All good stuff Nigel, but I'm tempted to consider the Brexit issue and how it is being handled kind of reflects the bad things you are apportioning to "the old ways"!!
In New Zealand, and perhaps because of our size we therefore do not have corporations/companies the size you have dealt with in Europe. My work has been predominantly with SMEs, and I have to say much of the proposed changes you identify have been in place for this size operation here for now many years. I would be interested to hear if this is the same for you folk on the other side?
See, for these smaller operations, good managers/leaders have always worked on the basis that they do not know everything, so they look first within their own place. Then if the required or perceived skill/knowledge/talent is not there, they go outside. Therefore it is not at all uncommon for a manager/leader to work with someone straight off the factory floor, when contemplating new technology/systems/products/supplies. They in turn talk to their mates at smoko about what is happening, which in an almost non-academic way brings about much of what your article touches on.
Excellent reminder of what has stood the test of time......well done that man!
Methinks one of the reasons this approach fades over time however, is that it is applied only to the troops on the front line. Anyone keen enough to try Charles' great advice should apply the same approach right through the organization. Always amazes me that for some reason folk think once people attain a "senior" position they have it all. Fact is of course, that everyone can improve aspects of their work.
Be interested to know how effective this UCHL project worked, when we are talking about line managers but the training offered was for senior managers?
................and also interested to hear how effective their other campaign has been, given the almost universal claim of bullying in the workplace that comes from folk being required to do their jobs properly.
Good interesting and reinforcing stuff Esther. I would be interested to know how you believe the warning difficulties mentioned in items 1, 3 and 4, can be avoided, because it has been shown many times that if a manager is able to "pick someone up" so-to-speak, they become very good Staff members. Also shows the rest of the Team that on occasions they may stumble for whatever reason, they will not be abandoned.
Most managers know that an overly punishing regime can have negative repercussions..........the trick is to know how much is too much. Same with bringing care to meetings...........the trick again is to know when it is too much.
Good stuff.............hopefully readers will think well about the points you raise.
Once again a very good reminder Claire of some steps Managers can take to encourage and finally achieve creativity among the troops.
I say "reminder" because of the very old but tried-and-proven Training Within Industry programme which had it's roots revitalizing industry after WWII. Part of that programme was a section headed Job Methods [JM], which very easily but extremely successfully took people through a process to achieve creativity...........but in those days they identified creativity as a part of innovation.
If any of you are able, get hold of that programme which I have been promoting for a long, long, time. To reinforce the successes, I still have people we took through JM remarking today how they continue to use the material to obtain just a good results as years ago.
While I applaud the intention of the group that has been formed, I continue to plead with HR and IR folk to use their experience and qualifications to engage front-line managers so that they are the focus of all things managerial. As has always been the case, they are the ones who ultimately have the responsibility to implement whatever management require. Therefore, they must be the ones involved; the ones supported; and the ones consulted on these and all personnel issues.
It is not the role of HR and IR specialists to implement these changes............it is their job to assist/support/engage/call-it-what-you-will their front-line managers get the changes in place and be monitored and then improved.
I will be greatly heartened if this very high-powered group at least considers this long established and highly successful approach. What was relevant in 1871 is just as relevant today.
Greetings.....
I would have thought Justin you were quite happy to be unsuccessful with that contract................where it seems the usual approach was of teaching the front-line without first making sure those further up the tree get the training and then support whatever are the key points. One of the reasons I remain convinced the Training Within Industry programme from way before your aviation career began is still the best training programme ever.
See, the programme was ONLY available to an organization after the senior management team had completed and committed to each module, meaning that not only did doctors train pilots in aspects of their job that were relevant, but that they also received good ideas from the coalface.
Greetings......As this article is aimed at Company trainers, I recommend instead of asking about experience etc at the session, all that should be done beforehand. One thing that will get folk "on-side" right from the beginning is when you show you have done your homework, so you can talk about their experiences etc from the get-go.
Also, composition of the group is important..........oftentimes the troops will not be very open if some of their bosses are present..........and those bosses are for sure not about to admit to deficiencies in front of their Team. However, having Team leaders present who you know are well respected by others, can be useful to give examples of how they have benefited from some of the material you are covering.
If anyone is interested, I have prepared a section for Employer Handbooks, prepared in collaboration with our local suicide prevention folk as well as the local workplace support group [previously Workplace Chaplains], which I recommend to my clients, covering this topic. I'm more than happy to share without cost; just let me have your email address.
Tricky one this.........I guess that mirrors much of what is said.........but I feel compelled to make some statement especially on behalf of small Employers.
See, the idea of a mental health first aider makes much sense for larger organisations, but for the owner of a small business with, say, 8 Employees, it is not so easy. In many cases they are close enough to their people to sense when something is wrong...........the problem they face is where to go for help.
So my first recommendation is to the groups out there in the community who deal with mental health issues, to focus more on helping businesses. In New Zealand I am unaware of many such organization who deliberately visit on businesses offering help. They tend more to wait for people to contact them, and that for a business person is not easy. Much easier for family or friend to make the contact.
My second recommendation is for commentators/ consultants/advisers to be a little more accurate when apportioning blame on Employers. Of course the workplace bully and the unacceptable work loads are important factors, but we need to consider how much outside influences bring about mental health issues..........and let's not forget that small Employer's mental health who has mortgaged much of what they own on the line to make the business work. In my long experience in industrial relations it oftentimes appears so easy to load more and more on to Employers. Just be accurate in apportioning "blame". For the same reason I have much sympathy for teachers who are increasingly being called on to do what parents should be doing.
.........and my third recommendation is to begin targeting top management when it comes to equipping folk with the skills etc to recognize and then deal with mental health issues. Have we forgotten that if front line managers are not doing their job in this or any respect, then how come their boss and their bosses boss is not called to account? I believe we have forgotten, and it is about time we began to put responsibility back up the line.
My answers
All good stuff Nigel, but I'm tempted to consider the Brexit issue and how it is being handled kind of reflects the bad things you are apportioning to "the old ways"!!
In New Zealand, and perhaps because of our size we therefore do not have corporations/companies the size you have dealt with in Europe. My work has been predominantly with SMEs, and I have to say much of the proposed changes you identify have been in place for this size operation here for now many years. I would be interested to hear if this is the same for you folk on the other side?
See, for these smaller operations, good managers/leaders have always worked on the basis that they do not know everything, so they look first within their own place. Then if the required or perceived skill/knowledge/talent is not there, they go outside. Therefore it is not at all uncommon for a manager/leader to work with someone straight off the factory floor, when contemplating new technology/systems/products/supplies. They in turn talk to their mates at smoko about what is happening, which in an almost non-academic way brings about much of what your article touches on.
Cheers. DonR.
Excellent reminder of what has stood the test of time......well done that man!
Methinks one of the reasons this approach fades over time however, is that it is applied only to the troops on the front line. Anyone keen enough to try Charles' great advice should apply the same approach right through the organization. Always amazes me that for some reason folk think once people attain a "senior" position they have it all. Fact is of course, that everyone can improve aspects of their work.
Cheers. DonR.
Be interested to know how effective this UCHL project worked, when we are talking about line managers but the training offered was for senior managers?
................and also interested to hear how effective their other campaign has been, given the almost universal claim of bullying in the workplace that comes from folk being required to do their jobs properly.
Cheers. DonR.
Good interesting and reinforcing stuff Esther. I would be interested to know how you believe the warning difficulties mentioned in items 1, 3 and 4, can be avoided, because it has been shown many times that if a manager is able to "pick someone up" so-to-speak, they become very good Staff members. Also shows the rest of the Team that on occasions they may stumble for whatever reason, they will not be abandoned.
Most managers know that an overly punishing regime can have negative repercussions..........the trick is to know how much is too much. Same with bringing care to meetings...........the trick again is to know when it is too much.
Good stuff.............hopefully readers will think well about the points you raise.
Cheers. DonR.
Once again a very good reminder Claire of some steps Managers can take to encourage and finally achieve creativity among the troops.
I say "reminder" because of the very old but tried-and-proven Training Within Industry programme which had it's roots revitalizing industry after WWII. Part of that programme was a section headed Job Methods [JM], which very easily but extremely successfully took people through a process to achieve creativity...........but in those days they identified creativity as a part of innovation.
If any of you are able, get hold of that programme which I have been promoting for a long, long, time. To reinforce the successes, I still have people we took through JM remarking today how they continue to use the material to obtain just a good results as years ago.
Cheers. DonR.
I also support your excellent point Liz.
While I applaud the intention of the group that has been formed, I continue to plead with HR and IR folk to use their experience and qualifications to engage front-line managers so that they are the focus of all things managerial. As has always been the case, they are the ones who ultimately have the responsibility to implement whatever management require. Therefore, they must be the ones involved; the ones supported; and the ones consulted on these and all personnel issues.
It is not the role of HR and IR specialists to implement these changes............it is their job to assist/support/engage/call-it-what-you-will their front-line managers get the changes in place and be monitored and then improved.
I will be greatly heartened if this very high-powered group at least considers this long established and highly successful approach. What was relevant in 1871 is just as relevant today.
Cheers. DonR.
Greetings.....
I would have thought Justin you were quite happy to be unsuccessful with that contract................where it seems the usual approach was of teaching the front-line without first making sure those further up the tree get the training and then support whatever are the key points. One of the reasons I remain convinced the Training Within Industry programme from way before your aviation career began is still the best training programme ever.
See, the programme was ONLY available to an organization after the senior management team had completed and committed to each module, meaning that not only did doctors train pilots in aspects of their job that were relevant, but that they also received good ideas from the coalface.
Good article. Cheers. DonR.
Greetings......As this article is aimed at Company trainers, I recommend instead of asking about experience etc at the session, all that should be done beforehand. One thing that will get folk "on-side" right from the beginning is when you show you have done your homework, so you can talk about their experiences etc from the get-go.
Also, composition of the group is important..........oftentimes the troops will not be very open if some of their bosses are present..........and those bosses are for sure not about to admit to deficiencies in front of their Team. However, having Team leaders present who you know are well respected by others, can be useful to give examples of how they have benefited from some of the material you are covering.
Cheers. DonR.
If anyone is interested, I have prepared a section for Employer Handbooks, prepared in collaboration with our local suicide prevention folk as well as the local workplace support group [previously Workplace Chaplains], which I recommend to my clients, covering this topic. I'm more than happy to share without cost; just let me have your email address.
Cheers. DonR.
Tricky one this.........I guess that mirrors much of what is said.........but I feel compelled to make some statement especially on behalf of small Employers.
See, the idea of a mental health first aider makes much sense for larger organisations, but for the owner of a small business with, say, 8 Employees, it is not so easy. In many cases they are close enough to their people to sense when something is wrong...........the problem they face is where to go for help.
So my first recommendation is to the groups out there in the community who deal with mental health issues, to focus more on helping businesses. In New Zealand I am unaware of many such organization who deliberately visit on businesses offering help. They tend more to wait for people to contact them, and that for a business person is not easy. Much easier for family or friend to make the contact.
My second recommendation is for commentators/ consultants/advisers to be a little more accurate when apportioning blame on Employers. Of course the workplace bully and the unacceptable work loads are important factors, but we need to consider how much outside influences bring about mental health issues..........and let's not forget that small Employer's mental health who has mortgaged much of what they own on the line to make the business work. In my long experience in industrial relations it oftentimes appears so easy to load more and more on to Employers. Just be accurate in apportioning "blame". For the same reason I have much sympathy for teachers who are increasingly being called on to do what parents should be doing.
.........and my third recommendation is to begin targeting top management when it comes to equipping folk with the skills etc to recognize and then deal with mental health issues. Have we forgotten that if front line managers are not doing their job in this or any respect, then how come their boss and their bosses boss is not called to account? I believe we have forgotten, and it is about time we began to put responsibility back up the line.
Good article. Cheers. DonR.