V4: In a global, increasingly open, networked and social media savvy world, organizations are no longer the walled-gardens they once were. Learn what overt and subtle practices and signs differentiate the healthy, learning organizations and leader / team relationships from those that are struggling or declining. Silence, apathy, and disengaged compliance, as well as subtle and overt workplace bullying and harassment, even when handled well, can mar an organization’s productivity for years. Organizations like Glassdoor and others now publish employee nominated lists of pros and cons of great workplaces. It is also important to look beyond reported successes symptoms to find the deeper causes of what works and what doesn’t for leaders who want to fully use their staff talent to better handle complexity, including regulation, and to become more agile and “anti-fragile”, as well as innovative to not only survive, but thrive.

1. What Makes and Sustains
Healthy Organizations Today?
Deb Nystrom, REVELN Consulting
The Michigan Labor-Management Association
2013 Partners in Progress
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2. Sample Satisfaction News
 Company promotion policies & bonus plans >
lowest on the satisfaction scale.
 Educational & job training programs => Only
30% satisfied
 Wages => 33.5% of householders satisfied
 55% of workers earning more than $50,000 were
satisfied with their jobs,
 but only 14% claimed they were very satisfied.
Source: The Segal Company, a New York-based compensation,
benefits and HR consultancy, 2008
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3. Satisfaction News
 40% of workers feel disconnected from their
employers.
 Two out of every three workers do not identify
with or feel motivated to drive their employer's
business goals and objectives.
 25% of employees are just "showing up to collect a
paycheck.”
Source: Supplemental survey conducted by TNS in August 2004
The Segal Company, a New York-based compensation,
benefits and HR consultancy, 2008
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4. Job Satisfaction in 2009
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5. “I’m just so sick of hearing...”
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6. The Drama Triangle
 Victim
 Rescuer Persecutor
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7. William Bridges - Transitions
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8.  "All the art of living lies in a fine
mingling of letting go and holding
on."
~ Havelock Ellis
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9. 2013 Conversations
 Washington State Senior HR Labor Relations
Manager
 California Change / Communication
Consultant, Case Study, Large Union
 Ann Arbor Sr. Labor Relations Director
 SE Michigan Energy Plant Manager
 Consultant to the Auto Industry and Professor
of I/O Psychology, PhD Program students,
Capella University
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10. Loyalty
 "But when I talk to managers, they often
suggest that there really isn't much difference
between the contractors and the company
employees."
 ”...[it’s] why some people believe that
company loyalty is dead.”
Dr. Matthew Bidwell,
Wharton management professor
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11. Case Study #1:
House Officers, MDs
1,100-member union, medical residents
training at the health system
Request by Dept. Head & Faculty
Process:
 Voluntary Interviews
 Participation encouraged by lead house
officer (elected by peers)
 Interviews with residents & key faculty,
Interviews were voluntary, 2-3 months
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13. Orientation A Orientation B
• Start at the top
• Develop clear vision, plans and
assignments
• Move decisions to the appropriate
levels
• Provide necessary information and
resources
• Encourage process improvement
Empowerment is about:
• Clarity, delegation, control, and
accountability
• Start with the needs of the people
• Surface the difficult issues
• Model integrity through risk-
taking
• Build credibility through small
wins
• Encourage initiative
• Build teamwork
Empowerment is about:
• Risk, growth, trust and teamwork
Two approaches
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14. Case Study #2: SEIU Local 1021
and its Two-Year Plan
 SEIU - Service Employees International
Union)
 Fastest-growing union in North America
 Diverse: Health care, property services and
public services (Housekeepers, librarians,
maintenance)
 Local 1021 in Northern California has more
than 54,000 members.
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15.  That would allow them to be inclusive,
 Be simple to execute and
 Give them a head start for preparing a plan
that delegates could discuss and vote on at the
convention
The union devised a process ...
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16.  Flipcharts with comments and sticky dots
lined the walls of the ballroom where the
main events took place.
 Each of four final planks was opened for
discussion.
 Delegates used microphones to make their
points within their allotted time.
 They voiced their specific concerns, complaints
and criticisms, as well as fears and anxieties.
 Others expressed their enthusiasm and
excitement.
At the SEIU convention
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17.  The SEIU Executive Board has arranged for
follow-up regional meetings.
 Members are actively participating, helping
determine the concrete actions needed to
make the plan come to life.
 Conversation, collaboration and
transparency are becoming hallmarks of
how everyone works together to support the
Two-Year Plan.
Since the convention
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18.  Drama Triangle vs.
 the Empowerment Dynamic Triangle
Karpman & David Emerald
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19. Not so Great News
 According to a survey conducted for The
Conference Board, "Less than one-third of all
supervisors and managers are perceived to
be strong leaders."
 As a result, increasingly larger percentages of our
workforce are disengaged.
Source: TNS Survey, a leading market information company, conducted
for The Conference Board, 2005
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20. A classic – Engagement
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21.  Large, Midwest, unionized
 Decide to adopt a team concept
 Within a 2 years of shifting to a team concept,
absenteeism became so low, they stopped
measuring it as a monthly metric
 Presenteeism much improved
 Teams showed productivity improvement,
quality, safety > all improved
Case Study #3: Manufacturing
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22.  Research by Berk and Associates (2011) found
that clear and open channels of
communication (regardless of the activity)
were a key ingredient in union and
management working together.
 In a dissertation study, it was found that
trust, open communication, and sharing
information were keys in supporting a
working relationship (Lamagna, 2010).
It’s the conversation
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23.  Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and
Ambiguous
 What works is to be very clear about where
you’re going, but very flexible in how you get
there. - Bob Johansen
 Includes “Black Swan” events – Nassim Taleb
 “Large-scale unpredictable and irregular
events of massive consequence.”
Adapt to a VUCA World
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24. Key paradox:
“Our focus on removing or
minimizing randomness
has actually had the
perverse effect of
increasing fragility.”
Adapt to a VUCA World
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25.  “Good goals that are specific and
challenging produce the greatest degree of
achievement.”
 - Locke, Edwin; Gary Latham (2006)
 DPPE: Data, Purpose, Plan, Evaluate
 Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility
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26.  Deb Nystrom, REVELN Consulting
 www.REVELN.com
 DebNystrom@Reveln.com
For more info:
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