It is now acknowledged worldwide that stress is likely to become one of the most dangerous risks to businesses in the future.
Workplace stress further
exacerbates an individual's mental health problems and
may lead to burnout.
We help employers understand how stress at the
organisational level and
poor
working relationships can be
detrimental to the growth and
productivity of
their business.
Besides working one-on-one with employees at our practice office
via
the establishment of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP),
we facilitate
the development of employer/employee stress
management strategies via workshops
and consultancy.
Workshops and Seminars
-
Our range of workshops and seminars include:
- Stress Management
- Coping with Change
- Counselling Skills for Managers
- Conflict Management
- Teambuilding
- Retirement Planning
Other organisational services include: - Conducting Stress Risk Assessments
- Redundancy Counselling
-
Designing and
managing Employee
Assistance Programmes (EAP) - Conducting Executive Medical
Reviews
However, if your requirements differ from those listed,
we are happy to custom design a workshop or service
for your organisation.
Stress Management
1. Stress Management Seminar
Employees at many organisations have to deal with uncertainty, change and stressors
both in and outside of the work environment. Good mental, as well as physical
health is a prerequisite to creating a harmonious and productive workforce.
Our Stress Management seminars take the form of an interactive presentation,
with attendees encouraged to discuss their experiences based on the information
presented. Participants will have the opportunity to complete two or more
short screening questionnaires to assess their own symptoms, sources and
level of stress. Recommended maximum of 30 persons per group.
-
Objectives
- What is Stress?
- Workplace Stress
- Signs and symptoms of too much stress
- Recommendations and tips for managing stress
- Relaxation techniques
Each seminar will cover:
Duration: 2 hours
2. Stress Management Workshop for Management Teams
At Creative Coping we feel that it is crucial for employers to understand the
impact of poor mental health on company productivity and learn how to optimise
mental health. The workshop incorporates interactive presentations, short group
activities, and individual questionnaire completion. Participants will have
the opportunity to complete a variety of screening instruments to assess their
own symptoms, sources and level of stress, perception of stress, and coping
styles towards developing their own ‘Personal Stress Management Plan’ to achieve
balance in their business and personal lives. Recommended maximum of 15 persons
per group.
- Objectives
- Understand the impact of poor/good mental health on leadership, employee productivity and organisational expenses
- Conceptualise stress from an interconnected Mind-Body-Environment perspective
- Be able to identify the signs and symptoms of too much stress in themselves and others
- Have all the results from their stress assessment questionnaires in order to put together their ‘Personal Stress Management Plan’
- Have learnt ways to manage stress, including relaxation techniques
At the end of the workshop managers will be able to:
Duration: 1 day
Coping with Change
Overview
Employees often feel anxious, powerless, and angry as a result of organisational change. The change may have a major impact on individuals’ lives in the workplace and at home. This workshop is for employees who have recently been through or are about to go through changes at work. The workshop will explore the effects of change on us as individuals, and will allow participants to understand the fears and stresses that make them hesitant or sometimes resistant to change. The workshop will incorporate small group exercises and self-assessment questionnaires. Participants will be required to complete three individual assessments (in advance of the workshop) to identify their unique: 1) change style personality; 2) coping response style; 3) coping resources. Individuals will be encouraged to develop personal strategies for managing the effects of change on themselves.
Recommended maximum of 20 persons per group.
- Objectives
- Identify the main sources and types of change affecting them in their organisation
- Understand our reaction to change (feelings, thoughts, behaviours) utilising the Change Cycle model
- Gain a better understanding of their unique: (1) change style personality; (2) coping response style; and (3) coping resources
- Develop strategies for coping with the effects of change
- Identify benefits and personal growth opportunities within their changing environment
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Duration: 1/2 day
Where required (e.g. for a management team) the workshop can be extended a further
1/2 day to look at leading and managing change from an organisational perspective.
This additional segment of the workshop would equip managers with the further
knowledge and skills necessary in implementing and sustaining change.
Counselling Skills for Managers
Employees who feel their managers are supportive are more motivated to do a good job and achieve higher levels of job and personal satisfaction. The workshop provides managers with practical tools and techniques to increase their confidence and skills in dealing with difficult and often sensitive people issues in the workplace. The workshop is highly participative, incorporating the use of case studies, role-play and other activities to enable participants to practice communication and counselling skills – whilst incorporating facilitator and participant feedback, with a continual emphasis on how to apply the lessons learnt in the workplace. Participants will complete an individual personality assessment
(FIRO-B®) to assist them in understanding how their personality style can shape their interactions with others at work and influence their counselling style.
Recommended maximum of 16 persons per workshop.
N.B. This workshop is not designed to train participants to become professional counsellors.
- Objectives
- Identify behavioural changes indicative of persons having personal problems, e.g. stress, depression, posttraumatic stress, bereavement, difficulty managing change
- Recognise situations in which counselling may be appropriate or not Describe and demonstrate key counselling skills and communication techniques
- Apply counselling skills with increased confidence in a variety of potential counselling scenarios Know when and how to refer employees to appropriate professional organisations
- Demonstrate self-awareness of their preferred interpersonal/interaction style and their limitations/areas for improvement
- Recognise and know how to handle the difficulties they face moving between the roles of ‘counsellor’ and manager
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Duration: 2 days
Conflict Management
Overview
“Conflict is simply the condition in which people’s concerns
– the things they care about – appear to be incompatible” (Thomas, K W, 2002). Conflict is therefore inevitable. However, conflict does not have to be dangerous and destructive, and fighting is only one way to deal with conflict. Learning to manage conflict is an essential part of building Emotional Intelligence. The workshop provides practical techniques for individuals to handle difficult and potentially confrontational situations confidently and effectively. The workshop is suitable for different types of employees, e.g. managerial and supervisory, customer service, call centre, and union representatives. The workshop will incorporate group exercises to work through real issues based on the participants’ experiences, as well as the completion of individual assessments. Participants will complete (in advance of the workshop) an individual personality assessment (FIRO-B®) to assist them in understanding how their personality style shapes their communication and interpersonal dynamics; and a self-report conflict management questionnaire (TKI) to identify the conflict modes they use most.
Recommended maximum of 16 persons per group.
-
Objectives
- Understand the nature, causes and consequences of conflict at work
- Appreciate the link between Emotional Intelligence and conflict Identify the 5 conflict-handling modes and describe how to use each of them effectively
- Gain a better understanding of their personality style and natural conflict-handling modes
- Describe and demonstrate key relationship building and communication techniques
- Apply new conflict-handling behaviours in a variety of potential conflict scenarios
At the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Duration: 1 day
Teambuilding
Overview
Belonging to a team involves feeling part of something larger than yourself, with synergy occurring when a team achieves results greater than the sum of its parts. An effective team therefore requires all members to be aligned on purpose; each having a clear understanding of the vision, mission, and values of the organisation. Strong interpersonal skills and defined communication mechanisms are a prerequisite for building a climate of trust and support. Individuals understanding not just their functional role, but being aware of their personality style and knowing their preferred ‘team roles’ can enable them to contribute more fully to the team’s performance. For teams to function optimally over the long term, building team spirit, enthusiasm and cohesiveness are vitally important. The workshop will take the form of interactive presentations, completion and analysis of assessment instruments (e.g. MBTI®, FIRO-B®, Belbin® Team Roles) and team participation in hands-on-activities - incorporating facilitator feedback and discussion of team process and effectiveness.
- Objectives
- Understand the stages of team effectiveness and pinpoint the team’s current level of development
- Recognise blockages that can be eliminated towards achieving maximum team performance
- Understand communication and feedback models towards improving team decision-making and problem-solving skills; including harnessing Emotional Intelligence for managing behaviour
- Understand their personality type, and how that influences their problems-solving and interpersonal style when working in teams
- Identify team members communication styles and preferred ‘team roles’ towards capitalising on similarities and differences
These will depend on scope and length of the programme design; but at the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Duration: 1-2 days
Exact length of workshop will depend on an assessment of the team’s current functioning/stage of development, and on the scope of intervention required
Retirement Planning
Overview People often look forward to retirement, usually seeing it as a well-deserved ‘rest’ and a chance to do things at their own pace. However, a large number of impending retirees are apprehensive regarding one or a number of aspects of retirement. This seminar will help pre-retirees explore some of the issues that form the foundation of a healthy retirement. We recommend that employees attend this seminar at least 3 years prior to retirement. We also suggest that organisations incorporate our 3 hour seminar as part of a 1 day ‘Pre-Retirement Workshop’ that could include other topics such as:
- Understanding your organisation’s retirement benefits
- Government pensions and benefits
- Money management after retirement
- Estate planning
- Objectives
- Adjusting to a new lifestyle
- Health issues in aging
- Managing stress
Creative Coping’s input to the seminar/workshop will cover:
Duration: 3 hours
Conducting Stress Risk Assessments
Workplace Stress occurs when the demands of the job and the working environment of a person exceed their capacity to meet them. Occupational stress affects productivity, absenteeism, accidents, staff turnover, and health related illness. A stress risk assessment/audit provides a structured method for identifying major sources of stress in the workplace. At Creative Coping we utilize the Job Stress Survey (JSS) to gather information on work situations that often result in psychological stress. Analysis of the data can help identify sources of occupational stress for groups of workers and allow for comparisons of stress levels among employees in different departments or divisions. Once the sources of stress are identified, changes in the work environment (e.g. job redesign, organisational restructuring) and other interventions to reduce stress (that can be documented in the form of management competencies for preventing and reducing stress at work) can be developed and implemented.
Redundancy Counselling
Redundancy counselling assists people through the transition period leading to or following a change of job. It provides a structured and supportive framework for past employees who may feel de-stabilised and distressed with the sudden life change. At Creative Coping we provide emotional support and some aspects of practical guidance to help individuals make informed choices towards finding new employment.
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We will work closely with your organisation to design a programme that meets your specific needs and budget. This can include the following elements:
- One-on-one emotional counselling for individuals
- Assessment of stress levels, coping styles, and coping resources
- Psychometric profiling – to provide individuals with a greater understanding of themselves towards making the right choices moving forwards. Instruments we can use include theCPI 260™,MBTI®, FIRO-B®, Work/Life Values Checklist, Strong Interest Inventory®
- Practical group workshops and/or any of the relevant seminars we offer, e.g. Stress Management, Coping with Change
- Assistance with writing Resumes
Designing and managing Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP)
The provision of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is integral to maintaining a healthy and efficient workforce. Employees are given access to professional and confidential counselling to help resolve their personal or work related problems.
- Programme design is based on an assessment of organisation and employee
needs, but could include:
- Confidential assessment and short term counselling services
- Referral support, tracking and follow-up
- Emergency intervention/Critical Incident
- Stress Management
- EAP orientation for new employees
- Provision of utilization and activity reports
- Specific seminars e.g. Substance Abuse, Stress Management, Coping with Change
Our aim is to develop an ongoing relationship with your organisation. We offer varied contractual arrangements based on the scope of service required. Assessment and counselling services are provided off-site at our practice office. Our practice adheres to the ‘Employee Assistance Professional Association’ (EAPA) standards and professional guidelines.
Conducting Executive Medical Reviews
At Creative Coping we focus on the interconnection between mind and body. Many times the physical examination done by health centres and physicians provides results indicating that there may be a physical problem indicating the need for a more holistic health management approach. This is especially true with regards to the cardiovascular problems, where high cholesterol and hypertension may be related to levels of stress. A link between stress, diabetes, being overweight and other nutritional problems has also been established. We offer Medical Reviews and provide a comprehensive mind-body individualized plan, including a ‘Personal Stress Management Plan’ for each person to address their specific issues.
