Presented by Margo Fox 2019 NSW Safety Symposium

1. Hazards of Change:
Lowering the risk of injury through
intentional implementation
Margo Fox

2. The cost of mental health at work
• 45% of Australians between 16 and 85 will
experience a mental health condition in their
lifetime
• Untreated mental health conditions can cost
Australian workplaces ~$10.9 billion/ year
• absenteeism
• presenteeism (present but less productive)
• compensations claims
Source: The state of mental health in Australian workplace 2014 (TNS & Beyond Blue)
One in five Australian employees
report that they have taken time off
work due to feeling mentally unwell
in the past 12 months

3. Causes of psychological injuries – Safe Work Australia, 2019
Source: Work-related psychological health and safety. A systematic
approach to meeting your duties, Jan 1029
• high job demand
• low job control
• poor support
• poor workplace relationships
• low role clarity
• poor organisational change management
• poor organisational justice
• poor environmental conditions
• remote or isolated work, and
• violent or traumatic events
Mental health risk factors (safe work Australia)

4. Causes of psychological injuries – Safe Work Australia, 2019
Source: Work-related psychological health and safety. A systematic approach
to meeting your duties, Jan 1029
Poor organisational change management
Workplaces where there is:
• Insufficient consideration of the potential
WHS and performance impacts during
downsizing or relocations or associated with
the introduction of new technology and
production processes
• Inadequate consultation and communication
with key stakeholders and workers about
major changes, or
• Not enough practical support for workers
during transition times

5. The Job Demand Control Support Model (Karasek, 1989)
Source: Fila, M. J. (2016). The job demands, control, support model: Where are we now?
Predictors of well-being and strain
High Demands
• Working very fast
• Working very hard
• Not always enough time
High Job Control
• Decision making ability
• Autonomy
• Job design
Support
• Helpful work relationships
• Social companionship
Control
Demand
Low
High
Low High Risks for
psychological
strains
Opportunity to learn
new patterns of
behaviour
Passive Jobs
Low Strain jobs
High Strain Jobs
Active Jobs

6. How can organisational change contribute to psychological strain?
Anxiety and/or stress created by:
• Changes to:
• Structure
• Benefits
• Responsibilities
• Environment
• Processes + Systems
• Creates concern about impacts on:
• Status
• Certainty
• Autonomy
• Relatedness
• Fairness1
1Refers to David Rock’s SCARF Model

7. New ideas create excitement,
momentum and risk.
What is the big idea?
• Regulations
• Board mandates
• Community standards
• Incidents
• Audit outcomes
• Premium increases
• Regulator activity
• Profitability
• Competitiveness
• Efficiency
• Employees voice
• Strategic direction
• Innovation
• Pressure
Triggers for Change

8. Change success is defined by
1. Speed of adoption
how quickly the change is adopted and how
well the project stays on track
2. Ultimate utilisation
the overall level of participation of the new
processes, systems and behaviours
3. Proficiency
how well employees perform in the new
environment and if expected performance
levels are being met
4. Keeping people safe:
Removing harm before, during and after the
change
Source: PROSCI

9. Your organisational
culture will influence
the adoption of your
change
How does culture contribute?
Strategy
Vision
The way we say we
get things done
Goals
Structures
Beliefs
Perceptions
Values
Unwritten rules
Stories
Feelings
Norms
Procedures
Tradition
Shared
assumptions
The way we really
get things done Adapted from Torben Rick, The Icebergthat
sinks organizationalchange
Shared values
Policies

10. PMI Pulse of the Profession 2018
$1m is wasted every 20
seconds through ineffective
project implementation
The costs of ineffective implementation

11. Implement intentionally
Build a solid foundation of Change, Project
and Leadership which supports a clear and
compelling purpose

12. Intentional Implementation
L
P
C Connects the people
with the purpose and
maintains momentum
LeadershipChange
Management
Project
Management
Evolves the solution and
delivers the technical
benefits
Supports the leaders,
prepares and monitors
people for the change

13. Comparing Change
CaptainAir Control
Co-pilots
 Air crew
 Ground crew
Destination
Passengers
and cargo

14. Comparing Change
SponsorExecutives
Project
Manager
 Project team
 Change team
Goals and
outcomes
Employees
and Customers

15. Comparing Change
CaptainAir Control
Co-pilots
Air crew
Ground crew
Destination
Passengers and
cargo
Executives Sponsor
Project Manager
Project team
Change team
Employees and
Customers
Goals and
outcomes

16. Risk multipliers
James Allen, Bain & Co
Strategyis aboutturbulence,
scenarios,movesand
countermoves.
Thebeststrategyis about fast
adaptation—we set out a
clearand constant
destinationand agreeon
multiplepaths ofapproach.

17. The Job Demand Control Support Model (Karasek, 1989)
Source: Fila, M. J. (2016). The job demands, control, support model: Where are we now?
Predictors of well-being and strain
High Demands
• Working very fast
• Working very hard
• Not always enough time
High Job Control
• Decision making ability
• Autonomy
• Job design
Support
• Helpful work relationships
• Social companionship
Control
Demand
Low
High
Low High Risks for
psychological
strains
Opportunity to learn
new patterns of
behaviour
Passive Jobs
Low Strain jobs
High Strain Jobs
Active Jobs

18. 1. People stopped talking about it
2. It was never in the budget
3. There weren’t enough resources
4. The project team seemed really stressed
5. The change wasn’t a part of the strategy
6. Change has not been done well before
7. My boss was told to ‘just get it done’
8. My boss said it was a bad idea
9. Lack of consequences
9 common hazards of change

19. Ideas to change your change

20. 1. Empower your leaders
The number one obstacle to
success for major change
projects is ineffective
sponsorship
Source: PROSCI 2018 Change Management best
practices study

21. 2. Identify the positive process outliers
Focus on success you
already have within in
your business

22. 3. Engage using simplicity
Design solutions that make
it easy for people to get
started, be curious and
make choices that will
positively support the
change

23. 4. Create new social norms
Consider how you can create
enough social pressure to
drive desired behaviours and
build stronger cultures

24. 5. Share news and listen
Provide the right amount
of timely and appropriate
information to the people
who need it the most.
Listen and respond to
their feedback.
Photo source: Engadget.com

25. Recap
01 02 03
06
Before you change,
determine how the
organization might be
plotted on the Job
Demand Control model.
Acknowledge the
attributes of your
culture that will
impede or support
change.
Consider how many
flights are ready for
take off in your
organisation – are
they all fully crewed?
04
Take notice and
action of the hazards
you see around your
change programs.
Create simple
solutions
05
Experiment with
simple solutions
that make it easy for
people to change