A message from Dave Leschasin

September 2015

"What are they thinking?"

If that thought has crossed your mind with respect to the employee opinion survey, I'm glad you asked.

The Region wants to know how to make things better in our workplace. That's why we ask our employees, who have a very clear perspective on what works and what we could do better.

The safest way to do that is to invite each of you to tell us what you think in an annual survey. The AON Hewitt Employee Opinion Survey is confidential. Your name is not tied to your answers, so you can share freely without worrying about the consequences of your honesty.

"What's the point? Nothing will be done anyway!"

If that thought has crossed your mind, you're among the 25 per cent who told us in the last survey they disagreed appropriate action would be taken.

I'd like to think we're proving those people wrong.

Each facility in the Region has been asked to identify the organizational units with the three lowest engagement scores, and create action plans to address the issues. WRHA Executive Council has asked them to report regularly so there is transparency about what's being done.

The survey results told us where we need to take action. And the senior leadership team is accountable for driving results. We're not butting in, but we are holding people accountable to take action. Along with asking how we can help, we're asking the questions you've probably wondered about:

• Are you doing what you're supposed to?
• What have you done that's noteworthy?
• What's in the way?

The actions vary. In some areas, discussions have started. In other areas, HR has been consulted to help address the concerns. Still other areas are navigating personnel changes with new managers, identifying key priorities to address as a team, and examining workloads and work flow processes. But just about every single low engagement scoring unit is working to improve communication and engagement.

You told us performance management is the number one driver. Because we know how critical ongoing feedback is, we are in the process of developing tools and supports to enhance the potential of a supportive coaching relationship between a manager and employee.

Why? Because people don't leave their job, they leave their manager. In order for someone to stay with their manager, and thrive in their jobs, they need to have a meaningful relationship with their manager. Supporting cutting edge coaching performance tools can enhance this relationship, while meeting the need for this driver of employee engagement. Look for further information on this in the coming months.

Critics may say this isn't enough, that change isn't happening at the pace that people are satisfied with.

Please note that we've had to prioritize our efforts, because resources - one of them being money - is a factor. That's why we're working on the most urgent, critical things . . . and focusing on managers, who have the potential to impact engagement in powerful ways, as your survey feedback has clearly told us.

This entire engagement of our employees begins - and continues, because that's where change ultimately happens - at the front line. We can't implement changes until we know something's wrong. We sometimes don't know something's wrong unless you tell us.

The survey launches October 1st. Many of you will have the chance to complete the survey electronically, and your manager will provide you with a link. For others, filling out a paper copy may be an option.

There's a saying that "what gets measured gets done . . . numbers don't lieandre". That's why the Region's employee engagement strategy focuses on surveying our employees every year, and sharing the results with managers, who then create an action plan with their team. 

Managers, you are an integral part of this process. You can help yourself to improve employee engagement by actively and repeatedly encouraging your employees to get involved in the survey.

Recognition is another driver of employee engagement requiring attention across the Winnipeg Region, so I'd like to thank you in advance for telling us about your workplace. Let's make this a year where our responses reach record numbers for survey participation. It helps everyone.

Dave Leschasin
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer