Cultivating a positive work environment: a different approach ...
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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
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Overall Work Environment Effectiveness Indicator = x%
conclusionconclusion
A positive work environment created by management leads
to improved employee wellness and performance.
Thank you