Title	Maine Workplace Respect Project: Changing a Work Culture
ShortDescription	The Maine Workplace Respect Project was developed to address complaints and grievances related to co-worker behavior and low levels of workplace respect.
LongDescription	The Maine Workplace Respect Project was developed to address complaints and grievances related to co-worker behavior and low levels of respect in the workplace that were insufficiently addressed through training efforts. Working with a mediation firm, the Department of Transportation conducted surveys, interventions, and facilitation resulting in the development of a pilot program. This pilot program supports managers, supervisors, and work crews in developing their own guidelines for what was considered unacceptable workplace behavior. At the end of the program, each division work crew identified its own norms and behaviors, and wrote a "crew credo" that was signed by all crew members. The credos are posted in each division crew location, and members often cite the credos when orienting new employees or addressing internal disputes. A sample credo is provided. The project also developed partnering agreements to clarify the role assigned at each level of supervision and to enable periodic checking to ensure that the supervisory response system is being used appropriately. A workplace respect decision grid was developed for employees to understand who has authority to act in situations. The project was successful in improving co-worker behavior through of a participatory bottom-up culture change built on ownership at the work crew level.
SourceAuthor	Jane Gilbert, Maine DOT; Jacqui Clark, Mediation & Facilitation Resources
Reference
Organization	Maine DOT; Mediation and Facilitation Resources
ContactAddress
ContactEmail	jane.gilbert@state.me.us; mediate@prexar.com
ContactPhone
Website	http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/transworkforce/IP_ME.PDF
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