Risk Management for Work Stress at EDUCACONSULT

1. Risk Management for Work Stress at EDUCACONSULT M&J Consulting Pardubice, Czech Republic mjc@mjc.cz

2. EDUCACONSULT • Established in 1994: managers Hannah and Paul, 3 members of organizational staff, 1 accountant, 50 external trainers • 4 female, 2 male, aged 23-55 • Trainers: female and male • Hannah, Paul and 1 member of organizational staff hold university degree, all trainers hold University degree • The first large client ended cooperation in 1998 • Main fields of training: personal management and law, management, marketing, sales, communication, assessment centres, applied psychology

3. Stress factors and impact of stress • Only one large client at a time (existential stress) • Increased workload, long hours, pressure, headaches, mood swings, lack of sleep • Trainers not dependant on the company and therefore not fully loyal • Frequent changes of clients´ wishes • Accountant – noisy workplace, many changes in accounting principles and laws – new workplace • Accountant left the company in 2001 – outsourcing • Company managers – control, speeding-up of projects

4. What were the strengths and weaknesses of approaches to company management and work approaches?

5. Please recommend other ways of reducing stress of the accountant Claire.

6. Is there more or less working stress in training SMEs than in large training organizations?

7. Risk assessment methodology and implementation (1) • Risk management = risk assessment + risk reduction • External experts’ help sought to deal with problems • Individual interviews – 5 best and worst aspects of the work • Identification of stress alarm symptoms • Examination of organisational data on absence • Management crisis • Absence of social contacts beyond work, no free-time or relaxation activities supported by the company

8. Risk assessment methodology and implementation (2) • Issues of concern as reported by the majority of staff: long-term psychological load, long working hours, too much responsibility for a working position, too much control, poor work organization, poor internal and external communication, fear from making mistakes, threat of losing job, insufficient number of key clients, different opinions on solving problems and situations

9. Risk assessment – please identify sources of stress connected with internal and external working environment at selected group of employees/individual employee.

10. What would you propose to reduce stress?

11. What is the aim of risk assessment survey?

12. Prevention and intervention techniques (1) • Individual “follow up“ for stress handling – managers and organisational staff – discussion with expert and on company meeting • Identification of steps to be taken • in the company (strategic, immediate steps) • by the employees and managers personally (personal development and changes) • Health tests – employees and managers • Workshop – managers, employees, key trainers, expert

13. Prevention and intervention techniques (2) • Goal of the workshop – to handle management crisis • 3 key decisions: • sales and organisational sections were divided - Paul (sales and company director), Hannah (organisational matters) • Quality management system ISO 9001 • description of all company processes, job descriptions (managers, employees, trainers) • Numbers of trainers were lowered, Hannah appointed as trainer • New remuneration system (company performance and development of employees), work evaluation • Feedback from expert on a yearly basis

14. Which positives and negatives do you see in organizing workshop?

15. What is the reason for introducing ISO 9001 quality management system in a company?

16. What is definition of work description for each work position helpful for?

17. Evaluation of risk management process and intervention (1) • Feedback from employees • Feel interest in them and their work problems from side of the management • Good reaction on fair remuneration system • Feedback from managers • Got a lot of new information and incentives for improving work organization, for further company development, making company processes more simple and effective

18. Evaluation of risk management process and intervention (2) • Need for extension of risk management system – new project for management of training company including anti-stress policy for stress prevention • Reduction of workload – trainers more involved in training projects preparation, their financial involvement in results of the trainings • Positive results in the sales field • Assessment of the risk management system on a yearly basis

19. How would you evaluate the risk management system applied?

20. What is the advantage of employee rewarding system based on company efficiency and development of employees for company management and the employees?

21. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cooperation of training company with external expert in company management?