Creating Resilient Employees in a Thriving Environment

1
Creating Resilient Employees in a Thriving
Environment

• Kris Haugen
• Park Nicollet Health Services
• 2007 AWC Health Academy

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Agenda

• The changing face of stress
• Resilience Hardiness skills
• Workplace guidelines for long term success
• Helping employees cope immediately
• Wrap Up/Discussion

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The Changing Face of Stress

• Stress statistics
• The pace of the world
• The pace of our workplaces

4
Stress Statistics

• 51 of employees felt fatigue and out of control
  on the job
• 50 missed 1-2 days per year due to stress
• 46 come to work 1-4 days per year too stressed
  to be effective
• CommPsych Poll - 2006

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The Pace of the World

• Technology
• Consumerism and Marketing
• Multi-tasking
• Family Life
• Commuting

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The Pace of the Workplace

• Technology
• The changing face of employees turnover,
  demographics
• Market demands
• Justifying your job from determining critical
  functions to outsourcing
• MORE WITH LESS

7
Reflection on Stress

• It is not necessarily the amount of stress
  people experience at work, but how quickly they
  recover from the effects that is important to
  their health and wellbeing.
• (Cropley and Purvis, 2004)

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Why Resilience?

• We need to learn to
• not only survive, but
• thrive in this environment.

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Definition of Resilience

• Resilience from Latin to leap back
• Definition
• The process and experience of being disrupted by
  change, opportunities, stressors and adversity,
  and, after
• introspection, accessing gifts and strengths to
  grow stronger through disruption.
• Journal of Health Ed, 1990

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Resilient People

• Look for opportunities in problems
• Have a positive attitude
• Fight the victim mentality
• Find their power in every situation
• Overcome difficulties
• Learn from mistakes

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Burnout Associated with

• Older workers
• Unmarried
• Manual occupations
• High alcohol intake
• Overweight
• Physically inactive
• History of physical or mental illness

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Creating a Resilient Workplace

• 1. Hardiness skills
• 2. Psychologically healthy work environment
• 3. Immediate coping skills and resources

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1. Provide hardiness skills
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Components of Hardiness

• Control make decisions
• Commitment - involved
• Challenge stress is positive

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Individuals with Hardiness Skills

• Dont give up easily under pressure
• Are ill less often
• Adapt to stress

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Hardiness Results

• Managers with high hardiness and low stress 35
  fewer sick hours
• Managers with high hardiness and HIGH stress
  57 fewer sick hours

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Cultivate Hardiness

• In hiring practices
• Develop coping skills
• Supportive workplace policies

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2. Create a Psychologically Healthy Workplace

• Guidelines from the American Psychological
  Association

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Psychologically Healthy Workplaces have

• Employee involvement
• Work-life balance
• Employee growth and development
• Health and safety
• Employee recognition
• http//www.phwa.org/intheworkplace/index.php

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Employee Involvement

• Self-managed work teams
• Employee committees or task forces
• Continuous improvement teams
• Participative decision-making
• Employee suggestion forums, such as a suggestion
  box and monthly meetings

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Work-Life Balance

• Flexible work
• Childcare assistance
• Eldercare benefits
• Personal financial resources
• Benefits for family members and domestic partners
  
• Flexible leave options beyond FMLA

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Employee Growth and Development

• Continuing education
• Tuition reimbursement
• Career development or counseling
• Skills training
• Opportunities for promotion and internal career
  advancement
• Coaching, mentoring, and leadership development

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Health and Safety

• Training and safeguards
• Health promotion programs
• Adequate health insurance
• Health screenings
• Access to health/fitness/recreation facilities
• Resources for life problems

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Healthy Policies

• Seatbelt use in city vehicles
• No smoking in city vehicles
• Emergency procedures practiced
• Flexible work schedules
• Excessive OT discouraged
• Shift workers scheduled for adequate rest
• Absenteeism policy rewards no sick use
• Alcohol/drug policy on par with industry

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Environmental Support

• Low sugar vending programs
• Workout/walking areas and showers
• Natural light
• Adjustable heating and ventilation
• Low noise levels
• Ergonomically correct furniture and equipment
• Stairs clean and well lit

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Employee Recognition

• Fair monetary compensation
• Competitive benefits packages
• Acknowledge contributions and milestones
• Performance-based bonuses and pay increases
• Employee awards
• Recognition ceremonies

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Communication

• Provide feedback to management
• Have clear goals and actions of the organization
  and senior leadership
• Involve employees
• Use multiple communication channels
• Lead by example
• Communicate information to all about the outcomes
  and success of specific psychologically healthy
  workplace practices

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Feedback to Management

• Employee surveys
• Town hall meetings
• Suggestion boxes
• Individual or small group meetings with managers
• Organizational culture that supports open,
  two-way communication

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Clear Goals and Actions

• Making the goals and actions of the organization
  and senior leadership clear to workers
• Communicate key activities, issues and
  developments to employees
• Develop policies that facilitate transparency and
  openness.

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Involve Employees

• Assess the needs of employees and involve them in
  the development and implementation of
  psychologically healthy workplace practices.

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Use Multiple Communication Channels

• Use multiple channels to communicate the
  importance of a psychologically healthy workplace
  to employees
• Print and electronic
• orientation and trainings
• staff meetings
• public addresses

32
Lead by Example

• Encourage key organizational leaders to regularly
  participate in psychologically healthy workplace
  activities in visible ways

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Communicate Information

• Communicate information about the outcomes and
  success of specific psychologically healthy
  workplace practices to all members of the
  organization.

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3. Provide immediate coping skills and resources
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Immediate Coping Skills

• Mindfulness meditation
• Relaxation techniques deep breathing
• Yoga or Tai Chi
• Massage
• Food
• Laughter
• Problem-solving skills
• Sleep

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More Coping Skills

• Cognitive Appreciation
• Positive Re-appraisal
• Imagery
• Smile when stressed
• Attitude management
• Heart Math or Freeze Frame techniques
• Positive psychology

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Positive Psychology

• Strength-based approach
• Find authentic happiness
• 24 signature strengths 5 related to wellbeing
• Hope
• Love
• Zest
• Gratitude
• Curiosity

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Resources

• Employee Assistance Program
• Quiet or Serenity Room
• Places to walk
• Managers and HR staff with open door policies
• Flex time policies
• Training on communication skills, negotiation,
  dealing with difficult people, decision making

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Park Nicollet Case Study

• Committee Resiliency think tank
• HR Director
• Benefits Manager
• Employee Health Director
• Employee Relations Director
• Two Change Management Leaders
• Training Manager
• Spiritual Care Manager
• Behavioral Health Services Director
• VP of Park Nicollet Institute research arm
• Trainer Resilience effort
• Health Promotion Manager

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Efforts to Date

• Vision process become employer of choice
• Data collection HR, work comp, benefits, exit
  interview information
• Catharsis to talk as a group

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Next Steps

• Five key statements
• Presentation to Executive Leadership
• Plan to promote and highlight current resources
  and efforts - website
• Work within current structures and opportunities
  to strengthen efforts
• Employee Relations training with managers
• Healthy Living stress management campaign
• Change Management group pilot
• Training and Development offerings

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Discussion

• What more can we do to foster resilience in our
  employees?
• How can you enhance your personal resilience?

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Remember

• Engage employees
• Be transparent
• Help create
• stress awareness