awareness of ethical behavior City Leadership should initiate review of the Ethics Handbook City leadership should exude a culture of truth and honesty and the attitude we want BZ to maintain – friendliness, trust Leadership should be heavily involved and vocally engaged Open discussion during decision-making process Leadership should strive to be as informed as possible in an ethical approach Perception is as important and leadership should err on the side of caution Accountability = Transparency Communicate City efforts Pass out clickers to public! Keep politics out of it Be held to a higher standard, must set precedent for always staying clearly ethical Check board qualifications Educate, support Better rules/defined Be firm with ethical violations Enforce standards Hire ethical people Verbalize ethics values, provide framework to boards What suggestions do you have for the Ethics Program in the City – Board of Ethics, Ethics Policies, Ethics Trainings? (3) Keep mixing it up! Continue to vary format and content, variety in training venue, come back with something new Group training and discussion is good! Today’s format is preferred! This format is great. Thank you. Fun, interactive Use class interaction. Today was very productive. (2) On-line = good, keep on-line option for those who cannot make the dates Online was a hassle Discussion/meeting format is preferred over online test Social scenarios are more helpful than online Real-life examples – good We appreciate having board examples – not just employees Scenario problems great – continue, add to Learn from previous issues. Modify training with real examples. Good to have smaller groups. (2) Seems to be on the right track, developing well, continue on (2) Short training sessions at Board meetings, City boards should be allowed to have an ethics training as part of the Board meeting, rather than a separate training Training every 3 years/per term Rookie training Mixed group of employees and officials Common sense Mock ethics complaint – encourage participation – great idea Board of Ethics members should engage with other boards Clarify committee meeting protocol. In a committee of 3, can 2 individuals meet and work on issues? i.e. send emails? More publicity for all the board Send out real examples to all Boards Make it simple and to the point Ice cream! “I don’t think I should have to come every year for Ethics Trainings. One on line test when you start as a board volunteer should be fine.” Bozeman Ethics examples that came up: Upper management charging lunches to City credit cards and calling them business meetings Police officer – car ahead at McDonald’s pays the food ticket before the employee gets to the window What if I see something that is not safe or against policy that a supervisor is doing (not someone’s personal business). What do I do? Can’t talk to supervisor. Table 1. Supervisor and Employee Responses to research questions by category Question Employees Supervisors  Q1: Talk about how your group perceives the ethics “culture” within the City of Bozeman. Is it weak, strong, or somewhere in between. Why? Strong 6/38 Strong culture on the departmental level 7/38 In between weak and strong 16/38 Weak 6/38 Weak for administration 4/38 Strong 6/12 Moving in a positive direction 3/12 In between weak and strong 3/12 Strong within our department 2/12  Q2: What steps would you take to strengthen ethical behavior within the City of Bozeman? Accountability 18/38 Hold people accountable at all levels, tie ethics to evaluation Communication and transparency 16/38 Improved communications and transparency Training 14/38 Continue education, trainings and discussion Hire and promote ethical people 6/38 Create anonymous avenues to report ethical violations 6/38 Increase pay, implement recommendations from compensation study 3/38 Training 5/12 Continue education, trainings and discussion Realistic Policies 4/12 Ethics policies more realistic, more guidance and clarity in the gray areas Accountability 3/12 Hold employees more accountable Pro-active 2/12 Be pro-active and not reactive to ethics issues  Q3: What do you think the role of City Leadership should be in strengthening the ethical culture? (Employee Question) OR As a supervisor and leader within the City, what role do you serve or should you serve in creating the ethical culture of the City? How can the City Leadership assist in creating a stronger culture? (Supervisor Question) Lead by example; be a good role model for staff 26/38 Safe environment 10/38 Create and reward a culture where questions are invited and asked freely, in a retaliation-free environment Bridge the gap between management and employees 10/38 City Leaders are ethics experts 2/38 Lead by example; be a good role model for staff 11/12  Q4: As a City employee, what do you want out of the Ethics Policy, Board of Ethics and the Ethics Trainings? Clear guidelines 22/38 clarity for behavior, gray areas, gifts Training Design 21/38 Variety in what employees want, like scenarios and discussion, like clickers, like meeting staff from other departments Board of Ethics 21/38 Introductions, visibility, access, communication Legal Guidance 9/38 Available, visible, clear, common-sense Training Design 7/12 Specific scenarios within departments, like scenarios and discussions Clear guidelines 6/12 Clear expectations from the City, guidance in gray areas, clarity on gifts   Q4: As a City employee, what do you want out of the Ethics Policy, Board of Ethics and the Ethics Trainings? Clear guidelines 22/38 clarity for behavior, gray areas, gifts Training Design 21/38 Variety in what employees want, like scenarios and discussion, like clickers, like meeting staff from other departments Board of Ethics 21/38 Introductions, visibility, access, communication Legal Guidance 9/38 Available, visible, clear, common-sense Training Design 7/12 Specific scenarios within departments, like scenarios and discussions Clear guidelines 6/12 Clear expectations from the City, guidance in gray areas, clarity on gifts  * Numbers to the right of each bullet represent frequencies. The number to the left of the slash represents the number of small groups who mentioned the response theme to this item. The number to the right represents the total number of small groups who discussed the item. There were 3 supervisor training sessions with a total of 12 small groups for discussion. There were 10 employee training sessions with a total of 38 small groups for discussion. Small groups consisted of 3-10 individuals.