Author: Graham Lowe

Graham Lowe will be the moderator of this national conference sponsored by the Forum of Labour Market Ministers, Labour Market Information Working Group. Winnpeg. February 12-14, 2007

Keynote talk by Graham Lowe, UBC Okanagan Health Symposium, 8 February 2008.
Successful organizations have healthy cultures that all employees help to build. Graham’s keynote will outline the building blocks of healthy cultures. Drawing on wide-ranging research and practical experience, Graham will describe how healthy cultures are created and sustained. He will explore issues such as the role of values and the importance of living the organization’s values through every interaction you have with colleagues and students. He also will answer the question: “How does culture matter for employees’ quality of work life and organizational success?” Graham’s presentation will challenge the audience to reflect on their personal role in building a healthy culture that will energize UBC Okanagan for years to come.

Keynote talk by Graham Lowe, UBC Okanagan Health Symposium, 8 February 2008.
Successful organizations have healthy cultures that all employees help to build. Graham’s keynote will outline the building blocks of healthy cultures. Drawing on wide-ranging research and practical experience, Graham will describe how healthy cultures are created and sustained. He will explore issues such as the role of values and the importance of living the organization’s values through every interaction you have with colleagues and students. He also will answer the question: “How does culture matter for employees’ quality of work life and organizational success?” Graham’s presentation will challenge the audience to reflect on their personal role in building a healthy culture that will energize UBC Okanagan for years to come.

Keynote presentation at the 2007 Joint Pacific Learning Forum, federal public service managers. Vancouver.

Keynote by Graham Lowe at AgriVision 2007 Conference. Alberta Department of Agriculture annual employee conference, Edmonton, Jaunary 16-17, 2007.

Great workplaces inspire employees. They do this by embedding strong people values in their culture and building high-trust relationships across the organization. Dr. Lowe will help us to understand how Alberta Agriculture’s values and vision point the way to great workplaces. Drawing on the cultural practices of organizations on the Great Place to Work® Institute’s ‘best workplaces’ lists in Canada, the US and 28 other countries, he will challenge each of us to take responsibility for living the values of a trusting and supportive culture. This will pay off in terms of an exceptional work environment in which employees are able to provide outstanding public services.

Keynote presentation at the 2nd annual WINN (Workplace Integration of New Nurses) Symposium. Vancouver, 2 December 2006. For information visit: www.winnvancouver.org

Creating Healthy Health Care Workplaces in British Columbia: Evidence for Action. A DISCUSSION PAPER
Prepared for the Provincial Health Services Authority.
KEY MESSAGES
There is a business case for investing in healthier work environments within health care. Furthermore, there are substantial costs to inaction.
Return on investment (ROI) analyses has been used to evaluate workplace health promotion programs in various settings, but rarely in health care.
Designing evaluation into healthy workplace interventions, and disseminating the findings, will go a long way to filling this information gap.
Workplace health promotion interventions that are comprehensive, well designed, and successfully implemented tend to have good ROI.
Decision-makers must be aware of the limitations of conducting ROI research on organizational interventions.
Research on the causes and consequences of healthy and unhealthy work environments also to indicates directions for change.
Further improvements in employee health and organizational performance will require changes in job design, organizational systems and structures, and work environments.
Healthy workplaces can contribute to the major strategic directions of health care system renewal.
Creating healthier workplaces requires a shift in leadership thinking and organizational culture so that human assets are highly valued.
Successful healthy workplace change requires strong commitment from top management that is reinforced in all their decisions and actions.
In healthy workplaces, all managers and supervisors have the time, encouragement, and training needed to be effective people leaders.
Measuring progress requires four categories of indicators: healthy workplace drivers, working conditions, employee outcomes, and organizational benefits.
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Presentation at the 3rd annual Working Well in Halton symposium, designed for workplace decision makers, human resource professionals, and occupational health practitioners.
The presentation will cover:
• The Business Case for creating healthy organizations
• The link between healthy culture and healthy organizations
• Overcoming common barriers to healthy workplace change
• Practical steps to create and maintain healthy organizations
For information contact: melissa.graves@halton.ca

A workshop sponsored by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with its 2006 H.E.A.L.T.H. Award Luncheon. Calgary, October 24, 2006. 8:30 – 10:45 am.
Graham Lowe will lead an interactive workshop that will engage participants in designing a customized action plan for achieving higher levels of health and productivity in their organization. Dr Lowe will draw on leading-edge healthy workplace practices and research evidence to guide participants through the process of creating a blueprint for healthy workplace change that meets the needs of their employees, builds on current initiatives and strengths, and contributes to strategic goals. Participants also will be challenged to reflect on their role as healthy workplace change agents, taking personal responsibility for making change happen.
Graham also will deliver a keynote talk at H.E.A.L.T.H. Award Luncheon. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is rewarding businesses that get healthy. To recognize businesses that create healthy work environments, The Chamber will present the second annual Helping Employees Achieve Life-Time (H.E.A.L.T.H) Awards.
The H.E.A.L.T.H. Award was created in 2005 to give recognition to businesses with superior and commendable Worksite Health Programs, especially those businesses who provide Calgary with workplace leadership to help their employees lead healthy and vibrant lives.
For information: www.calgarychamber.com

This article exlpores the relationship between high-trust work environments in government and the goals of service excellence.
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