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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Administrative Decision Making

Ways to assure that personnel input is considered in administrative decision making

Assumptions that provide the foundation for these actions...

We are committed in assuring that employees would not fear that their opinion or perspective would be ‘remembered’ or retaliated against. We recognize it is important to build trust among those we are representing. As leaders of an organization, we accept the responsibility of representing those who report to us. We believe that by involving employees in discussion, idea generation, problem solving of issues and concerns in meaningful ways our organization will be strengthened. It is important to be proactive as well as reactive in addressing organizational issues. If and when possible, we should communicate the nature of the input that was received, how the feedback was used in the decision process and the decision(s) or outcome(s). This ‘double loop’ will hopefully strengthen trust and ownership. We accept the responsibility to set the stage for positive conversations in individual discussions as well as ‘group settings’. We need to remind employees that our goal is to continuously improve the organization and learn from our actions. Voicing concerns with the intent to influence organizational change should not be considered the same as negativity. There should be room in the dialogue for contrary opinions or perspectives that may not match our own.

Listed below are strategies currently established in our organization – strengthening existing processes and activities.

  • The presidents of the professional associations meet quarterly with the director for dialogue. (JCEP and CES).
  • County director regional roundtables; EERA meetings
  • County director advisory committee
  • Open door policy: OSU Extension administrators have an open door policy and welcome interaction with staff.
  • Specialists meet with program assistant directors.
  • Organizational surveys and research: reports from master's thesis and doctoral research related to the organizational structure.
  • Communiqué – allows for a response to one-way communication processes or dialogue about decisions/policy changes that are communicated to staff to assure there is understanding of rationale and level from which mandate is generated. (Communiqué discontinued in June 2015)
  • Advisory committees: various program and organizational advisory committees provide feedback and input into decision making.

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Approved 2000; Updated January 2008; revised March 2013; reviewed 2015; unit names updated April 2017