You have reached the blog of HealthierWorkplaces.  Read the latest posts, make your comments and then check out our WEBSITE  and see why we are your first choice for leadership training at your organization.  

A New Model for Staff Training    by Larry Wenger

If you are tired of sending people to conferences where they attend workshops that they barely remember when they get back to your agency, have a look at this.   The Healthier Workplaces training team is about 2/3 of the way through a project with an agency in New Jersey where we are combining classroom presentations with on-the-job coaching.  The program, beginning to end, will include 10 classroom presentations with lots of discussion and interaction.  Topics will be around management skills but are driven largely by input from the participants.  So far, we have talked about communication with difficult people, running meetings and the ability of these group home managers to support each other in making needed changes in their respective homes.  Simultaneously with this classroom experience, a training team member is visiting each home to help transfer the learning into actual group home operations.   All told, there will be 2 learning transfer visits to each group home.  

Recently, each group home manager was asked to identify something they had learned which was now reflected in the management of their house.  Each replied pointing to a specific change they had made as a result of the training and transfer of learning visit.  

Want to see your employees have more energy?  Want to reduce mistakes?  Do med errors drive you crazy?  Do your supervisors really supervise?  Are difficult conversations avoided?  This new model, classroom and coaching, may be just what you need.  Call us for more information.   1-877-872-6195

How About Respect for Front Line Employees!

by Larry Wenger 

There is a weird thing in a lot of human service organizations.  The farther down you go on the org chart, the closer you get to the real reason the organization exists.  But that is just where the weirdness begins.   The people at the bottom of the totem, on the front lines, are the ones who have the most to do with whether or not the organization meets its mission.   How did it end up that  normally they are the lowest paid employees?   Low pay is only where their problems begin.  They rarely are given input into the organization’s future even on matters which effect them directly.  Oh, they might be asked for their thoughts via a Suggestion Box but who really pays any attention to what’s in those boxes.  They’re a joke.   Training is rarely available for them since it’s difficult for them to be released to attend a class unless it’s for a licensing-mandated topic. 

But we’re not done.   Their work is extremely difficult…even dangerous.    They sometimes provide an intimate level of care that some of us would see as disgusting.  The front line is where the turnover is.  So there are always vacancies that sometimes require overtime to cover.  Overtime pay is nice but after a week or two of double shifts, you stop caring about the money…you just want to go home and sleep or be with family.  Their job involves working with vulnerable and disturbed populations where it’s easy to make mistakes;   negative events that you can get the blame for even when your training to handle these situations may have not occurred or may have been ineffective. 

One more problem.   They receive no supervision or a very poor level of supervision.  Their supervisors used to be front line workers and were rewarded for their hard work with a promotion.  That’s great.  But suddenly, they find themselves supervising former colleagues; sometimes friends, relatives and neighbors.  And most organizations do very little to help them with the adjustment.    Supervisors are not any different than anyone else…they don’t want to feel incompetent.   But no one has ever really made their job responsibility clear to them.   So in order to restore an air of competence to their psyche they gradually revert to a role they understand…direct care.   At that point,  supervision is something they used to do. 

So, what to do?   There’s no end of problems to be dealt with here.  Where do you start as a concerned human services executive?     Well before  you write your action plan,  begin by taking the time to really listen to front line employees.   Don’t assume that the problems I have identified here reflect the experience of your employees.  These will not be easy, simple conversations.   Some employees may be reluctant to talk with you.  In the past they may have been asked, “what can we do to improve your job” by other leaders.  But those leaders were going thru the motions…they didn’t really want to listen; they just wanted the appearance of being  a listening leader.  They had no intention of any follow through. 

Your attempts to listen must be buttressed by your vision… to bring front line employees into the mainstream of the organization.  You will meet resistance and a seeming lack of interest.  But keep going back to talk and listen.   When you can, take a front line employee out of their work environment.  Invite them to your office for lunch.  Take them out for a cup of coffee.  Demonstrate your determination to be a good listener.   Visit them on the overnight shift.  And above all,  follow-through.  Get back to people and let them know what you are doing about their suggestions.   Let them know you heard what they had to say.  If some suggestions are “over the top”, be honest and let people know that you will not be pursuing that and why.  They’ll want to know “why”.    Finally, reinforce your own effort at listening to front line employees by insisting that all other managers and supervisors do the same thing.  Transform your personal vision into a leadership team priority.    Hold each other accountable to demonstrate  respect for front line employees by listening.  Expect that you or another member of your leadership team will “listen” no less than daily.  After six months of this, your action plan should flow easily. 

You have reached the blog of HealthierWorkplaces.  Read the latest posts, make your comments and then check out our WEBSITE  and see why we are your first choice for leadership training at your organization.  

Are Your Staff Meetings a Waste of Time? - by Larry Wenger

Meetings have a terrible reputation.  Lots of talk and no action.  The "real" issues are never discussed.    There is very little discussion if the boss is in the room.  There's always the elephant...something that everyone knows about but that no one wants to discuss.

The problem is that at the very beginning, before the meeting ever began, the purpose of the meeting was not clear.  There was not an agenda and those who would be in attendance had very little input into the planning process.    So, it should be no surprise that when someone even hints that there may be a new meeting coming soon, the response is, "oh no, not another meeting."

But it's not how many meetings you have or how long they are, the issue is do they get the job done; are they productive?  Is the cost of the staff time for those in attendance outweighed by the value of decisions that were made;  do those decisions make the organization more effective and efficient.

Meetings are essential.  None of us can accomplish all that needs to be done by ourselves, so we have to get together with others and collaborate...figure out the best way to get things done.  Why do we resist them so?   Most of us are pretty social...we like being with people and enjoy a cooperative effort.  In meetings is where we should be the most productive.   From that perspective, time spent alone in our offices may represent a real waste.

So what can we do to make sure that our meetings are productive, interesting and even enjoyable.  Here are several suggestions that perhaps you have not previously considered.

1.  Introduce variety and physical activity into our meetings.  Bring toys:  nerd balls; play-doh; paper airplanes.   These are great sources of relaxation and move everyone's mood in a positive direction.
2.  Invite guest speakers.  Could be an outside "expert" or simply another employee who does not normally attend.  Listen carefully to their perspective on issues.
3.  Have walking meetings in your neighborhood.  Tell those you meet about your organization.  The physical activity also keeps the mind alert.
4.  Meet in a different location or arrange the seating differently.
5.  Allow 5-10 minutes at the beginning for "small talk";  things that people need/want to say before you get down to business.
6.  Acknowledge hard work done by team members.  Recognize their individual skills.  Make sure everyone has input.  Build trust so that people are open and honest in their communication.
7.  Subject the meeting to a CQI process.  Make sure that the effectiveness of your meetings is increasing.   Make sure that everyone accepts responsibility for having a good meeting.  Yes, strong facilitation is needed but everyone can and should identify problem areas as well as affirm positive group performance.

Now go and have a great meeting!  Comments anyone?

See why Healthier Workplaces is your training provider of choice:  www.healthierworkplaces.com