People Dynamics Newsletter - People Matters
Issue 25, February 2007 | Back to Newsletters Index
Welcome Back!
Welcome Back for 2007. We hope you and your family had a lovely break. The year has started extremely well for us and business is booming, so much so we are in the process of hiring a new Account Manager and another admin person to help us with the work. Our current Admin lady Philippa is going on leave overseas for 6 months to study and in her absence, we welcome Christin to the team who will be taking over Philippa’s role until she returns in August.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients for their continued support and referral. Our focus this month is on workplace relations and making sure your employees are not only safe, but working together effectively as well.
Health and Safety Representatives
The risk of accidents and incidents occurring in the workplace is significantly reduced by implementing and adhering to strict preventative measures as well as training and educating staff thoroughly. However, when an incident does occur it is vital that clear procedures are in place for resolving any issues swiftly, professionally and properly.
Appointing a Health and Safety Committee enables both employers and employees to formally discuss procedures, policies and issues and provides a clear avenue to follow when the need for issue resolution arises.
In addition to committees, individual staff members can be elected Health and Safety Representatives. Representatives can undertake additional OHS training in areas such as risk identification and assessment, representation of employees and issue resolution.
The process for selecting either a committee or individual representatives must be carried out officially and Worksafe Victoria guidelines adhered to. It is essential that all employees are consulted in relation to who will be representing them in the workplace. Selecting the right people for the role will be beneficial to the employer and all staff and will help ensure that, should the need arise, all issues will be resolved appropriately.
Team Building and Morale
Having an effective and happy team is vital to success and productivity. Good working relationships help facilitate creativity, progress and personal fulfilment.
Unfortunately the other side of the coin is that difficulties within teams can pose problems for employees and their ability to be productive. In serious cases issues such as harassment, including bullying, can arise and cause unnecessary trauma.
However, there are a number of very effective measures which can be taken to build an effective team, boost morale and actively work with conflict to enable all individuals to reach their maximum potential.
Understanding the dynamics within a team is the first step in building and leading a motivated and productive group of workers. Profiling individuals and the positions they fill is an extremely effective tool in gaining a detailed view of individual working styles, strengths and how they interact with the working styles of others. We recommend the McQuaig system, of which we are licensed interpreters.
Conducting workshops to educate staff in their personal style and how they contribute to the team can be fun and rewarding for participants, and facilitate awareness and consideration of the dynamic aspects of working relationships.
Workshops provide an opportunity to take a step back and reflect on current processes and behaviours and give everyone the chance to make a fresh start or revise aspects of their working relationships.
In addition to formal training, it always pays to bear in mind the every day ways of promoting staff morale, be it as small as a smile and a wave, and acknowledge good work as well as giving feedback.