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MAKE TIME TO
RELAX, REJUVENATE, RECHARGE
Lisa Legall-Belgrave - Editor The start of September ended the major period of vacation here at the Secretariat. Hopefully, those who were on vacation in July and August took some time to recharge, rejuvenate and relax. Vacation time is important, but how much time is spent resting and relaxing during our breaks from work? Work/ Life balance is quite the buzzword these days but, do we actively focus on how to achieve it? On Page 5, I share the Caribbean Leadership Project’s 4 Simple Steps for Work/ Life Balance. When you think about it on a deeper level, unwinding does not have to include a lavish vacation in New York, London or Toronto, or further afield (although an opportunity for vacation in one of these big cities is always welcomed). Reading a good book, or “bussing” a lime with friends and family can be just as rejuvenating. Nonetheless, whenever you take time off from work make time for a treatment at a spa, especially if you don’t make the trip to the day spa as part of your monthly regime. Try visiting a brick and mortar bookstore and spend an extended period browsing and reading. Recently, I visited Pages bookstore in Cave Shepherd, Barbados and it was so invigorating. The time I spent browsing the thousands of books was very relaxing. I eventually bought a book, which I am still reading. I haven’t read an actual book in a very long time. I also recently treated myself to a quartz massage at the eforea Spa at the Hilton Barbados Resort. I was transformed to a faraway land. It was quite an experience! The therapist had quite a time with my back, however. I swear, it was probably the knottiest back she has ever encountered. She
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said it wasn’t but I think she was being nice. The therapist explained there could be a number of reasons for the many knots she encountered during my massage: Not drinking enough water; a sedentary job, which causes you to sit for long periods; bad posture while on the computer. I could tick off each of these so I have since increased my water in-take and now when I need to speak to anyone at the office, I walk to their desk. Hopefully, there will be some improvement in my knotty back. Eforea Spa’s ambience and great service is incredible and the experience was rejuvenating and relaxing. Using your time off to relax is an important aspect of selfcare. Research has shown that those who take the time to plan time for relaxation are happier both at work and at home. They have a sunnier outlook on life, their health and wellness. So now that many of us are back from our summertime breaks remember it is good to make time for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Talk back to me either via email lisa.legallbelgrave@caricom.org or comment on the posts I share via the Intranet. I promise you, it’s okay.
CARICOM Expats: Tips to help you Adapt to Life in . . . By Lisa Legall Belgrave
Moving to a new country for work can be many things – exciting, exhilarating, daunting and scary, and even a sense of adventure. Internationally, many people move to a new country for work because their company transfers them to one of its international locations. This type of move usually means a promotion, a higher salary and a number of other benefits and or perks. However, in the CARICOM context, people apply for jobs at the Secretariat or in one of the 16 institutions within the Caribbean Community. It may mean a higher salary and a promotion but I have also heard of those who have taken a pay-cut to serve the good people of the Caribbean Community. Moving to another country can be attractive, but there are always unforeseen challenges to consider. We would have weighed the pros and cons of taking a role with the Secretariat and assessed the benefits of accepting the position here. Most notably would be how our families would be affected, our finances and of course, the cultural differences. Even taking all the related factors into consideration, even after arriving there are additional dynamics that you will still have to deal with.
Our Family
Moving abroad with a family is, naturally, a risky undertaking and a lot more complicated than making the move alone. There have been some officers who have ended their appointments because family members have been unable to adjust. And there are others who make the sacrifice and stick it out. In making the decision to relocate with your family you may have considered what your spouse would be allowed to undertake professionally. The reality may present some limitations that were not considered, like the remuneration for your spouse or the general changes to their conditions of work. Your children may have adjusted to their new home or school. The allowances you calculated based on the contract you were offered are not as simple and clearcut as they appear. You would be making adjustments and tough decisions.
The Financial Lowdown
You have moved to Guyana and within the first month you have found your apartment. Life is on the way to some semblance of normalcy. However, there are some costs related to living abroad that you had not considered when accepting the job offer: • The real cost of housing in Guyana can be shocking. Rental prices can vary wildly by neighbourhood, and you will want to live in a convenient and safe area. • If you own property in your home country, you will have to continue to pay the fixed costs related to the property (taxes, insurance, mortgage, utilities). • For some of us, adapting to life in Guyana is easier if making periodic trips back home is possible, however travel costs around the region is astronomical and difficult, partly due to the limited airlift. A monthly trip home can add up. Fortunately, travel costs for an annual trip (for you and all family members) is subsidised in the Secretariat remuneration package.
Cultural Differences
The Secretariat’s organisational culture takes getting used to, and Guyana’s traditions have an impact on the cultural norms here. Adapting to the local business culture has presented its own set of challenges. Here are a few tips that can help: • For those of you reading this article who have just joined the organisation, give yourself time to learn about the culture both at work and in Guyana. Ask questions and listen to everyone who can offer you valuable insight into how things are done. This gives you a chance to learn the culture in a non-confrontational way. • It may be helpful to seek out fellow expatriate colleagues from your home country who have lived there for some time and understand how things work. • Embrace humility. The traits that make you a powerful leader in your own country may not go over well in another culture. Be ready to change.
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by Lynn Giuliani, President and founder of Progressions Inc.
CHANGE a word that typically creates resistance in most any audience. People don’t resist change… they resist BEING changed! When we feel as if we are in the “driver’s seat” we tend to see change as our ally, especially when seeking out learning, opportunity and growth. When change addresses the adage WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) it is seen as a welcome commodity. It’s often said, “The one thing we can be sure of is change.” In today’s workplace change is a constant. If we are to exceed and succeed, we must be willing to change and embrace it.
4. People can handle only so much change. 5. People are at different levels of readiness for change. 6. People will be concerned they don’t have enough resources. 7. If you take pressure off, people will revert back to their old behavior To effectively change we must look at our capacity for resilience. Another way of phrasing this would be our “bounce back” abilities. If we see change as adversity or a creator of stress, resilience becomes an important part of accepting change.
So why all the resistance?
Consider these eight different dimensions of resilience and ask yourself how you score in each of these areas.
People resist change because of the unknown. People resist change based on previous experiences. Sometimes people resist change because in the end “it’s the thing to do”. Leading change then becomes a significant challenge and an important aspect in the growth of any company today. Helping people through change can be accomplished by understanding the following seven principles set out by Stephen Covey. Seven Dynamics of Change 1. People will feel awkward and self-conscious. 2. People initially focus on what they have to give up. 3. People will feel alone even if everyone else is going through the same change.
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1. Self-assurance – Resilient people have a deep belief in their own capacity. They understand that the world is a complex and challenging place and they believe that they have what it takes to deal with whatever comes their way. 2. Clarity of personal vision – Resilient people have a clear sense of what they want to accomplish in life. For some people their purpose is their family, for others community, and others work. Clarity creates drive, drive creates results. 3. Flexible and adaptable – Those who are most resilient have the ability to adjust their actions and behaviours to changing circumstances. They pursue their personal vision in ways that accommodate and respond to realities of the world. 4. Organised – Resilient people build a level of structure and stability that they need to create order and focus. They set realistic goals and find personal strategies that enable them to cope with the challenges that they face.
5. Problem solver – Understanding the root cause and anticipating set-backs is important to critical thinking. Collaborating with others and viewing failures as opportunities for learning and growth creates resilience. 6. Interpersonal confidence – This dimension involves demonstrating empathy for others, laughing at one’s self, seeking out other’s perspectives and displaying emotional intelligence. 7. Socially connected – Those that are most resilient tend to have strong social connections with others. They do this by reaching out, building bridges, and discovering a common ground that contributes to the welfare of others. 8. Proactive – Resilient people focus on what they can do to effectively engage with the world rather than focusing on what others have done to them. They confront whatever challenges lie before them and put their attention on specific action plans. They focus forward versus on the past. Smart leaders find ways to tap into one’s natural inclination towards change. They work hard to put those affected by a change, in charge of change and therefore in support of it. When leaders understand that self-directed change is something that humans naturally strive for they are able to approach the task of introducing change in a different and positive way. Progressions Inc. is a consulting company specialising in sales, service and leadership training for financial institutions
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SpotlightOn: Natasha Subero, BPR Specialist
Lisa Legall Belgrave: How did you get started in the Business Process Re-engineering field? Natasha Subero: I’ve always been curious about why and how things happen and, a bit like an engineer, I want to see things work better especially in the context of scarce resources. LLB: What are you most excited about with regards to re-engineering the Secretariat’s processes? NS: The complexity of the Secretariat and its challenges represent a fantastic opportunity for quantum thinking problem-solving approaches. LLB: As the BPR Specialist, you will be interrogating. mapping and re-engineering the Secretariat’s processes. Staff members may become uncomfortable with the interrogation and possibly the changes that may come. What can you say to staff about your approach? NS: I ask a lot of questions in order to learn more about the reason why we do what we do. I may bring a different perspective but a lot of process changes will be developed collaboratively with the people already working with the existing process. I believe they will all have good ideas about how to make it work better and together we can develop the new process. LLB: What, from your perspective, was the most important take-way from the BPR training conducted in March? NS: The most important take away is the focus on the customer and delivering value in a way that is meaningful to the customer. It is not change for its own sake. LLB: From your view point, can BPR help the CARICOM Secretariat achieve its mandate of Regional Integration? NS: The vision of Regional Integration is a complex, but worthy goal and because it’s big, scary and audacious, we can sometimes trip over ourselves in trying to make it happen. BPR will help streamline our efforts at every level to ensure that we are all working towards the same finish line and moving in the same direction, with the same rhythm. Our limited resources make this synchronicity even more important and impactful. Think of it like a relay race in the Olympics. The smooth handovers between the leg runners is just as important as their pace. BPR is like working
on improving both the pace and the handover. When we are not looking at process, but only at the pace, which is equivalent to functional or silo efficiency, we drop the baton in the handover and lose the entire race. LLB: What is your guiding philosophy? NS: If “Plan A” didn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters. Stay Cool! LLB: What is your biggest passion? NS: I am excited about learning and teaching and solving big problems. LLB: How do you define success? Not specific to this role, but overall. NS: Making a positive difference in the lives of the people with whom I interact. LLB: Can you tell us about one of those moments? NS: I think we limit ourselves. We define our horizons too narrowly and often miss opportunities to grow beyond our wildest dreams. For example, can you articulate your own assumptions about your limitations? What if these only existed in your mind? As a lecturer, I have had people contact me after completing their courses and sharing the difference that the new perspective made for them. As a consultant, I have been involved in business startups and turnarounds that have been always painful in the beginning and often joyful in the end. LLB: Inspired by? NS: I read voraciously. LLB: What is work/life balance for you? NS: I believe if you enjoy what you do, you never waste a day working. Besides, work / life balance is a myth. It’s about being able to do what you need to do when you need to do it. LLB: How do you stay focused? NS: Life can be like an Alice in Wonderland experience sometimes. In order to stay sane and get anything done, I developed a habit of holding onto one piece of the chaos one problem at a time. LLB: Sport or books? NS: Books! Favourites include Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
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Employee Connection at the
CARICOM Secretariat by Lisa Legall Belgrave
Employee Engagement is about employees’ emotional connection to their place of work. One of the assessments undertaken by the Change Management Office as part of the Reform Process was the Employee Engagement Survey, which sought to determine what level of engagement exists at the Secretariat. There are various definitions of employee engagement as thought leaders share different views on the area and the factors that need to be present to allow for engagement to take place. However, this one puts it fairly clearly: Employee engagement is a heightened emotional and intellectual connection that an employee has for his/her job, organisation, manager, or co-workers that, in turn influences him/her to apply additional discretionary effort to his/her work. This emotional connection means engaged employees actually care about their work and their organisation. They do not work just for a pay cheque, or just for the next promotion, but work on behalf of the organisation’s goals.
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43% 57%
Participated Did Not Participate
How connected to the Secretariat are staff members? The 2016 Employee Connections found 30% of the survey participants were seen to be engaged. The majority of employees were found to be not engaged (60%) and 10% being dis-engaged. The survey consisted of 31 questions, which looked at the engagement/connections within the Secretariat and they were scored on a five-point Likert-scale ranging from disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree. Each response was given a score ranging from 1-5. The data is presented as mean scores for all individual components. A total of 190 employees completed the 2016 Employee Connections Survey, which equates to 57% participation of the Secretariat’s total staff complement.
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10%
CCS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT 2 0 1 6
60%
Dis-Engaged Not Engaged Engaged The survey collected information based on the four main areas of Engagement: Empowerment, Belonging and Ownership, and Employment Attitude. Within these three main areas were several sub-areas that were of main interest for the Survey: Job Clarity; Support; Resources; Respect; Competence; Team; Mission and Direction; Commitment and Confidence; Satisfaction and Engagement Attitudes. The three main categories of employee engagement that were considered were: • Engaged – Gallup shows engaged employees are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work, co-workers and workplace. Engagement levels within the Secretariat (30%) are well above the worldwide average, and comparable with the US and Canadian average. • Not engaged – Employee Connections explains that employees who are not engaged tend to fluctuate in their performance. They frequently have duties which they do in an ‘automated’ fashion, which means they can easily miss errors and changes. On occasion, they are given duties which cause them to “wake up” and pay strong
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attention, but this is not frequent enough. They are also more easily distracted and are frequently likely to multitask, again making them less attentive to the work they are doing and thus more prone to errors and poor quality work. • Dis-engaged – According to Gallup employees that are actively dis-engaged are not just unhappy at work; they are busy acting out their unhappiness. Dis-engaged employees monopolise their managers’ time; have more on-the-job accidents; account for more quality defects; contribute to “shrinkage,” as theft is called; are sicker; miss more days; and quit at a higher rate than engaged employees do. Every day, these workers undermine what their engaged co-workers accomplish. Gallup’s statistics illustrate that actively dis-engaged employees outnumber engaged employees 2:1. In the Secretariat context, engaged employee outnumber disengaged employees 3:1. This result places the Secretariat well above the worldwide average, but still considerably lower than the highest performing organisations.
C O V E R
Results of the survey has been shared in a report presented to the Executive and Senior Management Committees and reports will be shared with staff by Directorates/Offices/ Units over the coming weeks. However, below are a number highlights from the survey: • • • • • • •
30% of employees in the Secretariat are engaged 83% of Directors who participated were engaged 67% of Programme Managers who participated were engaged 71% of employee feel empowered 74% of employees are clear about their job responsibilities, desired results and standards 64% have good relationships at work with managers and friends 53% of employees have access to their manager
S T O R Y
The survey also showed that the Secretariat as an organisation is “Not Engaged”. Areas of greatest strength was that of Empowerment, Ownership, Support and Job Clarity. Areas which the Secretariat can improve to reach a level of Engagement would be to address the areas of Belonging, Competence and Commitment and Confidence. Below is a snapshot of the results by Directorate, however more indepth information will be shared in the departmental meetings and as an internal communications plan is rolled out across the organisation as efforts are made to improve engagement across the Secretariat over the coming year and beyond.
ENGAGEMENT BY DIRECTORATE/OFFICE
Engaged
Not Engaged
Dis-Engaged
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Categories of
Work Consultations CMO is currently working on developing the framework for the Secretariat’s Categories of Work and recently held consultations with PMs, DPM, SPOs and POs to get their input, feedback and opinion on the proposal.
Why Categories of Work? • To help all employees identify the core (and common) activities which must be undertaken to achieve the Secretariat’s goals in every Directorate/Office/Unit • To provide a standard so that roles can be consistent in terms of complexity, regardless of the Directorate/Office/ Unit in which they are located (Fairness) • To ensure a common, basic level of skill, competence and experience among all staff of similar levels (Equity)
The Categories of Work for senior staff being proposed are: advocacy; technical; leadership/management; and administration, while there are six categories for junior staff: Administration; Meeting Coordination; Rapporteuring; Project Management, Analysis and Reporting and Protocol. If you have any questions regarding Categories of Work, email us at talkback@caricom.org
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R E C A P
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From left: Volderine Hackett, DPM Communications Unit; Hipolina Joseph, DPM -(Strategic Management) - Strategic Planning Monitoring and Evaluation; and Roxanne Gustave, DPM - Risk Management, Strategic Planning Monitoring and Evaluation.
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From left: Ronnie Brathwaite, DPM - Agriculture and Industry and Timothy Odle, DPM - Development of Services Sector.
3. From left: Brian Bellevue, DPM - FCR; Kenneth Williams, DPM – Admin Services; Gerard Crick, DPM – HRM. 4.
From left Brian Bellevue, DPM - FCR; Kenneth Williams, DPM – Admin Services; Gerard Crick, DPM – HRM; and Marcia Ormsby, PM - Conference Services.
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Shivanee Bholanauth, Project Officer, Accounting Systems, Operations and Maintenance (left); Nickeva Eve-Benjamin, Project Officer – FCR (background); and Valique Gomes, SPO – FCR (foreground) .
6. From left Nadia Spencer-Henry, SPO RMTA; Michael Norris SPO - EU Project Coordination Unit; Sandy Griffith, SPO - RMTA Mignon Bowen-Phillips PO – RMTA and Alexis Murray, PO – RMTA 7. Simone Joseph PO - ICT4D
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By Wanda M. Holland Greene
This article, originally published in Thrive Global (www.thriveglobal.com), offers tips on how employees can be empowered to make the changes they wish to see in the workplace.
As a member of the newest cohort of educators chosen to be Pahara-Aspen Fellows at The Aspen Institute, I have been deeply engaged in readings about the challenges of leadership. From Monnet to Machiavelli and from Shanker to Sotomayor, I have been examining models of leadership, noting provocative ideas and “talking back” to the texts as I read them. This is what all active readers and reflective practitioners should do. A sentence in an excerpt from “Leadership is an Art” by American businessman and author Max De Pree spoke powerfully and particularly to me: “The measure of leadership is not the quality of the head but the tone of the body.” I “hollered back” and gave Max a high-five. Here’s why. By my own self-assessment and that of others, I am an effective and experienced leader who is motivated and inspired daily by the mission of my school and my desire to level the playing field for children who are underestimated or undervalued. I am awe-struck when I think about how much responsibility is placed into the hands and at the feet of leaders. Clearly, leaders bear the weighty responsibility of carrying the vision and values of their organisations and
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must work diligently to ensure that everyone knows the way forward and why they are headed there. Someone once told me that if the leader gets too far ahead of the organisation, he or she starts to look like the enemy. So true! I recognise and joyfully accept my role as a leader, as do many of my esteemed colleagues, and yet I must say that the measure of our impact is inextricably linked with the body of people we lead. Everyone seems quick to judge the quality of the leader and less inclined to ask those being led a critical question: Are you the change you wish to see in the workplace? Do the behaviours and attitudes of the members of the organisation help or hinder the leader’s ability to focus on the important things? Simply put, what is the tone of the body? Here is what Mahatma Gandhi actually said about being the change we wish to see in the world: “We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” Gandhi gets a high-five too. There are many days when I
wonder what more I could actually be doing with my time and talent if each individual took responsibility for the energy that he or she brings into the workplace. What great things would happen if “we could change ourselves”? My hypothesis is that my effectiveness as a leader would skyrocket, employee morale would improve, and we’d all thrive and get some more sleep. (You get a high-five too, Arianna.) Imagine if every individual in the organisation, leaders included, decided to do the following five things – just think about how much more satisfying it would be for everyone to go to work! We could all focus more intently on the important instead of being clobbered by the urgent. Whenever I review my work calendar and reflect upon the things that tend to take me out of my strategic stance, the distractions and detours are most often due to the fact that someone (myself included) failed to do one of these five things:
1. Arrive to work every day with a sense of gratitude
One thing I know for sure is that the only thing we truly have is today; therefore, the quality of each day matters. It would be extraordinary to see how much joy we could usher into the workplace just by saying “thank you” and being grateful for what we have been given. We are surrounded by blessings, both great and small, and being aware of them and thankful for them goes a long way. I am grateful for my health, for my wonderful family, for the opportunity to do work that I love with people whom I admire and respect. When I begin my work day with a sense of gratitude, my outlook on life and the future is better. Now don’t get me wrong — being grateful does not mean accepting mistreatment in the workplace and silencing one’s voice. Gratitude means
approaching everyone and everything in your organisation with an open heart and recognisng that happiness comes from wanting what we have, not necessarily having everything that we want.
2. Love your neighbour
Kindness counts, and taking time to learn and connect to someone else’s story is important. See people for who they are. Better yet, ask them who they are. Learn to be culturally competent in the workplace. As a leader, I love sharing stories and I believe in the fundamental goodness of people. Most people show up each day to do their best work and to be their best self. We’re all human, and a little empathy works wonders in creating a joyful workplace. It’s really hard to demonise people and create factions at work when you see others as fully human. Open your eyes and ears, say “good morning”, and then linger for an authentic response. I understand so clearly just how busy and how flawed and broken we all are. I also know for sure that when we are loved, we feel more whole and more at peace.
3. Follow the rules
It’s really simple. When you break the rules, you create problems and
slow down the system. When rules are ignored, it’s infuriating and a colossal waste of time and energy. If you arrive late at 9:07 a.m. every day, and everyone else comes in on time at 9:00 a.m., you’re creating a headache for the leader who now has to stop and remind you about the rules. If your deliverables are always late, progress comes to a halt, and the leader needs to remind you about the importance of deadlines. Everyone in the organisation wants to see systems work fairly and smoothly — when rules are followed carefully, people are more likely to accept decisions and outcomes, even the difficult ones. (Note: Creativity and fairness are essential elements of a happy workplace. Please don’t use my “follow the rules” advice as an excuse not to innovate or change direction when necessary. And we should certainly not adhere to rules that are unfair and discriminatory.)
4. Regulate your emotions
There is no doubt that things happen at work which trigger us in negative ways. Someone sends a terse email; a leader or supervisor makes a decision that you don’t understand or agree with; you want a larger raise; your colleague gossips about your private life; you get passed over for a promotion you feel
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you deserve; you are asked to wait for something that you feel is critical. The workplace is often a swirl of poorly regulated emotions. As a leader, I want people to feel their emotions fully and deeply. For example, I don’t believe in squashing one’s anger and pretending that you are not upset. However, the workplace would be so much healthier if employees would get curious before they get furious. Might an individual take a few mindful breaths before unleashing his or her venom in a meeting or in an email? Better yet, might a person write the angry email but not send it? To be candid, I have received emails that would have been much better as personal journal entries, not professional correspondence. My point here is that a leader’s energy is often spent unraveling two issues instead of one: 1) The inappropriate emotional reaction and 2) The original issue. A little selfcontrol in the short-term could save everyone a lot of time in the long-term.
5. Replace anxiety with trust
This final piece of advice gets back to the idea of assuming good will. In healthy organisations, the leaders are not a cohort of evildoers who conspire to manipulate others and make their lives miserable. Making uninformed claims about what “management” or “the administration” is doing hurts the leader as a person and the organisation as a whole, and fearing that there are
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always ulterior motives is frustrating and unhelpful. We lead because we care. We lead because we believe that we can make a positive contribution and a meaningful difference. I certainly understand that trust is earned over time and that relationship-building and transparency in decision-making deepen trust, and I am committed to those processes. My questions are twofold: Can leaders be given some political currency up front instead of feeling as if we are always working our way out of a trust deficit? Furthermore, can we build our organisations on a strong foundation of trust rather than on the quicksand of anxiety? I hope that the answer can be yes to both questions. Max de Pree spends a lot of time discussing what leaders owe their institutions. I know for sure that I owe Hamlin nothing less than my very best effort each day, and I will continue to lead with deep gratitude, clear purpose, and unspeakable joy. What I and all leaders want more than anything is to leave a legacy of health and strength, and I am here to declare boldly and humbly that we cannot do this alone.
We need the deft combination of excellence in leadership and the commitment of trusting and trusted employees. Together we will create the change we wish to see in the workplace and in the world.
About the Author Wanda M. Holland Greene is Head of School at The Hamlin School in San Francisco, a mission-driven institution dedicated to best practices and innovation in the education of girls and young women. She holds a Master’s degree in curriculum design and instruction from Columbia University’s Teachers College, a permanent teaching license in New York State, and has completed extensive coursework in private school leadership at The Esther A. and Joseph Klingenstein Center at Columbia.