Continuing my series of 6 follow-ups from WorkSafe Month webinar questions, today’s blog is number 4 and the title is Simple and small things you can do to make a difference, it relates to the following question that I received: ‘Just interested in the 'walk around' - Do you have any suggestions for simple and small things we can do to make a difference?’

Making a difference starts with your commitment to change and this commitment needs to be authentic and actionable.  Yes, there are simple and inexpensive actions, but these actions can get lost and make you feel like you’re banging your head against a wall if you don’t have organisational commitment to a respectful and positive culture first.

So, let’s assume that your workplace has embraced this commitment, and you are at some point along an action plan.  By the way, this is an action plan that never ends – or if this one ends another needs to follow – a perfect workplace culture is never achieved completely, rather it is something to always aspire to. 

Hopefully your action plan started with clear communication of the plan and purpose, and has progressed with staff consultation at every stage.  Now that you are on the journey here are some small supporting suggestions:

• Get off your chair, slow your gait and walk around your workplace. 

• Notice the ‘vibe’ – is there conversation or silence?  Is it comfortable or awkward? 

• Notice the body language of the staff, do they appear engaged or slumped over, excited and passionate, or stressed and exhausted.

Listen to your staff – you can’t fix what you don’t understand. Using what you learnt in the first dot points, take small *pulse checks, whether by taking the time to stop and chat or by short electronic surveys.

• Find out what respect means to different people.

• Ask your staff/teams what they believe the organisation/their team/themselves do well to demonstrate respect and what could be improved.  Ask, what do we do well here? what could we do better?

• Find out what ‘appropriate and inappropriate behaviour’ mean to different people, we all have a past that may include our own interpretations and historical baggage/triggers.

• We all want to feel appreciated and valued, so ask: what would make you feel more appreciated and valued as an employee of XYZ?

• Find out what makes people’s jobs meaningful to them.

Once you have the data, look for patterns Add culture and workplace behaviour as an agenda item in toolbox meetings.  Simply by having this on the agenda it creates a safe space to encourage conversations.

• Create a team culture; make the effort to include everyone, show gratitude for good work and acknowledge efforts.  A simple thank you goes a long way.

• Walk the talk.  Practice what you’re preaching, be honest and ethical, transparent and straightforward.

• Start having formal conversations about the culture you want, Respect at Work training sessions might be exactly what you need 😊

*Note: A pulse check is not a culture survey – it is usually just 2 or 3 open questions to elicit specific information.  Respect at Work can facilitate both informal culture surveys and pulse checks if requested.

*These suggestions are not ‘band-aids’, there are NO shortcuts to ‘fix’ a bad culture.

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