Project Discussion
The Applied Improvement Project Model (AIPM) was used as the framework to plan, implement, and evaluate the Applied Improvement Project (AIP). I worked with the Leadership Seminar (LS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides leadership development opportunities for United States active-duty military spouses in Japan. The planning phase began by engaging the organization’s stakeholders, primarily focusing on board members who were the decision-makers for the organization. A performance gap was identified related to attendance at the organization’s continuing education events (CE), and a plan of action that feasibly addressed the root causes of that gap was developed working with the organization’s board. The interventions focused on event communication and further developing a community of practice. Planning began in June 2022, and data was collected through July 2023.
Applied Improvement Project Model
Note. This figure shows the three major phases of the Applied Improvement Project Model and how the 10 steps of this model were completed within the Advanced doctoral courses. The shaded sections resemble the three major phases, the circular icons resemble the 10 steps, and the line between the icons resembles the connection between each step within the appropriate phase. Retrieved from https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/edd8522element20223/wrapper.asp. Not in the public domain.
The project began as a way to address spousal satisfaction. Quality of life concerns are a top issue for spouses of active-duty military members; quality of life affects spouse satisfaction, and spouse satisfaction impacts the retention of military members (Office of People Analytics, 2019; Penn State University, 2021). The Leadership Seminar (LS) provides leadership development education opportunities to the spouses of active-duty military members on the island of Okinawa. These development opportunities provide spouses with events that allow them to cultivate connections and relationships that are found to contribute to a feeling of belonging that is an integral component of human psychological function (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Easterbrook & Vignoles, 2013) and specifically contribute to the positive psychological well-being of military spouses (O’Neal et al., 2016).
Implementation Value
A successful intervention considers return on investment, sustainability, and accountability (Van Tiem et al., 2012) while addressing the root cause of the issue (Rothwell et al., 2018). The implementation of the communication and communication strategies considered the organization’s resources, the identified root causes, particularly event awareness, event relevance, connection to the organization, and organizational strengths.
The interventions were chosen to use resources the organization already had in place more effectively to achieve the desired attendance at continuing education events.
Constructivist theory was applied because it asserts that understanding is cooperative, cultural, and intertwined with the full range of human activities, including connecting with and engaging others (Gergen, 1985). The literature review surfaced a connection between social constructivism and social belonging was detected through continued research related to inferred similarity to self (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Easterbrook & Vignoles, 2013; Gergen, 1985; Jennings-Kelsall et al., 2012). A strength’s based approach was chosen because of the belief that amplifying strengths will result in desired outcomes more effectively than focusing on mitigating deficits (Krutowski, 2017), which aligned with the development approach of the organization.
The project’s success is demonstrated by the data. Increased awareness and engagement of Facebook and increased attendance at all continuing education events were seen. The increased attendance was not limited to single event attendance; multiple event attendance by individuals was also documented. Consistent event attendance by multiple attendees contributes to consistency and continuity within the organization.
The graphs above demonstrate the impacts of implementing the communication and community of practice strategies. The data shows changes in Facebook event views and attendance at continuing education events from June 2022 to July 2023. Implementing the strategies contributed to increased and more consistent event attendance and increased views of events on Facebook.
The adaptable nature of the AIP model’s cycle of inquiry allowed for adjustments to be made as circumstances changed through the application of the process’s ongoing dialogue about the process. Ovretveit et al. (2018) explained that when a quality improvement project is being implemented, adaptations can happen in real-time in response to contextual changes in the environment. A large contextual change occurred in October of 2022 when my husband was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer, and I left the research location to support him during his diagnosis and treatment. The AIP model allowed for adaptation, and the relationships I had within the existing community of practice contributed to my ability to pivot while still meeting organizational expectations for implementation and outcome achievement.
Stakeholder Reactions and Feedback
The stakeholders participated in a meeting on November 14th, 2023, where processes and results were shared. The meeting was held via Zoom, and a PowerPoint presentation was delivered. The stakeholders were pleased with the outcomes and impressed that such simple approaches proved so effective.
The discussion after the presentation focused on survey feedback provided by those who attended continuing education events or might attend continuing education events, the impact and importance of the community of practice, and the value of events for those stakeholders who attended the meeting. Due to the nature of the organization and the installation of a new board, most of those who participated in the live presentation are no longer directly involved with the organization. One current board member was present and indicated that shifts had been made in the months since the communication strategy had been implemented that may be contributing to decreased attendance at book club events in particular.
Presentation participants also reflected on the value of the learning that occurred and the importance of the sense of belonging that came from participating in the community of practice. A community of professional practice is defined as a group of individuals who interact with each other to develop their expertise based on a shared concern, passion, or profession (Wenger et al., 2002). A community of practice allows for engagement, negotiation, and the development of community (Hughes, 2010). As a result of the presentation, a number of participants decided to meet again in January and discuss a book using Zoom as the platform.
The participants who decided to create a new community from the previous community reside in five states and three continents. This is worth noting because it demonstrates the community of practice and its influence beyond the original geographical site. The relationships that developed within the community of practice and the conversations that contributed to learning and development anchor a community that maintains its value over time.
Lessons Learned
The organization’s book club read three Brené Brown books over the two and a half years I was involved with the group. The conversations during these book club events were often emotional and raw. Her book Dare to Lead discusses the intentional development of cultures that support those in the community, take action, and allow for true belonging. Belonging is defined as the ability to be authentic as a way to create powerful connections (Brown, 2018). This definition aligns with the experience of community within the organization as survey and interview feedback indicated that the ability to share freely and discuss challenging topics was a positive experience within the community of practice at continuing education events.
Using community and stakeholder feedback to determine the path forward was a critical lesson learned during the process. Survey feedback indicated that opportunities existed to better meet the needs of the community by choosing books and topics that were of interest to them, and many of those desired topics were focused on personal development and gaining an understanding of self. The feedback also demonstrated the importance of Facebook as a space where people in the community learn about the organization and its events.
Using feedback allowed for developing and implementing interventions that met community needs while allowing the organization to achieve its goals. The survey feedback also showed that the organization could use its existing tools and resources to achieve its goals. The solutions did not have to be complex, expensive, or new; the interventions could focus on consistently communicating about the events and the conversations occurring at the continuing education events.
Next Steps
The Leadership Seminar is at a decision point. For the past two years, LS has been able to hold two free three-day leadership seminars a year, serving nearly 50 active-duty military per seminar. Monthly continuing education events, including book clubs and lunch and learn events, are also held free of charge. Attendance goals for continuing education events were being met and exceeded; however, the new board has made changes that have led to decreases in book club attendance. The board will need to decide how to leverage event attendance, the lessons learned from this study to support the seminar and the organization, and what it wants to do regarding growth.
I recommend identifying consistent continuing event attendees and beginning a recruitment process to have these consistent attendees facilitate book clubs and lead lunch learns as a way to determine interest in organizational support. This recruitment process can also be extended to find facilitators and volunteers for the seminar. Creating private Facebook groups may be a way to begin this process.
Growth may be considered from two perspectives: the seminar and continuing education events. To serve on the board, an individual must attend a three-day seminar offered by LS or one of its affiliated organizations. LS prefers that facilitators have graduated from a seminar, but it is not required by the organization’s by-laws. Volunteers also do not have to complete a seminar. LS leadership could consider growth in terms of seminar attendance, i.e., increasing the number of seats at the seminar and continuing education attendance. One root cause not addressed by this intervention was a general date, time, and location concern raised by some respondents who frequently identified scheduling conflicts with work or the active-duty spouse’s schedule.
Previous organizational struggles with filling board positions and securing volunteers and facilitators for the seminar should be remembered. While the organization was able to pivot during COVID-19 and develop and implement strategies that have allowed the organization to thrive over the past two and a half years, investment in ongoing organizational development using the continuing education events will ensure LS’s sustainability. Engaging the United States military spouse population in meaningful ways should remain a priority.
The communication strategy and its focused use of Facebook proved successful in supporting continuing education event attendance. I know the current leadership is interested in using the organization’s website due to functionality and integration that allows for more targeted communication available within the website. While investigating and using these tools is beneficial, I recommend creating a survey or adding a question to the seminar survey to determine how military spouses on Okinawa find organizations and organizational event information and monitor for changes; however, right now, Facebook remains the preferred platform. This would allow for changes to communication-based on the population. The most recent data gathered by LS indicates that Facebook is the primary way that military spouses on Okinawa find information about events and organizations that cater to them. Relying primarily on the organization’s website would likely limit organizational awareness.
The interventions achieved the desired attendance results. Overall event attendance and repeat event attendance both increased during the communication and community of practices interventions. I believe the interventions contributed to improved attendance and demonstrated that strategic efforts focused on available resources and organizational strengths can be used to achieve goals at almost no financial cost. By using feedback provided by the target audience, the interventions were able to address community feedback and achieve organizational goals without taking dramatic actions that may have caused disruption and confusion.
References
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead. Random House. New York.
Easterbrook, M., & Vignoles, V. L. (2013). What does it mean to belong? Interpersonal bonds and intragroup similarities as predictors of felt belonging in different types of groups. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43(6), 455-462. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.1972
Gergen, K. J. (1985). The social constructionist movement in modern psychology. The American Psychologist, 40(3), 266-275. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.40.3.266
Hughes, G. (2010). Identity and belonging in social learning groups: the importance of distinguishing social, operational and knowledge‐related identity congruence. British Educational Research Journal, 36(1), 47–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920902834167
Jennings-Kelsall, V., Aloia, L. S., Solomon, D. H., Marshall, A. D., & Leifker, F. R. (2012). Stressors experienced by women within marine corps families: A qualitative study of discourse within an online forum. Military Psychology, 24(4), 363-381. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2012.695255
Krutkowski, S. (2017). A strengths-based approach to widening participation of students in higher education. Reference Services Review, 45(2), 227-241. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-10-2016-0070
O'Neal, C. W., Mancini, J. A., & DeGraff, A. (2016). Contextualizing the psychosocial well-being of military members and their partners: The importance of community and relationship provisions. American Journal of Community Psychology, 58(3), 477-487. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12097
Office of People Analytics. (2019). Predictors of spousal support for a member to stay on active duty (Note No. 2019-039). Military One Source. https://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/MOS/Surveys/Predictors-Spousal-Support.pdf
Pennsylvania State University. Clearinghouse Military Family Readiness. (2021). The military spouse experience: Current issues and gaps in service. Rapid Literature Review.
Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness.
Van Tiem, D., Moseley, J. L., & Dessinger, J. C. (2012). Fundamentals of performance improvement: Optimizing results through people, process, and organizations (3rd ed.). Pfeiffer.
Wenger, E., McDermott, R. A., & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Harvard Business Press.
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