3 June 2003GRACE MATLHAPE1 Using EAP to Build Sustainable Organisations A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE EAP…

3 June 2003 GRACE MATLHAPE 1

Using EAP to Build Using EAP to Build Sustainable Sustainable

OrganisationsOrganisationsA PAPER PRESENTED AT A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE EAP CONFERENCE THE EAP CONFERENCE

ORGANISED BY THE ORGANISED BY THE SERVICES SETASERVICES SETA


AssumptionsAssumptions• Basic understanding of EAP and EAP Basic understanding of EAP and EAP

operationsoperations• No need to defineNo need to define• Benefits of EAP operations are clear Benefits of EAP operations are clear

and undisputed.and undisputed.• This presentation focuses on This presentation focuses on

strengthening and value adding strengthening and value adding benefitsbenefits


What makes Organisations What makes Organisations Sustainable?Sustainable?

• VisionVisionKnowing when it is time to identify and Knowing when it is time to identify and

establish new goalsestablish new goals• LeadershipLeadershipTo rally resources, human and To rally resources, human and

material, towards a common goalmaterial, towards a common goal• PeoplePeopleTo make it all happenTo make it all happen


VisionVision• Identifying a strategic advantage and Identifying a strategic advantage and

leveraging it to create a long term leveraging it to create a long term favorable position in the eyes of the favorable position in the eyes of the customercustomer

• Knowing where you want to go, and Knowing where you want to go, and using every using every transactiontransaction to ensure that to ensure that you get thereyou get there

• Ensuring that you never arrive where Ensuring that you never arrive where you are goingyou are going


Elements of Elements of SustainabilitySustainability

• CUSTOMER FOCUSCUSTOMER FOCUS

• CONSISTENT EMPLOYEE CONSISTENT EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE

• VISIONARY LEADERSHIPVISIONARY LEADERSHIP

• CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT


CUSTOMER FOCUSCUSTOMER FOCUS• Consistently meeting a customer’s Consistently meeting a customer’s

expectationsexpectations• Excellence of product as well as service Excellence of product as well as service

offeringoffering• Understanding value from a customer’s Understanding value from a customer’s

perspectiveperspective• Customer as a partner rather than a Customer as a partner rather than a

targettarget• Preempting changing customer needsPreempting changing customer needs


CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTIMPROVEMENT

• Quality is not about being perfect, it is Quality is not about being perfect, it is about getting betterabout getting better

• Continuous improvement not only of Continuous improvement not only of systems and processes, but of the systems and processes, but of the organisation as a wholeorganisation as a whole

• Growth through innovation and Growth through innovation and creativitycreativity

• Turning customer satisfaction into Turning customer satisfaction into customer delightcustomer delight


CONTINUOUS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTIMPROVEMENT

OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT (ROUTINE)

REACTIVE INNOVATION(ADAPTATION)

PROACTIVE INNOVATION

(IMPROVEMENT)

RADICAL INNOVATION

(INVENTION)

SHORT TERM SURVIVAL

VAN GINKEL’S INNOVATION STAIRCASE (2001)

WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCE

MEDIUM TERM SURVIVAL


LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP• Leaders who vision, align, empower, Leaders who vision, align, empower,

coach, and carecoach, and care• In order to steer organisations through In order to steer organisations through

the many modern day changes and the many modern day changes and challenges, leaders today have to be more challenges, leaders today have to be more concerned about others, flexible, concerned about others, flexible, adaptable, innovative and more adaptable, innovative and more thoughtful and responsivethoughtful and responsive

• Leader as master and leader as colleagueLeader as master and leader as colleague• Service to Customers and to EmployeesService to Customers and to Employees


Employee Employee ParticipationParticipation

““The most popular The most popular misconception is that the misconception is that the whole economic structure whole economic structure revolves around revolves around moneymoney. . What is missed in these What is missed in these

arguments is that markets arguments is that markets are made up of are made up of peoplepeople, and , and

that the transactional base of that the transactional base of society is in fact of society is in fact of people people

serving people”serving people”Ceronio 1996Ceronio 1996


Employee PerformanceEmployee Performance• The main vehicle for achieving The main vehicle for achieving

customer satisfaction is the external customer satisfaction is the external value created by satisfied employeesvalue created by satisfied employees

• People are what distinguishes good People are what distinguishes good organisations from great organisations from great organisations- people set organisations organisations- people set organisations alightalight

• People are the only resource that People are the only resource that shareholders cannot really ownshareholders cannot really own



OrganisationsOrganisationsWhat has all this got to What has all this got to

do with EAPdo with EAP??



OrganisationsOrganisations

EAP services are a EAP services are a component of the workplace component of the workplace because of the key role they because of the key role they

play in enhancing play in enhancing productivity and improving productivity and improving

profitabilityprofitability


THE SERVICE THE SERVICE RELATIONSHIP TRIANGLE RELATIONSHIP TRIANGLE

Heskett Heskett et alet al 1997 1997

customerEmployee

Service Organisation

Customer support to organisation

Organisation support to employees

Employee support to customer

EAP


Employee Related Employee Related Challenges in SAChallenges in SA

• Diversity managementDiversity management

• Skills developmentSkills development

• Employee WellbeingEmployee Wellbeing

• Short service tenureShort service tenure

• CrimeCrime

Employee Assistance Programmes



OrganisationsOrganisationsAn organisation’s strategy An organisation’s strategy consists of the actions and consists of the actions and

business approaches business approaches management employs to management employs to

achieve targeted achieve targeted organisational performanceorganisational performance


The Role of EAP in The Role of EAP in enhancing business successenhancing business success• Can contribute insights into the Can contribute insights into the

management of peoplemanagement of people• If properly integrated into all business If properly integrated into all business

processes, EAP have potential to make processes, EAP have potential to make a difference at the strategic level of a difference at the strategic level of organisationsorganisations

• Can facilitate the transformation of Can facilitate the transformation of organisations towards people oriented organisations towards people oriented systems to enhance insight into systems to enhance insight into employees and customers as employees and customers as peoplepeople


The Role of EAP in The Role of EAP in enhancing business successenhancing business success• Management of “softer issues”Management of “softer issues”• Important management time Important management time

dedicated to “real” management dedicated to “real” management issues while softer issues are issues while softer issues are delegated to junior managementdelegated to junior management

• Because employees Because employees are are organisations, organisations, the wellbeing of employees has to be the wellbeing of employees has to be a business prioritya business priority


The Role of EAP in The Role of EAP in enhancing business successenhancing business success• Facilitating customer focusFacilitating customer focus• Enhancing continuous Enhancing continuous

improvementimprovement• Encouraging and strengthening Encouraging and strengthening

employee participationemployee participation• Strengthening service oriented Strengthening service oriented

styles of leadershipstyles of leadership


ConclusionsConclusions• Inadequate understanding of EAP Inadequate understanding of EAP

in SA organisationsin SA organisations• This results in inadequate This results in inadequate

sensitivity to employees problems, sensitivity to employees problems, whether work related or unrelatedwhether work related or unrelated

• The responsibility rests with both The responsibility rests with both EAP professionals and management EAP professionals and management to change this to change this status quostatus quo


ConclusionsConclusions• Productivity must be seen as a strategic Productivity must be seen as a strategic

issue for South African companies. issue for South African companies. This paradigm change will facilitate the This paradigm change will facilitate the use of productivity enhancing use of productivity enhancing strategies like EAP strategicallystrategies like EAP strategically

• EAP must stop being used as a “nice to EAP must stop being used as a “nice to have”. Companies’ use of EAP should have”. Companies’ use of EAP should be based on an informed set of be based on an informed set of expectations with a direct impact on expectations with a direct impact on the strategic objectives of the company.the strategic objectives of the company.


ConclusionsConclusions• EAP can be used to achieve the EAP can be used to achieve the

organization's optimal utilization of organization's optimal utilization of all its factors of production.all its factors of production.

• EAP systems have to stop being only EAP systems have to stop being only reactionary in focus, and develop a reactionary in focus, and develop a preventative and facilitative role preventative and facilitative role more boldlymore boldly


ConclusionsConclusions• There is a need for EAP There is a need for EAP

professionals to be more aware of professionals to be more aware of the forces of competition affecting the forces of competition affecting the company. This awareness will the company. This awareness will facilitate their ability to support the facilitate their ability to support the company and its employees in a company and its employees in a manner that really matters to the manner that really matters to the company’s bottom linecompany’s bottom line


ConclusionsConclusions

EAP is the central EAP is the central function within the function within the

organisation that has the organisation that has the potential to close the potential to close the service-profit chainservice-profit chain

Documents

3 June 2003GRACE MATLHAPE1 Using EAP to Build Sustainable Organisations A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE EAP…