Fostering a Culture of Assessment

Amos Lakos, Shelley E. Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment: A Catalyst for Organizational Change,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 4:3 (2004): 345-361.

In this thoughtful paper, authors Lakos and Phipps discuss organizational culture and the need to incorporate assessment into that culture. They define a culture of assessment as “an organizational environment in which decisions are based on facts, research, and analysis, and where services are planned and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and impacts for customers and stakeholders.” (p. 352)

I am particularly interested in assessment as part of everyday work, which the authors encourage. They tell us that “A major challenge to overcome is the everyday, unexamined workflow. If left alone, it presents a daily barrier to creative experimentation and problem solving. Processes and services should be continuously evaluated for efficiency and effectiveness.” (p. 353)

Three areas that Lakos and Phipps recommend that we focus on are 1) leadership, 2) creating a systems thinking environment, and 3) encouraging openness, integrity, and trust. The systems thinking environment that they advocate is the SIPOC Model (Suppliers, Input, Processes, Output, Customers), based on research by W. Edwards Deming. “The SIPOC Model is an effective framework for understanding and analyzing how organizations work.” (p. 358)

I am interested in the practical strategies that we can take to create a culture of assessment. One way that it could start is by coming up with a list of issues, concerns, workflows, etc. that might be problematic. This is where it’s necessary to encourage openness, so that people don’t feel defensive or bad about whatever the current situation is. Even if a workflow appears to be working fine, it could still be open for review. It’s critical for the leader to be open-minded and not defensive. If the leader demonstrates that he or she is open to constructive criticism or questioning, that makes it safe for others to open themselves to review as well.