The Douglas County Strategic Plan has recently been updated and includes a new core value: Respect - We will treat all citizens, employees, and visitors with respect.
Currently, Douglas County employees are evaluated on the following six core values: Integrity, Accountability, Customer Service, Leadership, Communication, and Teamwork. The value of Respect will be incorporated into employee performance evaluations starting January 1, 2025. In the months to come, a series of education, talking points, and activities will be disseminated across the organization and another survey will be launched to measure how our organization has evolved in our understanding of Respect. We are rolling out this new core value in phases, focusing on awareness, understanding, application, education, and implementation.
Background
In 2023—after months of thorough community engagement and meticulous deliberation—the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners identified the need to incorporate a new organizational core value: Respect. This new core value aims to bolster respect for every Douglas County employee at every level in the organization.
The Board identified the Respect core value as the following: Respect - We will treat all citizens, employees, and visitors with respect.
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County Manager Jenifer Davidson Leadership Expectations
Click here to learn more about Jenifer's leadership expectations.
Respect Survey Initial Results
Douglas County employees made their voices heard in the first Respect survey, which aimed to identify a baseline understanding of how we, as an organization, view several different facets of respect. The survey yielded the following results:
- 96 percent of employees report that they understand the Board of County Commissioners' new definition of Respect well or very well.
- 81 percent of employees identified Respect as extremely important in the daily work environment, with 17 percent identifying it as very important.
- 3 out of 4 employees said they observe respectful behavior among colleagues always or often.
- 90 percent of employees said they always or often observe respectful behavior between colleagues and the public.
- 14 percent of employees said they would like more training to better understand and demonstrate Respect in the workplace, while almost 70 percent feel comfortable with their current training level.
- 95 percent of employees are committed to incorporating Respect into daily work interactions.
Click here to view the Survey Results Report
Talking points and discussion questions for teams
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Performance Management Ratings Guide
Click here to view Douglas County's Performance Management Ratings Guide, which outlines the expectations for employees to meet core values. Scroll to the bottom to view Respect!
We will continue to collect employee feedback as we move through the phases of rollout. Have questions, comments, or just want to provide feedback? Click here to let us know!