Assessment

As a natural occurrence, every organization experiences developmental challenges that result from growth and change in the marketplace or within the organization itself. An effective response requires an assessment of internal and external factors that influence the organization's success.

IOD offers a full range of assessment services to identify challenges and opportunities with respect to leadership, structure, systems, processes, and the workforce. We measure employee morale, patterns of communication, levels of teamwork, leadership and staff competencies, and other critical success factors. A comprehensive assessment includes both an internal and external focus using quantitative and qualitative surveys, focus group discussions, interviews, and on-site observations.

IOD's organizational assessments vary in scope and can be fully customized to accommodate the specific needs and unique environment of any organization. The results of the assessment provide the foundation for data-driven planning and development initiatives to create positive change.

IOD's Leadership 360° measures an individual's leadership performance within three "Pillars of Leadership": Modeling Values, Managing Relationships, and Mastering Change. The Leadership 360° questionnaire is quick and easy to complete online by the individual. In addition, it is completed, anonymously, by immediate supervisors, selected peers and subordinates. Results of the Leadership Profile 360° clearly identify specific behavioral strengths and areas of needed change to focus leadership development planning and training for individual supervisors, managers and executives, or for the entire management team.

IOD offers a fully validated survey process that explores employee satisfaction issues in 16 categories:

The survey results are presented in a comprehensive report that our clients consistently tell us is the most user-friendly report they have seen. Once we have completed your survey and present the findings, IOD can work with your key staff to develop and implement a response to the survey findings.

Today’s extraordinary economic environment is placing unprecedented demands on organizations to change or risk extinction. However, business owners and executives often do not fully appreciation the challenges of change and, as a result, they underestimate the difficulty of driving lasting change. Productive change does not happen by accident, nor can it be mandated. IOD has developed a unique approach to change management based on six Change “Drivers” needed to initiate and sustain organizational change.

Our Change Readiness Survey is the foundation for change management planning and is designed to measure attitudes and opinions held by individuals in an organization or an entire community with regard to implementing change. The survey covers these categories:

• Accountability – The degree to which an organization and its leaders are held responsible for creating positive change

• Empowerment – The extent to which the planning and implementation of change initiatives are freely encouraged and promoted

• Communication – How effectively an organization shares information about the change at all levels

• History of change – How well the organization plans, implements and follows through with change initiatives

• Sponsorship – The extent to which various levels of leadership are able to address conflict, promote consensus, and garner the support needed for change initiatives to succeed

According to local and national news accounts, as well as recent research, students are feeling more alienated and less safe in our schools today than in anytime in recent history. Parents want to know that their children attend safe schools that have a safe environment in which to learn and grow into adults.

As schools struggle to attain the achievement goals required under state and federal legislation, research continually points to the need for improved school safety, discipline among students and better classroom management strategies. Having a safe and secure environment is, but one step toward achieving these outcomes that will eventually lead to improved academic outcomes.

IOD has developed a valid and reliable School Safety Survey process that measures the current status of school safety as perceived by students, teachers, administrators, and parents. The following list identifies a representative sample of school safety survey categories related to school safety:

IOD will work with an entire district or a single school to develop a comprehensive strategy to measure school safety from the perspective of each of the key stakeholders. IOD has the experience and capacity to handle all aspects of the school safety survey process from survey design to school board relations and from school safety survey processing to utilization-focused reporting.

Our report will pinpoint school safety issues that are of the highest level of concern. Our benchmarking capabilities will enable the district and/or school to determine exactly how much progress is being made toward improving school safety and, thereby providing a safe environment for students, faculty, administrators, and other school-based employees.