The vision process is critical to the future of and promoting change in the organization (McCampbell 2016). In a 2016 American Jail Association Open Forum discussion on Changing the Culture, “…we returned our agency focus back to the basics and put heavy emphasis on our mission vision and values,” (Ball, 2016).

Ideas to Improve Organizational Culture

Some recent attempts at raising morale and improving the culture at many agencies include a base pay increase, hiring and retention bonuses, new or newer equipment, new uniforms, community outreach and involvement, committees, gifts, formal recognitions, and CO Week celebrations.

Real change will come with effective and frequent communication, an environment of trust and inclusivity, collaboration, and adaptability, focusing on problem-solving, fact-based decision-making, accountability, fairness, and equitability (McCampbell and W. Johnson, 2017; McCampbell, 2016; Raney, 2016; Corcoran, 2005).

As leaders, we must live the mission every day and demonstrably work towards the vision. We must have frequent and public recognition for the center and all its members. We need to identify and utilize the unique talents of each of our officers and assign them to help those staff who have opposing skills (Swaim, 2023, Bird, 2016). Our organizational culture must be ingrained in every aspect of our agency, from hiring to training to performance management (Youssef, 2023). There must be a renewed commitment to the vision and mission. Leaders must have a plan to reach the vision, walk the talk and tout the professionalism of the jail staff (McCampbell, 2017, Raney, 2016). Organizational culture change must start at the top and be reflected in the leadership. Leaders must commit to modeling, emphasizing, and rewarding behavior (Corcoran, 2005, Issacs and Bird, 2016).

Timeline

Utilizing a variation of the S.M.A.R.T. goal process, S.M.A.R.T.E.R.: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound, Evaluated, and Reviewed, a game-plan can be laid out to achieve cultural change in an organization (Doran, 1981). Specific goals can be set utilizing input from all stakeholders in the organization, including the sheriff, jail commander, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, line officers, and support staff. Ways to measure the successful implementation of specific goals can be devised to target progress over the course of time. Achievement of each goal, or revised goal, is the ultimate outcome. The relevancy of each goal will be determined by the stakeholders and may change over time. Keeping a keen eye on the time allotted to each goal is vital to maintaining the commitment to the SMARTER process. Adding the Evaluated portion allows command staff and other stakeholders to use validated metrics to determine the efficacy of the goal implementation. Lastly, Reviewed allows each stakeholder to have input on each stage of the SMARTER process. Inclusion in the development of an organization’s culture becomes part of the culture, letting each member of staff, from the bottom up, know that their input is valued (Cebula, 2012).

Conclusion

In today’s changing society, we have to question the values of our facility and see how it compares to what actually occurs on a daily basis (Barnes, 2022). What are we, as leaders, doing to affect these daily operations? We must ask ourselves the question “Am I part of the problem?” Nothing happens overnight. No one person can change everything. Small but meaningful steps for months, even years, will result in lasting change. The process, the actual demonstration of a willingness to do better, will set the tone and make the bumps and bruises worth it.