Cultivating a positive work environment: a different approach to employee wellness. by Dr Renalde Huysamen

HE challenges

Individual performance Quality Accountability

Pressure on employees are often aggravated by high levels of specialist expertise as they generally bring a form of 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 HR Financial admin Student services 6 x Faculty CHESD Marketing Inter- dependency

Management - “THEM” Employees - “US” The most crippling factor in institutions is the US-THEM Syndrome sustained through traditional management Traditional relationships The US-THEM syndrome

EVENTS EVENT LEVEL PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR STRUCTURE POLICIES, PROCEDURES, MANAGEMENT ATTITUDES, DECISION MAKING Peter Senge Very busy- meetings with no solutions Blunt 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 Spirit Avenging Spirit War Spirit Clan Spirit Rainmaker Spirit Hunter Spirit Devinition Spirit Wandering Spirit External Influences = Negative = Positive Generitive Responsive Reactive (Senge) (Mbigi) INFLUENCING ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Organisational culture WORK ENVIRONMENT

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

Problem solving, decision making. Problem solving, decision making. Policy guidelines. Policy guidelines. Work overload Work overload Opportunities for professional growth and developmental opportunities Opportunities for professional growth and developmental opportunities Consistent implementation of policies Consistent implementation of policies Planning of resources e.g. parking Planning of resources e.g. parking Student profile Student profile Administrative load Administrative load PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN HE CONTEXT

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

Healthy?

For centuries large organisations have modeled 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-Dead but breathing

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

Work Environment Elements Task Specification Indicators Decision making Values Policies Face to face contact Appraisal Reward Feedback Communication Information ‘sense of belonging’ Conditions Resources Procedures 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 Organisational Employee Social system Operational system Competence Admin system

WORK ENVIRONMENT INSTRUMENT. Example: No Work environment factor IMPORTANCE EFFECTIVENESSSATISFACTION Overall Work Environment Effectiveness Indicator = x%

conclusion A positive work environment created by management leads to improved employee wellness and performance.

Thank you