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Organizational Change

By Madison Hanscom and Brie DeLisi When it comes to occupational safety, planning and procedures are incredibly important. They may be a legal requirement in some respects, and they also provide a guideline for the workforce to be aligned on mission, goals, and activities. When taking on a culture change approach for achieving better workplace safety, planning and procedures will be a critical component. Planning will help to bring implementation strategies for improving safety performance to life. It can also help to identify key priorities. Procedures will provide guidance and direction for everyday functioning along the way. However, this is not enough

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By Madison Hanscom, PhD Respectful treatment is not always the norm in every work group. There are countless individuals who are required to interact with other workers and leaders who are rude, sarcastic, judgmental, and disrespectful. Incivility can be as subtle was a snarky remark, or as obvious as aggression. Kindness really does matter at work. People thrive professionally and personally when they are surrounded by supportive colleagues they trust. When workers perceive to be in an environment that is civil (norms supporting respectful treatment among workgroup members) they are less likely to suffer from burnout and have higher job satisfaction (1). The

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By Madison Hanscom, Ph.D. As many businesses are considering (or have already decided) moving some employees to a permanent telework model after the COVID-19 outbreak, the question comes up often — will flex work change my culture? So, yes, the culture can change when entering a more flexible environment. Though the extent to which the culture will change depends on several factors. For example, how large is the change? If the company is moving to a 100% remote model, this will have different implications than if moving to a 50% telework model. How strong was the culture to begin with? If the

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By Madison Hanscom, PhD Introducing telework into a culture that does not support flexible work arrangements can set up a business for failure. It is important to deeply consider culture before, during, and after changes to the company that involve employees working from home. If the attitude is that telework is not going to succeed - it will not. A company’s culture is composed of the beliefs, assumptions, norms, and core values that the members hold (1). Norms and assumptions run deep, and they are all around (staying at your desk late to symbolize commitment to the boss, how long to

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By Eric Michrowski There's an old aphorism that is apocryphally attributed to Abraham Lincoln, which deals with the subject of cutting down a tree. 'Give me six hours to chop down a tree,' the saying goes, 'and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.' Various other versions of the saying exist, changing the times involved, but all with the same central thesis: use the majority of the time allotted to prepare for the task. Lincoln – or whomever the anonymous woodcutter at the root of this statement is – has oft been credited with an insightful observation about the necessity

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By Sarah Moore & Eric Michrowski Some of America’s oldest chapters in history were written on the banks of Boston’s Charles River, but today it hosts a different kind of revolution. Paul English, co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of Kayak (the website and app that helps you plan your next trip by searching hundreds of travel sites for the best deal) is once again revolutionizing the world of travel. His new app, Lola, brings a human touch to business travel. The app learns your preferences, so it can make smarter recommendations for your travel. And Concierges – real humans – are available

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