Eighteen months ago, the Division of Information Technology took on the challenge of changing the way they do business. Not with college-wide faculty and staff, but with each other.

“[IT] was a hostile workplace for everyone,” says Clyde Hoadley, director of information security.

But it was worst for the few women in the division, which led to IT's becoming the first group at the College to participate in the Campus Climate Initiative in January of 2007 (to read more go to http://www.mscd.edu/~collcom/artman/publish/climate_twv4011707.shtml).

At the time, there were 40 men and eight women staff members in IT. While the numbers haven’t changed, the way staff treat each other has, says IT Assistant Vice President Yvonne Flood. “We have all learned to listen to what our colleagues are saying. Civility is the key,” she says.

As a new employee at the time, Student System Manager Carolyn Brislen came into the division at the start of the initiative’s workshops, surveys and group meetings. However, with 35 years experience in the IT field, the problems that were being addressed certainly weren’t unfamiliar to her.

“IT has a special challenge in that we’re not ‘people’ people,” Brislen says.

Among the essential insights learned through the process, according to Brislen, Flood and Hoadley, who all served on IT’s Climate Committee, were the many root causes of the hostile environment - things such as lack of respect, poor communication and triangulation, which means going to a third party to discuss someone you’re upset with rather than talking directly to that person. More importantly, they learned the nine skills for sustaining a positive climate:

1. Never assume.
2. Always ask for clarification.
3. Acknowledge ideas, problems and feelings
4. Use “I” statements; avoid “you” and “why.”
5. Be specific.
6. Say what you want, not what you don’t want.
7. Affirm what you like; ignore what you don’t like.
8. Update language, myths, principles, beliefs, values, assumptions, expectations and behaviors.
9. Learn others' cultures; teach your own.

“Another big realization,” says Hoadley, “is that you’re part of the workplace culture. So how we each behave has an impact.

“There’s still room for improvement, but now people are more aware and take the time to help each other,” Hoadley adds.

While admitting that it was not an easy process to go through, Flood says, “Coming out the other end of this process, it is much easier to walk around IT and the campus with pride as a female professional in IT.”

And while the months of workshops for all IT staff with outside consultants is finished, the process of integrating climate issues into every aspect of the division continues under the watchful eye of Carl Powell, who was hired as IT vice president in March.

Moving forward, Powell and the IT Climate Committee are continuing the focus on the work environment through division-wide awareness sessions, mediation training, regular climate surveys and having workplace climate as a weekly topic at staff meetings.

Plus the division now has the IT Code of Ethical Conduct, which defines 20 standards and practices that are expected of all IT employees as well as another eight targeted to IT managers. The code includes everything from taking ownership to embracing change to having fun. There’s also a new conduct review process that puts the process back into the hands of the affected employees.

“By putting our professional expectations in writing, it documents our expectations of everyone, including me,” says Powell. “[The code subcommittee] continues to enhance the professional conduct code by revising sections that may have been unclear or ambiguous, and ensuring that there is involvement from all levels of the staff.”

“We have to keep the fires lit,” says Hoadley. “…you can’t assume that the problem is solved. You have to keep working on it or things will revert back.”

Powell concurs. “The biggest challenge will be keeping the process alive and in the forefront of our daily activities, instead of letting the daily grind of projects, meetings and deadlines overshadow it. The current IT Climate Committee picked up the baton from last year’s group and is continuing the seminars, classes and activities we need to ensure we continue the healing and growth process.”

And, as Flood adds, “Really, this is something that we should all be practicing every day.”