Psychologically Healthy Workplaces -- to be or not to be?

If I was ever a bit skeptical about the power of having a vision, this weekend changed that.  On Saturday, I became an official Co-Chair of the New York State Psychological Association's (NYSPA) Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards (PHWA).  In the course of my practice of psychotherapy and coaching, I've often heard about workplaces that would not win the award, that is, they stifle the psychological health of their employees through poor communication and little opportunity for professional development.  Some of my clients become so unhappy that they choose to leave their organizations.  What a loss of talent!

My vision is to get into organizations and try to make a difference so that pattern would be broken.  Now there is a network of state psychological associations doing just that.  I'm reminded of one of Dave Snowden's heuristics that every intervention is a diagnosis and every diagnostic is an intervention.  Over the next several months, teams of psychologists will conduct site visits, talking to employees, to assess the criteria of those organizations who choose to apply. Their very presence will make a difference.

We'll be looking at Employee Involvement; Work-Life Balance; Employee Growth & Development; Health & Safety; and Employee Recognition.

Any thoughts? Psychologically healthy workplaces to be or not to be in the 21st century organization?

~ Suzanne Roff, Ph.D.

Comments

[Graham Douglas]

"To be" and the sooner the better in my view.

Could the way people have been trained to think be addressed along with the matters you propose?

Kind regards,

Graham