STUDY
Methods
Officers were able to share their experiences and the impact those experiences had on their well-being, in a variety of ways and mediums throughout the study.
Three phases of research were conducted:
At each phase, officers were involved in both contributing to the data collected and helping to interpret the findings. Each phase built on the previous one, culminating in a set of key priorities for improving officer well-being.
Phase One: Photovoice
Phase One of the Officer Well-Being Study used photovoice and interviews to capture officers' lived experiences. Participants responded to daily prompts with photos, videos or written reflections, followed by in-depth interviews to explore the meaning behind their submissions. All interviews were recorded and analyzed to identify key themes.
Key Insights
- Officers' experiences span individual, relational, organizational and cultural levels.
- Well-being is supported by strong faith, meaningful work and a sense of purpose.
- Relationships-with congregations, family and peers-are central to well-being.
- Job demands, role conflicts and limited rest can negatively impact mental, emotional and spiritual health.
- Autonomy, recognition and opportunities for reflection improve well-being.
- Organizational transparency, support and feeling heard are critical factors.
Six overarching themes emerged, highlighting both the supports and challenges that shape officer well-being.
| Major Themes from Photovoice | ||
|---|---|---|
| Theme | Definition | Example Experience Statement |
| Calling and Spirituality | Refers to individual perceptions about living out one's calling and capacities to practice spiritual disciplines. | Spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer) enable me to handle the demands of officership. |
| Appointment Responsibilities | Refers to on-the-job tasks, including perceptions of readiness, alignment with skills and interests and work-life balance. | I feel confident about the financial standing of my appointment. |
| Appointment Decisions and Succession Planning | Refers to communication and transparency related to appointment transitions and progression. | Divisional leadership makes decisions about my appointment based on my skills and achievements. |
| Relationships | Refers to feelings of community and belonging within The Salvation Army and one's congregation; includes the health of relationships with family, spouses, children and the impact of balancing caregiving with other responsibilities. | My appointment responsibilities allow me enough time to spend time with family. |
| Leadership | Refers to perceptions about the level of trust, autonomy and respect received from divisional and territorial leadership. | Leadership asks for my thoughts/opinions about decisions that impact officers. |
| Feelings of Support | Refers to access and receipt of various forms of support, including pastoral care from leaders, peers and formal support structures. | I can confide in leadership. |
Phase Two: Officer Survey
The Officer Well-Being Study research revealed six interconnected dimensions of well-being:
- Calling and Spirituality
- Appointment Responsibilities
- Appointment Decisions and Succession Planning
- Relationships
- Leadership
- Feelings of Support
These themes represent the critical focal points of officers' experiences that most significantly impact well-being. They provide a structured way of organizing the data into major areas of concern and opportunity.
Importantly, these themes were not imposed externally; they emerged organically from officers themselves during the Phase One: Photovoice inquiry, reflecting themes they identified as most essential to their lived experience. These themes then served as the foundation for the territory-wide survey, ensuring that subsequent quantitative analysis was grounded in the realities and priorities of officers.
Phase Three: Meaning Making
After analyzing survey data, The Lanier Practice presented aggregated findings from earlier study phases to executive leadership during a session which lasted a day-and-a-half. Leaders reflected on the results and engaged in structured design thinking exercises to identify key priority areas for improving officer well-being.
Findings were then shared with officers originally selected for Phase One. Thirty-seven officers participated in virtual meaning-making sessions, where researchers presented key insights before participants discussed the impacts in small groups and identified top priorities for well-being improvements.
The six resulting priorities reflect a synthesis of input from both leadership and officers. Despite participating separately, both groups identified highly overlapping themes, demonstrating strong alignment on the most critical areas for organizational focus and action.
