2. Workplace Assessments and Conflict Restoration

Independent workplace and culture assessments are the gold standard for data-driven workplace change to improve employee mental health and wellbeing, productivity, adaptability, innovation, inclusion or begin a program of workplace psychological health and safety.  

Though there are common elements, every organization has its own context, strengths, challenges and hazards to consider. Our approach can be quantitative and include all employees and managers through our unique online assessment aligned with the known psychosocial risk factors or we can use a blend of focused qualitative conversations, one on one or in groups to identify areas of highest and best action. 

Many factors influence the workplace environment.  Even a climate of low-level negativity can result in new norms that will impact productivity, collaboration, stress and health, innovation, safety and the quality of work.  

Start with accurate information on root causes and an understanding of the action that will drive the change that is needed to achieve your goals.  If you are working on other inclusion or related initiatives, an assessment becomes especially important because Internal conditions can significantly impact the full positive results of those future changes.

Not sure where to start or what to do?  

We have found that because of the sensitive nature of this work, the best way to explore your best approach starts with a simple, confidential conversation.  We would be happy to have a call, meet in person or via Zoom, whatever works best for you.  

The organizational research is clear; harmful internal dynamics do not resolve themselves without strategic and accurate intervention; regardless of the industry or the size of the organization.  Even when the most obvious indicators seem to have disappeared, their legacy can remain barriers to all the best that is possible when people come together at work in a positive, psychologically-safe and high-trust environment.  

A word on 13 FACTORS Philosophy:  

Do you need to rebuild, redirect or shift the way your team works together because of conflict, change or other pressures? 

Contact us to discuss your challenges and how our process can safely and effectively shift understanding, behaviour, surface challenges and identify hidden shared strengths. We know how to identify root causes and influences.  Our approach recognizes both the visible and not-so-invisible signs, symptoms and impacts of the challenge.  These are essential so that you can bring your organization into a strong sense of shared purpose and create whole team understanding of people and how and why conflicts can occur.  With guided insight from a supportive "thinking partner" coach we explore strengths, your needs, opportunities and blind spots (we all have them) and make room for growth, courage, and appreciation of different perspectives, impacts and experiences even in the same situations.  

Our process works to rebuild trust through radical candor and by helping individuals and the group increase their understanding of themselves, their point of view and gain flexibility in holding multiple perspectives.  You will discover new evidence-based behaviours that if practiced will bring you to a place that supports psychologically safe culture growth.  

Workplace investigations into harmful behaviours or incidents are challenging for employers; and especially challenging to conduct in-house. We provide a confidential, independent and trusted process of discovery, analysis, insights and conclusions.  Our recommendations are aimed at eliminating or minimizing the risk of recurrence and enabling the organization to move forward with meaningful and evidence-based change.  

We offer both a formal Workplace Investigation or a less formal process of reviewing the issues, meeting with stakeholders, witnesses and the principals involved.  We are conscious of the invisible stress that any investigation can have on the principals and organization.  Our process creates an environment that is as psychologically-safe as possible while also ensuring all obligations are met.

We would be pleased to meet with you to discuss your assignment.

What's New:   Changes to Canada's Bill C65 in January 2021 have, among other things, changed the Investigative process, report definition, provided for greater privacy protection, and lowered the threshold for what constitutes Harassment & Violence in the workplace.  A finding for harassment is a finding for Harassment & Violence.  It also includes new wording in the definitions and the timeline, from Filing of Notice of Occurrence until recommendations are implemented, is 1 year. (This applies to Federally-regulated employers.)

A final word on 13 FACTORS Philosophy:  

For the experience of each person in your organization that we interview, train or meet with, we create an environment that is both independent, human-centred and psychologically-safe.  This foundational philosophy is central to our work.  

What does it look like?  You will see openness and a lot of curiosity.  You will see an appreciation of the essential and basic human need to be seen, heard, understood, respected and included.  Psychological safety and all it represents is the backbone of our business and our business relationships.  At the same time that we focus on the assignment goals, we focus on living our values of care and compassion, respect and dignity with every person in the process.

Depending on the assignment we offer a number of assessments, from organization-wide examinations of inclusion, diversity and equity to organizational, leader and individual contributor assessments.  These can be used alone or in combination with other services to support your strategic goals.

One of our assessments is the Emotional Intelligence Quotient Index 2.0 (EQ-i) Assessment. This science-based behavioural tool helps you identify hidden strengths and competencies. The assessment also can unearth how certain strengths and skills show up in your impact and influence.  In the debrief and coaching that are part of the assessment, we help you take this new understanding into your own development plan.  A series of one-to-one coaching sessions are included to support you putting the insights into action.