Human Resources - Spring 2021 (Vol 26, No 3) - HR's challenges of the future

Page 47

AM I MANAGING? NATALIE BARKER

No need to rush Our regular columnist Natalie Barker, Head of Transformation at Southern Cross Health Insurance, shares her insights into nurturing a sense of belonging in her team.

“Mum, I cut my leg. Am I in trouble? Are you mad?” I’ve spent a lot of time in waiting rooms with my teenage son recently. First, he was bitten by a white-tailed spider, so we waited to see our GP. Next, he knocked himself out at the skatepark, so we spent a few hours at the hospital, followed by a trip to the concussion clinic, then the physio. Yesterday, he needed stitches, so we whiled away the afternoon at the accident clinic. You can see why he thought I might be annoyed. But, truthfully, other than the fact he’s hurt (which obviously I’d avoid given the choice), I’ve just enjoyed spending time with him. I can’t help but draw the parallel between my family and my team at work. We know that a sense of belonging is important for employee engagement. Research has shown that employees with a strong feeling of belonging at work are far more likely to be engaged than those who don’t. They are much more likely to bring in their best selves and to do their best work.

But, if we’re too busy to spend time together at work, how can our people build strong connections and that precious sense of belonging? It’s not that easy, especially given that many of our new ways of working work against us. Take activity-based, flexible work environments, for example. Gone are the days where you sat at the same desk, surrounded by personal memorabilia and the same teammates every day. Now, our people have the flexibility to move around the workplace, working together in collaborative spaces or hunkering down in focus zones, but not necessarily connecting deeply with those around them. Not unlike my teenage children. That’s assuming our people are even in the office. Many of us are choosing to work from home on a regular basis. The marvels of modern technology make this a viable and attractive option, especially since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing work and home life on our own terms. Working from home means less time connecting in person and less time connecting with the physical workplace itself, which in many businesses has been designed to reinforce the values that help create a feeling of belonging. All this paints a grim picture, so it’s important to remind ourselves these same changes to the way we work have also given us opportunities to create connections that are even stronger than before.

At Southern Cross Health Insurance, we’ve spent the past few months transitioning to a new operating model, underpinned by principles of organisational agility. Like living with teenagers, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but we’ve chosen to approach the mobilisation of new teams with purpose and care. We invested in adaptive leadership training for our leaders and supported them to create psychologically safe environments. For many teams, their highest priority for the past quarter was to understand their purpose, build trusting relationships and solidify their working rhythms. Belonging at work really isn’t that different from belonging in a family. As leaders, we should take time to get to know people on a personal level, cherish them for who they are and value what they have to offer. We need to take those ‘waiting room’ moments and turn them into opportunities to nurture the feeling of belonging in our teams.

SPRING 2021

Natalie Barker is Head of Transformation at Southern Cross Health Insurance. She has been leading people for 15 years and believes that leveraging people’s strengths and passions is the best way to drive engagement and get stuff done.

HUMAN RESOURCES

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Articles inside

Am I managing? No need to rush

3min
page 47

Research Update: The future is now

4min
pages 44-45

PD Spotlight: Transforming HRM Aotearoa

3min
pages 42-43

Employment Law: Independent contractor or employee?

4min
pages 40-41

Leadership: HR shape the next normal

6min
pages 36-38

HR Technology: How AI can address skills shortages

5min
pages 34-35

Immigration Law Update: Ray of hope

4min
pages 32-33

Learning & Development: Why business training needs to change

4min
pages 30-31

HR Technology: Winning war for talent

4min
pages 28-29

Insights: All eyes on us

8min
pages 24-27

Employment Law: Authentically engaging with Māori

4min
pages 22-23

Tikanga Māori & HRM: How Māori culture can uplift HR and business

7min
pages 18-20

Sustainability: ESG and SDG: Acronyms of the future

4min
pages 16-17

Culture & Change: Top-ten themes for change

7min
pages 12-15

HR in a Covid world: Project Safe Haven

4min
pages 10-11

Member profile: Rebecca Ralph - HRNZ Student of the Year

3min
pages 8-9

News Roundup

4min
pages 6-7

From the editor

1min
page 5

Top of mind: Amy Clarke

2min
page 4
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