Small Actions That Build Better Systems
Building Resilient Human Services Agencies
(Part 3 of 7) - Reading time: 5 to 7 minutes
From Insight to Change
In our last post, we focused on organizational assessment. Now we shift to translating what we learned into real, practical action — change that fits within daily workloads and agency realities.
Too often, after a “listening session” or an internal check, nothing changes. The gap between knowing and doing is real. This post is about how to close that gap — person-by-person, team-by-team, and agency-wide.
1. Individuals: Suggesting and testing improvement ideas
Use your “friction log” to propose one small change at a time. For example: “What if we simplified that 10-page intake form to a 5-page version for first contacts?”
Frame suggestions as experiments, not demands. Use language like: “Could we try this for two weeks and see if it saves time or reduces errors?”
Offer your help. Even small volunteer efforts — reorganizing files, consolidating redundant documentation, or creating a shared reference folder — make a big difference.
Do not give up - If your supervisor does not respond. Try again respectfully. If there is still no response, raise it at a team meeting or peer group. If there is a formal feedback or suggestion channel (HR, quality committee), submit it there.
Change often starts small. And repeated small improvements accumulate into a substantial impact.
2. Teams: Collaborative experiments and adaptive solutions
Teams have real power to improve workflows. Examples include:
Adjusting shifts or visiting schedules to reduce burnout and improve consistency.
Pairing staff for complex tasks (e.g., documentation + client contact), to share burden and cross-support.
Developing shared checklists or cheat-sheets to reduce errors and speed up paperwork.
Holding short debriefs after difficult cases — what went well, what didn’t, what to try next time.
These team-based adaptations often go unnoticed but improve morale, consistency, and safety over time.
“Case Study: At a behavioral health agency, intake delays frustrated clients and staff. Staff suggested a pilot scheduling change, reducing form redundancy. Managers monitored metrics and shared results. Within three months, average intake time decreased by 30%, and client wait complaints dropped.”
3. Organization-level action: Leadership and structural changes
Once small ideas begin to accumulate, agencies should:
Prioritize 2–4 issues per quarter (bottlenecks, high-turnover risk, documentation inefficiencies, client delays, etc.).
Assign someone to be accountable — not necessarily a director, but someone who tracks the issue and reports progress.
Communicate regularly — share with staff what’s being addressed, why, and when to expect change.
Celebrate improvements, even small ones, to build momentum and trust.
Even modest action can build credibility, reduce burnout, and improve outcomes.