Corrections_Today_January_February_2023_Vol.85_No.1

NEWS&VIEWS

VIEW FROM THE LINE

Thoughts on workforce culture, morale, recruitment, retention By Kevin Myers, Correctional Administrator, Tennessee Department of Correction

a boulder rolling downhill, gravity and momentum can pull morale down at an increased rate. There are always many ready to encourage this down ward fall. As a leader, make sure you know who readily spread misinformation, partial information and contribute to negative thinking. – Daily interactions at the work site and posts on social media matter. As a leader, you must be well informed by monitoring these important “touch points”. Formal and informal, group and individual interactions are key to ensuring you know each member of the team and their current state of wellness. Have a cup of coffee and listen to members of the team. – You never have the option of “having a bad day” in public. As a leader, you are constantly being observed for clues and signs. Body language as well as verbal language matters. – The message the employee takes home to the family and loved one’s matters. Offenses that occur during the day are

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The following thoughts and opinions are those of the author and not intended to reflect the views of any organization. These are based on my experiences with multiple organizations over a few decades. I believe these points impact the culture and morale of our organizations and in turn impact the ability to recruit and retain team members. It is my hope you find some value in these thoughts. Workforce and facility morale – It has been my experience that workforce and facility morale is constantly evolving and is dependent on each member of the team. It defines the culture of the facility. The situation you find today is not new. Each

warden has faced similar chal lenges in morale. – Improving morale and main taining a positive culture is a continuous effort and depends on small gains. Often times, one individual at a time. It is an upward spiral that requires consistent and deliberate focus. Make sure you know who helps to push morale up by doing the small things and saying the right things. – Negative impacts on morale and the facility culture occur quickly. Certain situations can create a downward spiral. Like

18 — January/February 2023 Corrections Today