HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF MY SESSION ON BUILDING POSITIVE AND RESILIENT TEAMS: As we all do our best to adapt to the new ‘temporary’ normal of the coronavirus pandemic, how effectively a team functions matters more than ever. Teams are the vital operational units of any organization. Through the daily interactions of team members, an organization’s core values are brought to life, trust is generated, learning and collaboration happens, and individuals support each other to be healthy and safe. This session highlights these and other essential features of high-functioning teams. Graham will provide practical, evidence-based steps that team members and team leads can take to cultivate team resilience and innovation. This win-win combination views the well-being of team members as the key driver of team performance. The session will provide opportunities for participants to discuss the current team work challenges they face, as well as to share successes they have had in adapting to new ways of working required during the pandemic.
Join Deborah Connors, me, and other workplace experts in the 8-Weeks To A Better Place To Work online course running from April 16th to June 18th. You will be able to join a group of like-minded people for a supportive, positive and interactive webinar each week.
I begin the revised and expanded edition of my book, Creating Healthy Organizations: Taking
Action to Improve Employee Well-Being with a basic question: how can we
make organizations humanly sustainable so they can succeed in the future? This
question takes on new urgency now that we’ve been blind-sided by a global pandemic.
Human resource, workplace wellness, and occupational health and safety
professionals are confronting what surely will be the greatest test of their
career. Following the principles of a healthy organization can be helpful.
Pervasive public pessimism
First, here’s the backdrop to what’s happening to workers
and employers. Unlike the 2008-2009 financial crisis and Great Recession, which
resulted from weaknesses in the financial system, the coronavirus pandemic
generates anxiety and fear on two fronts: health and economic.
Evidence of this comes from EKOS Research Associates’ latest
polling of Canadians (March 17-24, n=1,710, MOE +/-2.4%, 19 times out of 20). Three quarters of those surveyed believe
the economy is already in recession and expect it to get worse in the next 6
months. Just over half think they will be worse off financially in 6 months.
The typical respondent sees a 50% chance of them personally being infected by
the coronavirus. Most (80%) are experiencing stress due to the pandemic. On an
optimistic note, Canadians do grasp the severity of the crisis and understand what
they need to do to stay safe. And they endorse governments’ responses so far.
Shifting healthy practices into high gear
Pre-pandemic, organizations in all industries operated in an
environment rife with ever-greater risks and uncertainties, and sweeping
transformations. More employers recognize that survival depends on getting the
fullest commitment and energy from each and every employee. The goal of making the
entire organization healthier moved into the mainstream of corporate wellness. Companies
are striving to make workplaces psychologically healthier and safer. Expanded
corporate sustainability frameworks have opened up discussions about the
sustainability of a company’s human resource practices.
This solid progress – coupled with strong economies in
Canada and the US leading up to the pandemic – will enable many of us to
weather the storm.
Cultivating resilience
Healthy organizations cultivate workforce resilience. Resilient
people don’t bounce back; they bounce forward, finding new strength and
equilibrium. They move to a new normal that enables them to keep progressing
toward a better future. Resilient people don’t just adapt to change, they find
opportunities and renewed strength as they confront it. In the language of
positive psychology, the goal is to help organizations and their members
flourish and thrive.
Workers need a supportive environment to be resilient. To do
this, leaders must develop their own resilience. Resilient leaders skillfully
and proactively respond to stressors, practice self-care, learn from failure,
develop renewed strengths, and show others how it is possible to thrive when
the going gets tough. In this way, they foster a resilient workforce that is
prepared to deal with the unexpected.
Individual and team resilience is a hallmark of a
psychologically healthy and safe workplace. The National Standard of Canada for
Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace highlights the key workplace
features that contribute to resilience:
Supportive managers and coworkers
A culture that values individuals’ well-being
Skilled people leadership
Respectful working relationships
Support for employees’ personal growth and
development
The resources needed to manage workloads and job
demands
Employee involvement in decisions
Recognition for contributions
The flexibility needed to achieve work–life
balance
Maintaining, and even strengthening, the above workplace
features must be a priority. Building a healthy organization is a shared
responsibility. While demonstrated support from senior leaders is a key
enabling condition for change, equally important is the active participation of
all the organization’s members, right down to the front lines. Ideally, all
employees should feel motivated and encouraged to find ways to make their jobs
and work environment healthier and safer. Now the bar is raised, because this
has to happen virtually.
Lessons from recessions past
The change process can be designed to be healthy. We can
derive lessons from research on corporate downsizing and restructuring during the
recessions of the ‘80s, 90s and 2000s. Here’s what’s well documented: 1)
downsizing increases stress and diminishes the health of those laid off and the
‘survivors’ (who suffer from what’s called ‘survivor syndrome’); 2) poorly
executed downsizing or restructuring reduces an organizational capabilities,
ranging from learning, reduced tacit knowledge, social capital (relationships),
collaboration, and innovation.
Survivor syndrome (the negative psychological and physical
impact of remaining in a downsized organization, including guilt) can be
avoided by empowering workers to redesign work tasks and processes to fit the
renewed mission, responding to issues and concerns raised by employees, and
supporting employees to individually and as teams actively manage the changes.
During the 2008-2009 Great Recession, some companies came
out stronger because they used the downturn as an opportunity to engage all
employees to reinvent the business strategy and find better ways of working. Leaders
in these organizations built trust by openly communicating with employees,
involving them in the changes, and supporting them at every step of the way.
The big take-away for employees: this company cares about me so I am committed
to its future success.
Signs of mutual support
As the Economist recently
observed: “Downturns are capitalism’s sorting mechanism, revealing weak
business models and stretched balance-sheets.” But there’s more to the survival
story. Beyond balance sheets and the type of
business (pity the cruise lines), it comes down to people practices, reinforced
by shared corporate values. Values are the essential guideposts when the going
gets tough. And rarely has it been tougher.
Small businesses face more acute challenges. But from what
I’ve seen locally, owners may be more inclined to treat their workers like
family, knowing they will need them back as the pandemic threat recedes.
I see signs of this today in my own community. A restaurant
quickly shifted to a reduced take out menu, turning waiters in to delivery
drivers, and offering customers the option of buying an inexpensive meal for a
family in need. Gyms offer free daily on-line workouts. Musicians stream live
performances. A craft distillery now is producing hand sanitizer. My friend
Todd Ramsay and his wife Ashley, who run Kelowna-based Yeti Farm Creative, an
animation studio, proactively set up their employees to work at home in early
March. Their team feels virtually connected (Todd’s accompanying graphic
captures this) and are committed to coming out of this ordeal even stronger.
The common theme here is people pulling together and helping each other. And
just as with fires, floods and other natural disasters, people are engaging in
acts of kindness. Local TV news images of empty foodbank hampers quickly
resulted in a $10,000 donation, plus lots of smaller ones.
Work and social life have been transformed in a matter of
weeks into virtual experiences. Video chat service Zoom has, well, zoomed into
widespread use. The lines between work and home and family life have dissolved.
What about those workers faced with school closures and kids at home needing
constructive activities? It’s time for your team to talk about what adaptations
are needed to support these members.
Let’s not forget…
There are other groups of workers who desperately need help. Foremost are front-line healthcare workers. We’ve seen shocking videos of doctors and nurses working around the clock in Spain and Italy, risking their safety, tending to patients lying in hallway floors without proper equipment. How can we prevent that scenario from happening here? And as a New York Times editorial put it: “In this hour of crisis, those at the bottom of the economic pyramid are in the greatest need of help.” This includes low-paid workers and those in the gig economy. There’s an essential role for governments here.
Yes, the coronavirus pandemic will end. The Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the coronavirus, has reduced the number of new infections to the point that people are returning to work and some semblance of normal daily life. All the more important to ensure that today’s responses to the pandemic will ready us to resume our social and economic lives. So think of where you want to be one year from now.
I am pleased to be contributing to Deborah Connors’ course, 8-Weeks To A Better Place to Work. The course runs weekly from April 16 to June 8. Learn the research behind over 50 Daily Practices that will guide you to transform your workplace culture. My session, on May 21, focuses on Building Positive and Resilient Teams. Register here.
I will be presenting a workshop on HOW TO STENGTHEN THE LINKS BETWEEN RESILIENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND WELL-BEING IN YOUR WORKPLACE at the Pan-Canadian Summit onK-12 Workplace Well-Being. The conference theme is “Actionable strategies to improve staff well-being in Canada’s schools and school districts.”
POSTPONED UNTIL FALL 2020. May 11-13, 2020. Edmonton, Alberta. For more information and to register: https://edcansummit.ca/
My article in the December 2019 issue of EDUCATION CANADA explains how resilience is a basic psychological health and safety skill that can be developed by individuals and teams in the workplace. I introduce the broader and more robust concept of Psychological Capital (PsyCap), which combines resilience with optimism, hope and confidence. I also present evidence from a study I was involved in that shows a strong link between leaders’ PsyCap and a transformational leadership style. Transformational leaders enable individuals to achieve their potential, find innovative solutions to challenges, and embrace change. All of which builds a resilient workforce.
This article is based on my keynote talk at the Athabasca University, Faculty of business, 25th Anniversary Celebration of the launch of its on-line MBA. October 17th, 2019 in Edmonton.
Resilience is an old concept that is finding new resonance today. Decades ago, psychologists studied the sources of personal resilience among children who overcame significant disadvantages to succeed in school and life. Now, the concept of resilience is being applied to leaders and organizations. The Harvard Business Review calls resilience the new leadership skill. It also is a crucial psychological health and safety skill. Resilient people don’t bounce back; they bounce forward, finding new strength and equilibrium. They move to a new normal that enables them to keep progressing toward a better future. Resilient people find opportunities and renewed strength as they confront change. Resilient leaders proactively respond to stressors, learn from failure, develop renewed strengths and show others how it is possible to thrive in the face of adversity. As an OHS leader, there are actions you can take to foster a work environment that supports others to be resilient. This requires you to building resilience into your organization’s health, wellness and safety strategy. The result will be a stronger culture of health, safety and well-being.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 11:00 AM PT, 2:00 PM ET
This webinar examines
the core competencies and capabilities that occupational health and safety
(OHS) professionals require to meet the needs of a dynamic manufacturing sector
in the province of British Columbia. These insights come from a multi-phase,
broadly-based Sector Labour Market Partnership project led by the Manufacturing
Safety Alliance of BC (MSABC). Results from the labour market research and
strategy development phases of the project provide practical lessons for any
industry seeking to further develop its OHS human resources with the goal of
reducing workplace injuries. The project’s evidence-based strategy will guide
the development of effective training and relevant career-path information for
career-seekers, education and training providers, and employers.
I will be presenting a live webinar on: Canadian Workers’ Perspective on What Makes Their Workplaces Healthy and Safe
Hosted by the
Conference Board of Canada
March 12, 2019 at
02:00 PM EDT
At a time when Canadian employers are striving for a more
comprehensive and integrated approach to workplace health and safety, it is
essential to know how workers assess these key features of their workplace.
This webinar will present new survey evidence that fills important gaps in our
understanding of what constitutes a healthy and safe workplace..
Webinar Highlights
In this session, we will examine:
how workers assess the overall health and safety
of their workplace
how these perceptions are closely related
the key workplace and worker characteristics
associated with a workplace that is both healthy and safe
how these workplace features contribute to
overall worker well-being
Practical implications for human resource management,
occupational health and safety systems, and workplace wellness strategies will
be highlighted.
Read my HR Professional article on how high-trust workplaces promote employee well-being. Using data from Great Place to Work Institute’s Trust Index survey, I show that a trust-based culture is essential for achieving a psychologically healthy and safe workplace, as defined by the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.
