Home / Newsletters / ISSUE 11 - October 2002 - download pdf

StressTools: putting policy into practice at West Lothian Council

Following the findings of their recent Scotland's Health at Work survey, West Lothian Council (WLC) decided to take practical steps to tackle work-related stress in a comprehensive manner. With the help of The Keil Centre's psychologists, a WLC stress policy, procedure and guidance note have been prepared. These set out the clear expectation that WLC managers will conduct risk assessments for stress with their staff.

But it is not always easy to put a policy into practice! To help with this, WLC has chosen to use The Keil Centre's StressTools software package. StressTools includes three types of stress risk assessment suitable for tasks, teams and major projects or organisational changes, and a set of management standards. StressTools is designed to be used independently by non-specialists. Each type of risk assessment is solution-focused and can be tailored to local circumstances. Initial reactions to StressTools have been very positive.

For further information or a StressTools demonstration, please contact Chiara Amati, Occupational Psychologist, at our Edinburgh office.

"StressTools will be rolled out to all WLC managers during a series of workshops run by The Keil Centre. These aim to increase understanding of work-related stress and give managers the confidence to use StressTools with their own teams". Caroline Herschell, Occupational Health and Safety Manager, West Lothian Council.

Stress prevention good practice

A stress prevention project delivered by The Keil Centre for BP's Applied Technology Group has been short-listed as one of three UK entries for the 2002 European Safety and Health Good Practice Awards. The awards reinforce the theme of European Health and Safety Week 2002, which this year is about "Preventing Psychosocial Risks at Work, especially Stress". Twenty UK entries were submitted, and the three short listed UK entries will now compete with entries from other EC countries.

Contact Ronny Lardner at our Edinburgh office for more details.

Reducing human error - lessons from the cockpit

Are any of the following questions important to your business?

• Why do team members make errors?
• How can I reduce the impact of errors on my company's operation?
• Which equipment should I buy for my operation to minimise error and maximise effectiveness?
• How do I design my own equipment to optimise performance?

The tools and techniques Richard has gained are widely applicable in any context where reducing error is important for business success.

Prior to joining The Keil Centre, Richard managed a human error analysis programme for National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) which was designed to inform the company of the reasons for human errors, in order that practical steps could be taken to minimise their likelihood. This work resulted in a number of interventions being put in place to reduce human error during critical operational conditions.

Before NATS, Richard worked in the defence industry on several high profile projects, including the design of a new virtual training facility and associated training material for the army, the design of a tactical sensor system for RAF reconnaissance aircraft and the development of electronic maintenance systems for the army's Apache helicopters.

For further information please contact Richard at our Edinburgh office.

"Joining The Keil Centre means that I'm going to be working with a wide range of clients from different industries, and I'm very excited about this! I'm looking forward to using my military and aviation experience to help them". Richard Scaife, Senior Applied Psychologist, The Keil Centre.

Using personality to leverage team performance

Dr Terri Hunter, an expert on maximising team effectiveness, joined The Keil Centre in 2002. Terri has a broad commercial background and senior consulting experience in the areas of leadership, team and organisational development, most recently with an Australian management consultancy.

Terri gained her PhD at the University of Strathclyde, where she worked on validating the popular Belbin team model, and testing the effectiveness of various types of teams. A current interest is designing and facilitating highly interactive workshops that focus on the development of both team and interpersonal skills. For example, one of Terri's recent assignments involved working with the senior team of a major British food manufacturer and marketer. The project addressed the development of the leadership team as part of an overall approach to increase the marketing orientation of the organisation. In working with the team, Terri increased their awareness of individual styles and how this was impacting on team performance. This was followed by a program to learn new styles and increase the versatility and overall effectiveness of the team. She has also been involved in coaching and mentoring for individuals who wish to improve their personal or leadership effectiveness issues.

For more information please contact Terri at our Glasgow office.

"In working with over 100 teams across the UK, I have found the biggest predictor of team success and performance to be personality and the awareness of its strengths and blindspots." Terri Hunter, Chartered Occupational Psychologist, The Keil Centre.

Building resilience, improving performance

When it comes to tackling stress in the workplace, prevention at source is the gold standard. Organisations have a responsibility, where possible, to prevent or mitigate the effect of stressors such as high workload, constant change, and difficulties balancing work and home life. But what can managers do when the primary source of stress is psychological?

Research in the field of clinical psychology over the last thirty-five years has improved our understanding of individual differences in vulnerability to stress, and the role that psychological factors can play in maintaining negative emotional states. This understanding has helped psychologists develop effective interventions to help people overcome obstacles to optimal well-being.

Now organisations can learn more about the tricks of the psychologist's trade to help their people cope better with the stresses and strains of their everyday personal and professional lives.

Resilience Builder is specifically designed for teams where there is an identified problem with stress or underperformance, and for those who work in high hazard or high pressure environments.

Following a brief diagnostic process, the programme comprises core modules targeting team needs. The modules include:

• Managing negative emotional states
• Recognising and responding to stress in others
• Managing time and energy effectively
• Building self confidence
• Developing realistic self-expectations
• Improving working relationships
• Switching off at the end of the day
• Achieving a balance between work and home life
• Coping with traumatic incidents at work

For more information about Resilience Builder, please contact Craig Simpson or Alicia Peņa at The Keil Centre's Edinburgh office.

Business psychology series

The Keil Centre are offering the following complimentary seminars for our clients:

For further information, contact Mary Norton at the Edinburgh office.