Our impact

Supporting a respectful culture

Using engagement survey results to facilitate important conversations about a healthy workplace culture.

The Challenge

We were engaged by a specific branch within a State Government Department to design and deliver some employee sessions aimed at objectively exploring the results of a recent People Matters survey. A couple of issues had been reported for the second year in a row, suggesting a need for further exploration and action around a few key themes.We were asked to leverage these results to gather in-depth, qualitative insights on the current versus ‘ideal’ culture, as well as those factors contributing most significantly to current perceptions. Given the potential sensitivity around the People Matters results, another key priority was to create an atmosphere of psychological safety so that employees felt confident in their voices being objectively ‘heard’.

Based on outcomes from this work, Influence for Change were subsequently engaged to support both leaders and their teams through the delivery of two additional initiatives. The first round of facilitated sessions aimed to build skills and confidence in constructively handling difficult conversations. The second initiative involved working in partnership with the Executive Director to define, explore and facilitate discussions about those behaviours deemed critical for creating a healthy and respectful culture.

The Approach

We partnered with our client to design and deliver each set of activities, with a consistent focus on creating a ‘safe’ environment and maintaining appropriate levels of sensitivity. In total, three separate employee workshops were rolled out to approximately 35 Branch members and senior leaders, with each workshop building on previous themes and conversations. Insights from each stage were shared with the leadership group, along with clear recommendations for ensuring progress and maintaining momentum.

After the initial round of sessions aimed at data gathering, a rigorous thematic analysis helped to identify key themes and urgent priorities. Later, this data was also used to create a robust and objective set of “respectful behaviours”. These behaviours underpinned key activities and discussions included in the final Branch session, during which leaders and team members explored and discussed their personal contributions to creating a respectful culture.

The Outcome

Many felt the sessions created numerous opportunities for open and honest discussions about the attitudes and behaviours required to create the desired culture within the Branch. Several significant issues impacting engagement and retention were also identified, allowing these to be addressed more openly.

Another critical outcome was increased awareness around differing perceptions on what constitutes “respectful” behaviours, with this helping to create shared expectations across the team. Participants also reported increased confidence and skill in handling difficult conversations. Finally, our contributions also helped a newly appointed Executive Director to feel supported in handling these critical issues and taking the work forward at the conclusion of our formal engagement.