Flourishing work teams: culture, cooperation and creativity at Manjimup Home and Community Care

By Jacqui Tibbits, Director Consultivation

In May 2017 Consultivation was engaged by Manjimup Home and Community Care to work with their management, staff and volunteers on their 12 month business plan and to realign the team. Using our collaborative model to design the event, these objectives were met as well as additional, wonderful outcomes. 

Manjimup Home and Community Care provides care and services supporting eligible people to live independently at home and connected to their communities.  The organisation has been operating for thirty years, currently employs 45 staff and volunteers and is part of the local government authority the Shire of Manjimup.

The organisation funded by the WA HACC Program has been responding to government influenced industry changes by becoming approved providers for national disability insurance scheme (NDIS) and home care packages. They continue their commitment in dementia care and have commenced building a multi-million dollar Wellness and Respite Centre.  

However through constant and, at times, rapid change the team had lost sight of their purpose and achievements with factions and frictions forming amongst individuals.  I believe successful organisational change requires good leadership and inclusive, consistent and consolidated staff and volunteer practices. Inclusive practices during times of change provides opportunities for staff and volunteers to be heard and influence decisions, to be educated and upskilled and to strengthen their ownership and adoption of those changes.

Design

To achieve this I collaborated with Liz Lockyear, the Manager, agreeing on methodology, outputs and desired outcomes but was given freedom in the design practicalities. Strategies were implemented to support the Consultivation Approach of building human capital and capacity to embed change to achieve organisational goals once we are no longer involved. Some strategies implemented include creating a safe environment where participants could equally contribute, supply and use of resources and a range of facilitated and group activities.
​
The Business Planning Day was adapted during the design process ensuring it met the agreed outputs, remained outcome focused and was flexible to cater for late changes including the welcome addition of guest attendees and speakers from the WA Department of Health and Aged Care Services Australia. 
​

Event

During the Business Planning Day, learning and ideas were drawn from personal reflection, peer to peer discussion and facilitator engagement. The day focused on defining and recognising organisational achievements, changes in community services, the organisation’s identity, competitive advantage and how to function in a consumer driven market.

Through activities, discussions and collaboration the Team:

1. agreed on an organisation name
2. reviewed the organisational structure and its operations
3. gained a greater understanding and respect of its connection to the Shire
4. defined new vision and mission statements
5. identified corporate values and core value statements
6. completed environmental scans and explored macroeconomic factors
7. completed a SWOT analysis
8. celebrated achievements
9. improved their understanding of how individuals respond to change
10. identified practices to better support one another
11. identified healthy coping strategies to effectively manage stress
12. contributed to and developed a 12 month planning document for the organisation

All participants exploring changes in community service industries.

Staff sharing ideas on corporate values.

A safe environment was created where volunteer voices were equal to managers and staff.

Manager Liz Lockyear holding a bound copy of the Business Planning Day Report and an updated copy of the organisation's induction booklet showing the inclusion of new vision, mission and corporate values.

Post event

​In August, I was told about the amazing results of the day including greater commitment of individuals to their roles, own teams, project teams, the organisation and each other. Friction and factions which were forming were dissolved during the Planning Day making way for a connected, enthusiastic and supportive group.

Manager Liz Lockyear said, “The planning day was a great success, I believe the staff didn’t really know what to expect but I was pleased with the way everyone engaged with Jacqui and the content of the day. There was a huge amount of work covered in regard to where we all see ourselves in the future and what parts we all wanted to play in that future. Great ideas on rebranding and promoting our agency were generated and I think the day brought everyone together as a team. It was a great way to get everyone focused on the same goals; and with the changing aged and disability industry Jacqui was able to explain simply and comprehensively what the future might bring and what we would need to do to grow and be sustainable.”
​
Decisions made by the group during the event were honoured and seamlessly adopted. The Team created a new induction book containing their new agreed vision, goals and values.  Copies of the Business Planning Day Report written by Consultivation were printed, bound and presented to each staff and volunteer member during a special meeting in recognition of their effort, enthusiasm and progress.

A copy of this Report is provided to all new staff and volunteers as an accelerated learning and induction tool explaining who the organisation is; its achievements and future. The Report provides a clear outline helping prospective employees and volunteers to truly understand the organisation and decide whether they want to be part of this team, culture, ethos and journey or not. Information from the report such as vision and mission statements and the SWOT analysis were included in the organisation’s review of its strategic plan.

---

Cross-unit collaborative working groups were established to progress items identified during the Planning Day. Each item is independently project managed by staff and volunteers who report to the manager and share their progress with each other.

Projects being managed by staff and volunteers include:

1. increasing customers and sales
2. organising 30th birthday celebrations
3. promotion in the community
4. revenue generation and diversification
5. client satisfaction

​Team members have enjoyed being empowered to have greater control and autonomy supported by a better understanding of the organisation, a greater appreciation of colleagues and other roles; and a new sense of self-esteem, respect and professionalism.

Liz said, “We established teams amongst the staff where they were able to pick the actions from the Planning Day for their teams to try and achieve. Each team identified a leader and minute taker and regularly meet to work towards the actions. Staff have said how much they have enjoyed their teamwork, that it is fun and provides a change from their everyday job position."

Success

Liz shared, “The revenue generation team has already held one fundraiser. The team organised a fundraising walk on a Saturday morning through the local Timber Park. All team members were present on the day donating their time as volunteers. The walk raised $687 which will help pay for new equipment in the day and social centre at the Wellness and Respite Centre. The walk was so popular clients have requested a monthly fundraising walk! This Team are already onto their next fundraising project which is great.”

“Another team is working on rebranding. This Team gathered suggestions for a new name from staff, clients and community. A competition was started enabling staff and clients to vote for their preferred name. The Team engaged local organisations with one donating a weekend away at a retreat for one lucky participant. Voting has closed and a new name decided. The next step is to present this at Council for endorsement and support.”

“The challenge is to keep everyone on that same level, achieving goals and not let it slip - keeping momentum is the key. I think the excitement of moving into a purpose built facility in the new year and re-engaging Consultivation will help us achieve that. The team work and decisions being made by staff compared to decisions always being made by management have been rewarding for all of us.”

Six months later
​
Earlier this month, these great stories and progress were reiterated when I bumped into a participant in Perth. John, a volunteer, spoke glowingly of the day and how amazing it was sharing with me the difference it had made to him in his role and to others; and that there is still a ‘buzz’ about the place because of it.

I am so pleased of participant satisfaction during and post event; that together we achieved the identified outputs and outcomes but most importantly are the stories of a truly engaged and flourishing team accelerating positively, confidently and energetically forward.

As one participant shared, “Change can be daunting, but as a team, we can make things better and move forward.” And that is exactly what Manjimup and Home and Community Care are doing.

---

Consultivation is an independent, ethics led business consultancy organisation.
We are passionate in helping organisations to flourish.
If you would like us to help you and your team contact us today.