Cultivating a positive work environment: a different approach to employee wellness.

by Dr Renalde Huysamen

HE challengesHE challenges

Individualperformance

Quality

Accountability

Pressure on employees are often aggravatedby high levels of specialist expertise as they generally bring a formof tunnel vision with them - Experts become prisoners of their own

disciplines, limiting them from seeing “the big picture”.

The accountant /economist sees only the bottom-line

The industrial psychologist/humanities sees only people issues

The strategist sees only transformation

And the institution sees only its ……….. ?

The IR specialist /HR sees only formulised relationships

Internal environment

We see the institution as a living system similar to the human system.If almost all parts are working well, but a single part is defected, the

complete system suffers..

Top management

HRFinancial admin

Student services

6 x FacultyCHESD

Marketing

Inter- dependency

Management - “THEM”

Employees - “US”

The most crippling factor in institutions is the

US-THEM Syndromesustained through traditional management

Traditional relationships

The US-THEM syndrome

EVENTS

EVENT LEVEL

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR

STRUCTUREPOLICIES, PROCEDURES, MANAGEMENT

ATTITUDES, DECISION MAKING

Peter Senge

Very busy- meetings with no solutionsBlunt saw syndrome- Deny problem exists

“Busy fools”-don’t Discuss work problems

Crisis management-bottlenecks/registration/exam papers

REACTIVE

RESPONSIVE

GENERATIVE

Symptoms

Root causes

AT THE BEHAVIOURIAL LEVEL

Problem solving

EVENTS

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR

STRUCTURE,POLICIES,PROCEDURES,MANAGEMENT ATTITUDES, ETC.

Witch SpiritAvenging Spirit

War SpiritClan Spirit

Rainmaker SpiritHunter Spirit

Devinition Spirit

Wandering Spirit

External Influences

= Negative = Positive

Generitive

Responsive

Reactive

(Senge)

(Mbigi)

INFLUENCING ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

Organisational culture

WORKENVIRONMENT

John Gardner said John Gardner said the following ‘ Most the following ‘ Most ailing organizations ailing organizations have developed a have developed a functional blindnessfunctional blindness to their own defects. to their own defects. They are not They are not suffering because suffering because they can not resolve they can not resolve problems but problems but because because they cannot they cannot see their problemssee their problems’. ’.

Problem solving, decision making.Problem solving, decision making. Policy guidelines. Policy guidelines. Work overloadWork overload Opportunities for professional growth Opportunities for professional growth

and developmental opportunitiesand developmental opportunities Consistent implementation of policiesConsistent implementation of policies Planning of resources e.g. parkingPlanning of resources e.g. parking Student profileStudent profile Administrative loadAdministrative load

PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN HE CONTEXTHE CONTEXT

motivated????????????motivated????????????

Healthy?

For centuries large organisations havemodeled themselves after the pyramid...

...the structure used by ancient Egyptians to entomb their dead leaders.

Robert M. Tomasko

Stumbling along the roads other’s have walked before

I am different

It is critical to redefine the manager’s role…no intervention sustains momentum without changing

the manager’s role

Brain-Deadbut breathing

THIS IMPLIES KNOWLEDGE THIS IMPLIES KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EMPLOYEE NEEDS, ABOUT EMPLOYEE NEEDS, PERCEPTIONS, PERCEPTIONS, EXPECTATIONS.EXPECTATIONS.

Work Environment Elements

Task SpecificationIndicators

Decisionmaking

Values Policies

Face to face contact

AppraisalReward

Feedback Communication Information

‘sense of belonging’

Conditions ResourcesProcedures

Leadership

Career planning

Trust

mentoring

WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH INDIVIDUALS

CAR WITHOUT INSTRUMENT PANEL

IN ORDER TO DO THIS WE NEED A FORMAL INSTRUMENT

Work Environment• Tools• Equipment• Technology• Noise• Temperature• Safety

• Policy• Structure• Information• Procedures

• Compatibilities• Interactions• Supervision• Group norms• Communication• Power• Leadership• Peer pressures

Technical

Human

OrganisationalEmployee

• Social system

• Operational system

• Competence

• Admin system

WORK ENVIRONMENT INSTRUMENT.

Example:

No Work environment factor

IMPORTANCE EFFECTIVENESS

SATISFACTION

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Overall Work Environment Effectiveness Indicator = x%

conclusionconclusion

A positive work environment created by management leads

to improved employee wellness and performance.

Thank you