ContentsPage 1

Why do we need a new National Workplace Strategy?

Peter Cassells

Page 3The NCPP and the National

Workplace Strategy: A vision for thefuture workplaceLucy Fallon-Byrne

Page 5Enabling workplace change and

innovation – a new agenda for work-place partnership

Damian Thomas

Page 8National Workplace Strategy:

driving workplace changeTony Killeen, T.D.

Page 10New Council appointed

Page 12Workplace Change and Innovation

in Ireland’s Local Government SectorCathal O’Regan

Page 15Five ways to make your

workplace innovativeLarry O’Connell

Page 18Building Learning Organisations

through NetworkingEdna Jordan

Contact the editor:E julia@ncpp.ie T 01 814 6397

We know that our prosperity andsocial achievements of the pastdecade are now in a critical period oftransition. We have accepted thatskills and learning in all areas mustmove up one step. We know that werequire a more efficient and effectivedelivery of public services, especiallyin areas such as health, transportand education.

This transition will present signifi-cant challenges for all organisations,employees and unions in both theprivate and public sector. To prepare

Further information on the National Workplace Strategy can be found at www.ncpp.ie/nws

for these challenges, the Forum onthe Workplace of the Future has outlined a new integrated NationalWorkplace Strategy. The purpose of this Strategy is to co-ordinate the approach of all governmentdepartments and agencies to work-place development and to supportemployers and unions to promotechange through partnership. Itsimplementation is being overseen by a high-level implementationgroup chaired by Minister of StateTony Killeen, T.D.

To sustain our economic and social success, we have

as a country identified the need to invest in infra-

structure, promote R&D and improve the quality of

public services. There has, however, been little focus

on building the capacity of employers and unions to

bring about change in our workplaces and enhance

the quality of working life. These are the reasons why

we need to implement a new integrated National

Workplace Strategy.

Why do we need a new National Workplace Strategy?

Update7The Bulletin of The National Centre for Partnership and Performance

Issue 7 Summer 2006

2 Why do we need a new National Workplace Strategy? contd.

The National Workplace Strategyidentifies a range of workplacepractices that need to be improved,including:

p Leadership and the capacity forchange: we need to build thecapabilities of managers, employ-ees and unions in the public andprivate sector to proactivelyintroduce and manage change.

p Upskilling and workplace learn-ing: to maintain competitivenessin all sectors and ensure thatworkers are employable, we need to remove barriers to work-related learning and training.This is especially true in the caseof workers in lower skilled jobsand those with narrow skills setsin shrinking areas of the economy.

p Promoting diversity and work-lifebalance: for business benefits andemployee well-being, diversityand work-life balance need to bepromoted as an integral part ofevery organisation’s culture andmanagement.

p Practical approaches to partner-ship: workplace partnershipneeds to be revitalised andrefocused as the mechanism for tackling these challenges.

We should not be afraid of thesechallenges nor of the transition weare seeking to make as a country.The Forum on the Workplace of theFuture concluded that achievementof the goals set out in the NationalWorkplace Strategy will provide thebasis for competitive enterprise, highquality public services, broad accessto employment opportunities and agood quality working life for allemployees. By working together to improve our capacity for changeand the quality of working life, wehave the opportunity to be one ofthe first countries in the world toembrace the so-called knowledgeeconomy and knowledge society.

Peter Cassells, Chairperson,National Centre for Partnership and Performance

“The purpose of this Strategy is to co-ordinate the

approach of all government departments and agencies

to workplace development and to support employers

and unions to promote change through partnership.”

The National Workplace Strategy is the first dedicated nationalprogramme designed to supportworkplace and workforce develop-ment and modernisation and has been developed by governmentin consultation with the social partners.

The vision of the workplace, as outlined in this new strategy, isbased on nine critical characteristics.To sustain and deliver increasedcompetitiveness, our workplacesneed to be:

p agile

p customer-centred

p knowledge-intensive

p networked and

p highly productive (Table 1).

However, in a modern society, highlyinnovative, dynamic knowledge-based workplaces need to be alert

and responsive to the needs of theiremployees. The vision specifiestherefore, that workplaces will be:

p responsive to employees needs

p involved and participatory

p continually learning and

p proactively diverse.

Our workers are our future as wehave chosen to move to high value-added activities and services toactively compete at the top end ofthe global marketplace. Futuredevelopments in our workplacesand the strategy of the NCPP areguided by this twin-track approachto change and innovation:

p Buidling innovative, agile andhighly productive organisationsand

p Valuing employees, fosteringinvolvement and responding totheir increasingly diverse needs.

update 3

The NCPP and the National WorkplaceStrategy: A vision for the future workplaceThe strategic focus of the NCPP over the next

three years is to realise the vision of the future

workplace as set out in the Government’s

National Workplace Strategy. This vision captures

the need to sustain and increase our competitive

position internationally, while fully acknowledging

the importance of involving and supporting the

well-being of all our workers.

4 NCPP and the National Workplace Strategy contd.

The NCPP’s mission will be to leadand support transformation in Irishworkplaces, through partnership,by building commitment to thisnew vision and by being proactive inthe implementation of the NationalWorkplace Strategy.

The mission of the NCPP will be fulfilled through five inter-relatedprogrammes of activity as outlinedin the strategy framework (Figure 1).

1. Partnership – enabling changeThe vision of the workplace of thefuture creates a new and challeng-ing context in which to consider thefurther development of partnership.In many respects, it can be said thatthis guiding vision maps out a newand expanded role for workplacepartnership. It is a new and holisticapproach, which incorporates the

changing needs of the workplaceand the workforce in areas such aslearning, diversity and equality, flex-ible working and work-life balanceas well as the need to be informed,consulted and continuously involved.This next phase of the developmentof partnership will focus less onstructures and processes and moreon outcomes and benefits for theorganisation as well as the needs ofworkers as articulated in the visionof the workplace of the future.

2. National Workplace Strategy and the HLIG

The High-Level ImplementationGroup (HLIG) was established inJune 2005 to oversee the implemen-tation of the National WorkplaceStrategy. Over the next three years,the NCPP will provide professionaland executive support for the workof the HLIG.

table 1 Workplace of the future

We are committed to and ready for change

Characteristics

Agile

Our customers needs are paramountCustomer centred

We search for and harness all sources of knowledgeKnowledge intensive

This is a great place to work for all of usResponsive to employee needs

We work collaboratively and build relationshipsNetworked

Our employees say...

We continuously improve our ways of working

Everyone has a say and all voices and ideas are valued

We are supported and expected to learn and develop

We are better because we are diverse

Highly productive

Involved and participatory

Continually learning

Proactively diverse

“...the challenge now

is to realise the vision

of the workplace as

set out in the National

Workplace Strategy.”

5

partnership– enabling

change

innovationfund

researchand policy

development

communi-cation and

dissemination

nationalworkplace

strategy&

high levelimplementation

group

capacity for change commitment toworkplace innovation

quality of work andemployment

leading and supporting workplacetransformation in ireland through partnership

changingworkforce globalisation knowledge

economy technology

MissionandStrategicPriorities

WorkProgrammes

Context

figure 1 NCPP Strategic Overview 2006–2009

The NCPP is also responsible for co-ordinating each of the five mainareas in the National WorkplaceStrategy and is directly responsiblefor the implementation of nine ofits recommendations.

3. Workplace Innovation FundThe National Workplace Strategyrecommends the establishment ofa three year workplace innovationfund under the aegis of the Councilof the NCPP. This new WorkplaceInnovation Fund will be used to sup-port and mainstream new ideas andbest practice models of workplaceinnovation.

4. Research and policy development

Research and policy developmentwill continue to underpin the workof the NCPP across all five of itswork programmes. Research at theNCPP is designed to build policy

from a sound and rigorousevidence-base and to supportthe development of workplace innovation. The NCPP will continueto co-ordinate and champion workplace innovation as a researchtheme within the policy andresearch communities.

5. Communication and dissemination

The communication and dissemi-nation programme will promote the work of the NCPP and the HighLevel Implementation Group. It willdevelop and implement advocacyand information campaigns on thekey issues, policies and ideas

of the National Workplace Strategy.It will also develop a pro-active PRstrategy to improve how informa-tion and messages associated withthis work are presented.

Since its establishment in 2001,the NCPP has engaged in a widerange of activities to help improveperformance in the workplace and to embed-partnership styleapproaches to change. However,a lot has changed in the interveningyears and the context for the new strategy has also changed.The challenge now is to realise thevision of the workplace as agreed atthe Forum and to ensure that theambitious and co-ordinatedapproach to workplace develop-ment as outlined in the NationalWorkplace Strategy is fullyimplemented.

Lucy Fallon-Byrne, Director,National Centre for Partnership and Performance

6 Enabling workplace change and innovation contd.

participation work practices benefitsboth employers and employeesthrough increased innovation,higher productivity and anenhanced quality of working life.The drive to achieve a dynamic,knowledge-based economyreaffirms the potential of workplacepartnership to act as an effectiveresponse to the challenges facing all workplaces in Ireland.

To fulfil its potential, the principlesand practices of workplace partnership need to be harnessed

“The further develop-

ment of workplace

partnership must be

clearly aligned with

the goals of the

National Workplace

Strategy.”

The Government has now positionedworkplace development at the very centre of the policy agendathrough the National WorkplaceStrategy. The Strategy recognises the necessity of developing moreeffective partnership-styleapproaches to stimulate workplacechange and innovation across thewhole economy.

A key theme of the National Work-place Strategy is that making use ofhigh-involvement, high-

Enabling workplace change and innovation – a new agenda for workplace partnership

Following the work of the Forum on the Workplace

of the Future, there is an emerging consensus that

the quality of the workforce and the levels of work-

place change and innovation are critically important

to Ireland’s ongoing transition to a higher skilled,

dynamic and knowledge-based economy.

through closer integration betweenbusiness priorities, staff needs andindustrial relations structures. Thiscreates an environment where apartnership approach becomes theway business is done at all levelswithin an organisation.

Ultimately for partnership tosurvive and flourish, it must beincreasingly seen as an effectivedriver of workplace change andinnovation that delivers for allparties concerned.

The debate on how to progressworkplace partnership needs tofocus on how it can contribute to fostering the higher levels ofemployee engagement and participation that are required in a knowledge-based economy.

Similarly, the establishment of bothformal and informal partnershipstructures must be concerned withencouraging a more collaborativeproblem-solving culture withinorganisations. In such a culture,the management style will be openand participative, the contribution

update 7

“The debate on how

to progress workplace

partnership needs to

focus on how it can

contribute to fostering

the higher levels of

employee engagement

and participation

that are required in

a knowledge-based

economy.”

Private sector initiatives

Consultative process Engage with summit players and partnership practitioners toidentify the key steps that must be undertaken to deepen

partnership.

The Irish Workplace Target support to promote innovation, organisational change Innovation Fund and lifelong learning at the workplace level, in a manner that

simultaneously improves organisational performance and theexperience of employees.

Joint initiatives Develop joint initiatives focused on progressing collaborative andinnovative solutions to challenges posed by the increased pace ofworkplace change.

Sectoral partnership projects Initiate sector-based projects focused on deepening partnershipwithin selected sectors and developing partnership-based solutions to sector-specific issues.

Capacity building Management: Promote the NCPP’s Competency Framework as for partnership a leading edge and innovative tool for supporting the development

of a more participatory managerial culture.

Trade unions: develop a targeted initiative focused on enhancingunion capacity for engaging in partnership. In particular this activi-ty would focus on building an active alliance of partnership cham-pions within the trade union movement.

Advocacy and mainstreaming Focus advocacy activity on partnership as an enabler of workplacechange and innovation and incorporate it as part of a broader programme of communication and dissemination associated withthe National Workplace Strategy.

Information and consultation Promote the capacity of workplace partnership to actively assistboth the implementation of the national legislation at the organisational level and also enhance current practice in relation to informing and consulting with employees.

table 2 Proposed programme of action to further develop workplace partnership

8 Enabling workplace change and innovation contd.

“In part what

is required is a new

consensus among

government and

the social partners

that focuses on

the need to stimulate

workplace change

and innovation

through a partner-

ship approach.”

of employees at all levels will be valued, and new ideas will be welcomed and rewarded. Todevelop this type of culture it willbe necessary to cultivate newapproaches to organisation andpeople-management, new forms of leadership, and new managerialcompetencies.

Trade unions have a critical role toplay in supporting change andencouraging innovation. To do thisthey need to be more proactive interms of engaging with employersto resolve workplace issues andenhance performance. Significantly,an NCPP/ESRI survey of employees’views and experiences found thatunion members favour such a pro-active participatory approach.1 Also,they want unions to develop a moreintegrative bargaining agenda,focusing more on flexible workingand work-related learning andtraining. Workplace partnership can

facilitate unions in adopting suchco-operative strategies and inpursuing a broader based bargain-ing agenda capable of meeting their members’ diverse needs.

Developing partnership-stylearrangements could also tap intothe willingness of employees toengage with change – an attributethat is currently under-utilised. Inparticular, such arrangements couldstimulate the evolution of moreopen and collaborative workingrelationships capable of harnessingthe talents of all employees inresolving complex organisationalproblems.

The further development ofworkplace partnership must beclearly aligned with the goals of theNational Workplace Strategy.Although the capacity of workplacepartnership to contribute to thedevelopment of dynamic, highperforming, and participatory work-places is clearly recognised, translat-ing this consensus into practicalaction is a challenge. In part what isrequired is a new consensus amonggovernment and the social partnersthat focuses on the need tostimulate workplace change andinnovation through a partnershipapproach. This consensus must beunderpinned by an integratedaction capable of supporting thefurther development of workplacepartnership across all sectors of the economy.

The NCPP’s new strategy for2006–2009 has identified “Partner-ship – Enabling Change” as one ofits five inter-related programmes ofactivity. Table 2 outlines a proposedset of practical measures for opera-tionalising this programme area.In particular this integrated set ofactions is designed to enhance thecapacity of workplace partnership'scapacity to contribute to the strate-gic goal of modernising our publicand private sector workplaces in amanner that delivers for both theeconomy and broader society.

Dr. Damian ThomasNational Centre for Partnership and Performance

1. NCPP/ESRI (2004) The Changing Workplace: A Survey of Employees’ Views and Experiences

On an almost daily basis, we arereminded of the rapidly changingnature of the Irish economy.Changing industrial realities andnew labour force demographicshave profound implications for theworkplaces that we operate in. It isimportant that we have a focus onthe workplace because this is whereour capacity to adapt to the pace ofchange will be tested. The challengefor all of us – policy makers, serviceproviders, employers, trade unions,managers and workers, is tomanage these changes effectively.

Our ability to manage change in theworkplace will be crucial to thefuture of the Irish economy. Overthe coming years, our national com-petitiveness, our productivity, ourhealth and well-being as employees,and the extent to which we can sustain and benefit from oureconomic growth will be deter-mined by the decisions that wemake within the workplace.

The National Workplace Strategyhighlights what needs to be done ata policy level and within individualplaces of employment. While theStrategy presents a complexchallenge, we have every reason tobe optimistic about our ability to

succeed. Our experiences of thenational social partnership processand the recent Forum on theWorkplace of the Future remind usof how well we can work together indeveloping innovative responses tocomplex problems.

As Chair of the High LevelImplementation Group, I can reportthat significant progress has alreadybeen made on a number of impor-tant issues. The first Status Report,issued in February 2006, shows thatgovernment and the social partnersare now collaborating to an unpre-cedented extent. This collaboration,together with other developmentsexpected over the coming months,can only augur well for our journeytowards becoming a more innova-tive, knowledge-based economy.

9

National Workplace Strategy:driving workplace change

Message from Mr. Tony Killeen T.D.,

Minister for Labour Affairs at the Department

of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and

Chair of the National Workplace Strategy

High Level Implementation Group

“It is important that we

have a focus on the

workplace, because this

is where our capacity to

adapt to the pace of

change will be tested.”

New Council appointed

The Taoiseach has appointed a new Council to take

the NCPP forward over the next three years. With

representatives from government, trade unions and

employers along with individual members, the Council

represents an excellent mix of experience and talent

to advance the NCPP’s new three-year strategy.

John Walsh is Assistant Secretary at the Department of Enterprise,Trade and Employment.

Brendan McGinty is Director ofIndustrial Relations and HumanResources with the Irish Businessand Employers Confederation (IBEC).He was chief negotiator for IBEC in concluding the national partner-ship agreement Sustaining Progressand is centrally involved in thenegotiations on a successor to that agreement.

Dr Catherine Kavanagh is a lecturerat UCC. She has published widely in the areas of compensation in theworkplace, labour market policies,the skills and qualifications of workers, income distribution andinequality, measures of progress,and the effectiveness of public capital expenditure. Her currentresearch interests are in the areas of migration and work in Ireland,and occupational and educationalchange in the Irish labour force.

10

Peter Cassells, former generalsecretary of the Irish Congress ofTrade Unions, is the new chairpersonof the NCPP Council. He was ExecutiveChair of the first NCPP Council andchaired the inaugural sessions ofthe Forum on the Workplace of theFuture. He has been involved in the negotiation of five nationalpartnership programmes.

Philip Kelly is Assistant Secretary in charge of public service moderni-sation and social partnership (pay and industrial relations) in the Taoiseach’s Department.

Professor Joyce O’Connor is Presidentof the National College of Ireland.She has published widely on educationand access issues, entrepreneurship,women in business, innovation andenterprise, drinking and smokingbehaviours and the elderly.

Irene Canavan is HR Director at Arnotts.

update 11

Liam Doherty is currently acting as Project Director of the IBEC Alternative Dispute Resolution Skillnet. He is a Visiting ResearchAssociate in Queens University,Belfast, where he is conductingresearch into alternative disputeresolution mechanisms in a varietyof organisations in Ireland andinternationally.

Edward Keenan is Director of Industrial Relations, Employmentand Manpower Services with theConstruction Industry Federation.He holds an MA in industrial relationsand human resource managementand has over twenty yearsexperience in industrial relationsand human resource management.

Jerry Shanahan has been a memberof the executive council of the IrishCongress of Trade Unions for a number of years and has participatedin the negotiation of the last threenational agreements. He has a particular interest in employeeinvolvement and participation.

Catherine Byrne is currently DeputyGeneral Secretary of the IrishNational Teachers’ Organisation(INTO). She has a wide range ofskills and expertise in educational,trade union and gender issues.

Fergus Whelan is an IndustrialOfficer with the Irish Congress ofTrade Unions with special respon-sibility for industrial relations in the private sector.

Gerry McCormack is National Industrial Secretary at SIPTU withresponsibility for the private sector.He worked as a miner in Tara Mines for 16 years where he was a shop steward.

Ciarán Connolly is AssistantSecretary at the Department ofFinance with responsibility for payand industrial relations in the publicservice. Over his career in the CivilService he has worked in the areasof industrial relations, organisation-al development, EU structural fund-ing and expenditure planning andcontrol.

Dr Dorothy Butler Scally is anindependent consultant working in the field of personal and profes-sional development. She hascontributed to the developmentof recruitment and selectionprocedures for senior managers and has acted as an independentchairperson of interview boards for senior management posts across the spectrum of the civil and public services.

Lucy Fallon-Byrne has been Directorof the NCPP since 2001. She has anextensive background in strategicmanagement and planning. Sinceits establishment she has providedstrategic direction to the NCPP andhas ensured the delivery of itsextensive work programme. A majorachievement for the NCPP has beenthe Forum on the Workplace of theFuture and the development of a new National Workplace Strategy.

The local government sector typifiesthe organisational challenges beingexperienced across the Irisheconomy. Driven by Better Local Government (1996) and the LocalGovernment Act of 2001, the sectoris in the throes of a highly signifi-cant change and modernisation programme. The key challenges forlocal authorities include engagingeffectively with local democracystructures, enhancing customerservice levels and improving organi-sational efficiencies.

The local authority is emerging asthe de facto driver of an increasinglyco-ordinated approach by publicservice providers to serviceplanning, investment and delivery

12

Workplace Change and Innovation in Ireland’s Local Government Sector

The NCPP has published a new report that

examines the pressures local government is

subject to, and looks at how management,

unions and employees in local authorities

are playing a central role in enabling the sector

to respond to these challenges.

into communities. How effectivelylocal authorities can step into thisrole will depend on their capacity tobring about quite fundamentalchanges within their organisations.Such changes include the re-organisation of managementand operational structures, theintroduction of cutting-edgeinformation and communicationtechnologies, and significantintegration and streamlining offinancial and HR managementsystems.

The NCPP bases its report on fourin-depth case studies of organisa-tional change and innovation, inMeath, Donegal, South Dublin andWexford county councils. The case

update 13

Donegal County Council undertook an unprecedented decentralisation programme.Over a period of several years, management, unions and staff workedtogether to create new structures, facilities and services at the CountyCouncil. The business model of the County Council has now moved from an archaic and bureaucratic system to one where the public areserved by a series of Public Service Centres located across the county.Working conditions and progression opportunities for the staff atDonegal County Council have substantially improved, and the Council has become a customer-centred organisation with a highly motivated and innovative workforce.

South Dublin County Council effected a root-and-branch redefinition of what is meant by quality customer service to the public.The use of advanced information and communications technologiesenables management and staff at South Dublin to monitor and respond to the needs of its customers. The public now have one point of contactwith the council, no matter what their query might be. In tandem with this focus on the customer, South Dublin enjoys some highly successful initiatives that have benefited staff across the organisation.

At Meath County Council a large scale re-organisation was undertakenthrough a partnership process.The changing demographics within Meath, and an expanding demand on a highly centralised council headquarters led Meath County Council,in partnership with its unions and staff, to undertake a full servicedecentralisation programme. Five new area offices were opened to provide state-of-the-art facilities for the public in the county.

Wexford County Council used a partnership approach to resolve a traditionally difficult issue Thanks to an innovative partnership process management, unions andemployees at Wexford County Council arrived at a negotiated agreementon the thorny issue of public private partnerships in record time. Theyagreed on the framework for the installation, maintenance and measuringof water metering to commercial customers in the county.

Case studies of organisational change and innovation“The case studies

demonstrate that

working in partnership

allows the organisation

to handle significant

change effectively

while delivering

better outcomes for

management,

unions, employees

and customers.”

14 Workplace change and innovation in Ireland’s local government sector contd.

studies show strong evidence in thesector of the type of innovativeworkplace characteristics envisagedby the National Workplace Strategy.The studies highlight once again thesuccess of the partnership approachin effectively tackling strategic andoften contentious issues. Workingcollaboratively on core organisa-tional change issues, management,unions and staff have broughtabout significantly improvedcustomer service levels and organisa-tional efficiencies, while at the sametime enhancing the quality ofemployment and the working envi-ronment for staff.

The case studies provide models ofgood practice that are of relevanceabove and beyond the immediateconfines of the local authority workplace.

Looking forwardThere are strong indications thatlocal government is successfullytackling change issues, but manage-ment, unions and staff mustcontinue to deepen the partnershipapproach. A key challenge for allconcerned will be to make the partnership process more robustby progressively testing its capacityto engage with more contentiousand strategic issues. The publicationby the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group (LANPAG) of a protocol for the sector,

Handling Significant Changethrough Partnership, is a key step in this direction.

Other important steps are beingtaken by LANPAG and the localauthorities to mainstream many of the innovations that have beenpiloted over the last five years.Some of the examples of good practice profiled in the report arerelevant to organisational changeissues right across the public andprivate sectors and are likely to bethe subject of increasing interest togovernment, employers and unionsas they seek ways to implement theNational Workplace Strategy.

Copies of “Workplace Change and Innovation in Ireland’s Local Government Sector – Partnership in Practice” are available fromwww.ncpp.ie or by contacting 01 814 6300.

Cathal O’ReganNational Centre for Partnership and Performance

“A key challenge for all concerned will be to make the

partnership process more robust by progressively test-

ing its capacity to engage with more contentious and

strategic issues”.

Lesson 1If you want a good idea,get lots of ideasAn organisation which fails toimmerse all of its employees, its customers and suppliers in theprocess of innovation and thesearch for new ideas is selling itselfshort. It is losing out on potentialopportunities. The Masterclassheard that:

p At Nokia, building alliances andinformal networks is more impor-tant than creating complex organisational structures andhierarchies. There is a culture ofinformality to encourage conver-sation and sharing of ideas with

all employees eating in the samecanteen and a casual dress code.

p Irish companies acknowledgethe importance of employees assources of innovation. They arealso making greater use of highperformance work practices tocreate the right conditions for thistype of employee contribution.However, there is evidence thatmany Irish companies are nottapping into the full potentialthat exists among the workforce.This is particularly true of smallerindigenous companies.

15

1. If you want a good idea, get lots of ideas

2. If you want new ideas, let employees and customers have their say

3. If you want to find new ways of doing things, think partnership

4. If you want fresh ideas, challenge the existing culture

5. If you want innovative employees, have innovative managers

Five lessons from the Masterclass

Five ways to make your workplace innovative

In the National Workplace Strategy greater commit-

ment to workplace innovation is a key priority. So

how do companies, policy makers, employers’ groups

and trade unions get people to think more creatively

and innovatively about work? A Masterclass in late

2005 provided several illustrations and helped to

identify five key lessons.

Lesson 2If you want new ideas, letemployees and customers havetheir sayNecessity is often seen as the motherof invention but what is needed isnot always so easy to identify. Inmost cases, innovation arisesthrough a process in which thosewith expert knowledge, for exampleemployees and consumers, experi-ment with ideas, concepts and prod-ucts. Many consumers’ needs onlybecome fully apparent as productsand versions of products or servicesare introduced. Think of the iPod,SMART cars or MBT walking shoes.

The Masterclass illustrated that weneed to open up possibilities andbuild platforms for new ideas tocome through in each workplace.It was suggested that:

p Innovation should be an openrather than a closed activity. In a closed activity, bright peopleworking in special conditions, forexample in an R&D lab, are freedfrom market pressures to developideas which are passed along apipeline to a passive customer.In the open system there are multiple sources of new ideas;people work in ‘swarms’ ratherthan in isolation. In this approachworkers and consumers areinnovators. Innovation is a collab-orative process where knowledgeis created through interaction,re-using and borrowing.

Lesson 3If you want to find new ways ofdoing things, think partnershipGlobalisation, growing competitiveintensity and outsourcing are allcritical aspects of the currentbusiness environment. In response,

business must find new ways tocompete, innovate and improve performance.

Research presented at theMasterclass supported the role ofpartnership in the context of thesechallenges. Partnership was linkedto innovative thinking and pin-pointed as a key factor in predictingthe use of high performance work practices. The Masterclass illustratedthat mutual gain is no longer just atheory, it is a very real part of bestpractice in Ireland and internation-ally. The Masterclass showed that:

p In spite of very heavy outsourcingof manufacturing activity, theDanish textile industry nowemploys twice as many people asfive years ago and at twice thehourly wage rate.

p The key to its success has been an early and joint management-union acceptance of thefundamental need for reform.Employers, employees and unions worked in partnership todevelop solutions. Significantinvestment took place in relationto education and re-training toallow workers to develop newcompetencies in areas such asdesign and marketing.

p Among the Top 1000 Irish com-panies, partnership is associatedstatistically with better employ-ment security. It is also signifi-cantly associated with theadoption of workplace practicesthat are linked with high perform-ance and innovation.

Lesson 4If you want fresh ideas, challengethe existing culture Workplace innovation is about a newmindset. It requires a culture wheremanagement and workers looksideways and borrow ideas, admitwhat they do not know, are encour-aged to disagree, and unlearn someof what they know. There is, how-ever, an underlying force summedup in the idea ‘if it ain’t broke don’tfix it’ that compels even very largeand very successful organisations to resist change. The Masterclasshighlighted the challenges but alsothe possibilities. It illustrated:

p That the draw of the status quocan be even harder to resistwithin the small, owner-operatedcompanies that are so importantwithin the Irish economy. Veryoften in the absence of a crisis itcan be extremely difficult tocreate a momentum behind theneed for a new culture.

p That it is possible to create thismomentum has been demon-strated by dramatic change atNewbridge Cutlery. The skills of existing employees have beenused to support a radical productand market diversification strategy that has seen the company develop a very success-ful jewellery business.

p The importance of our schoolsshould not be underestimated inour efforts to change workplaceculture. Problem solving, criticalthinking, team building, commu-nication and interpersonal skills,along with the ability to take risks and experiment, are the vitalattributes that the innovativeworkplace of the future willrequire. We need to fundamentallyre-think our approach to invest-ment in education.

16 Five ways to make your workplace innovative contd.

Lesson 5If you want innovative employees,have innovative managersIdeas come from imagination andimagination is sparked by storiesand metaphors. Telling stories,getting conversations started andfacilitating creative discussionsamong people are critical for inno-vation. Traditionally managers haverelied heavily on plans, spreadsheetsand numbers rather than on storiesand metaphors. The Masterclasshelped to illustrate the need forimproved top-down support. Ithighlighted that:

p The ability to inspire people toinnovate requires improvementsin management and leadership.It also requires improvements intraining, performance manage-ment, and financial rewards andincentives.

p An innovation fund would help topromote workplace innovationand get stories into the publicdomain. This would facilitate theefforts of employers and tradeunions to promote and developworkplace innovation.

p There is a need to look at innova-tive ways to reward employees.Just one in six Irish companieshave employee financial involve-ment. Gain sharing mechanismswhich allow employees to sharein the gains that result from theircontributions and ideas will becritical to the development of anysustainable process of workplaceinnovation.

Thanks to Tony Killeen, (Minister forLabour Affairs), Philip Kelly (Depart-ment of the Taoiseach), John Monks(ETUC), David Begg (ICTU), CatherineByrne (INTO), Brendan McGinty(IBEC), Lucy Fallon-Byrne (NCPP),James Guthrie (University of Kansas)and Charles Leadbeater (Consultant)for their thought-provoking contributions to the Masterclass.

Dr. Larry O’ConnellNational Centre for Partnership and Performance

update 17

“An organisation which

fails to immerse all

of its employees, its

customers and suppliers

in the process of innova-

tion and the search for

new ideas, is selling itself

short. It is losing out on

potential opportunities.”

Ask yourself…

— Is innovation really important to what you do?

— Do you have a systematic process to supportworkplace innovation?

— Have you tried to innovate? If so have you been knocked back?

— Have you successfully introduced any innovations in your workplace in the last 12 months?

Charles Leadbeater

Getting started

learning and the opportunities that it presents to influence aculture of learning throughout theorganisation are also highlighted in the report.

How can organisations develop orimprove the way they learn? The report identifies a number of key actions that support andimprove the effectiveness oflearning within organisations.These include:

p Developing a communicative andcollaborative environment

Open and flexible communicationis key to effective learning.Individual and organisationallearning can be supported by fos-tering a more communicative andcollaborative environment in

18

Building Learning Organisations through Networking

…the capacity for organisational learning is

one of the keys to innovation, competitiveness,

employment growth and security.

(National Workplace Strategy)

How can organisations develop orimprove the way they learn? Howcan learning be sustained in organi-sations? Answers to these questionscan be found in a new NCPP report,Building Learning Organisationsthrough Networking. It is the finalreport of a collaborative actionresearch project with FÁS. The objec-tive was to identify and promoteeffective approaches to organisa-tional learning in public and privatesector organisations in Ireland.Several strands of enquiry andresearch were combined including:

p An exploration of the academicliterature on learning and theimpact of network-led initiatives

p An in-depth survey of learning insixteen Irish organisations

p A dynamic practitioner networkwhich provided the basis forthirteen organisational case studies included in the report

p An action learning project under-taken by members of the networkin their own organisations.

The establishment of the practitionernetwork was central to the successof the project and facilitated a newunderstanding and awareness ofthe potential of learning in theworkplace.

One of the significant findings ofthe report is that learning mustmake a visible contribution to theorganisation. It must play a part,for example, in improving efficiencyand in attracting and retaining‘good’ employees.

The report highlights how a focuson workplace learning can producea wider range of solutions fororganisational problems and canhelp to achieve a better balancebetween long-term effectivenessand short-term efficiency in theorganisation. The project demon-strated that workplace learning isthe key to developing individualpotential and enabling people toboth meet the demands of changein their workplace and contribute to their ongoing employability.The wide-ranging nature of informal

“Organisational learning

has the capacity to

change the culture of

the organisation.”

which individuals learn from eachother. This type of communicationis closely associated with strongteamwork and a willingness toshare knowledge, expertise andinformation.

p Developing standards and linkswith accreditation bodies

The development and implemen-tation of a highly structuredlearning system is important inthe support of learning. This ischaracterised among the networkorganisations by strong links withskill formation systems andvalidation bodies such as the FÁSExcellence through People (ETP)standard.

p Ensuring HR systems complement learning

Learning must also be an integralpart of HR systems. There is aclose interplay betweenperformance managementsystems and recruitment,selection and reward structures.All members of the organisationneed to be aware of the priorityattached to learning. It is essentialthat this message is reinforced inthe range of systems developed torecruit, induct, promote andreward individuals.

p A systematic approach to learning

Adopting a systematic approachto learning enables organisationsto create a tangible link betweenstrategy and the design and deliv-ery of training and development.

How can learning be sustained in the workplace?Through the learning experiences ofthe network participants, specificpractice guidelines were developed.These include:

Fostering learning at workp Make learning part of the

business agenda and promotethis awareness among themanagement team.

p Provide formal training in mentor-ing and coaching for managersand supervisors.

p Develop a management culturebased on co-operation, communi-cation and partnership betweenmanagement and employees thatpromotes dialogue.

p Link, promote and prioritise learn-ing through other HR systems, forexample, recruitment, induction,performance management anddevelopment.

p Celebrate individual and organisa-tional learning achievements.

p Be sure to provide a balancebetween internal and external,formal and informal learningopportunities when planning andbudgeting for learning.

Managing learning at workp Shift the focus from training

to learning.

p Win the support of managers toensure that learning translatesinto improvements in workpractices.

p Establish formal internal ‘learningchampions’ at various levels topromote learning initiatives.

p Promote learning and develop-ment as an integral part of every-one’s role and responsibilities.

p Identify ways of managing formallearning activities so that they fitwith business needs.

p Make the learning process explicitand visible throughout the organ-isation by creating a distinctivebrand identity for learning withinthe organisation, for example.

Facilitating learning throughsharing knowledge and informationp Establish regular meeting

arrangements across differentfunctional areas to facilitate and enhance shared learningopportunities.

p Apply action learning approachesusing real problems as the focusof personal learning or educationprogrammes.

p Design, implement and supportmentoring and coaching systems.

p Experiment with new learningtools, including e-learning andlearning sets.

p Provide a range of learningmodels including opportunitiesfor certified and accredited formalworkplace learning activities.

The report which includes casestudies and analysis is available at www.ncpp.ie or by contacting 01 814 6300.

Edna JordanNational Centre for Partnership and Performance

update 19

“Shift the focus fromtraining to learning.”

“Workplace learning

encompasses much more

than formal training.”

“ To sustain our economic and social success, we mustbuild our capacity for change in the workplace and en-hance the quality of working life for all workers. To preparefor this challenge, a new integrated National WorkplaceStrategy has been finalised to co-ordinate our approachto workplace development and to promote changethrough partnership. As Chair of the NCPP I look forwardto working closely with Government agencies, Congressand IBEC on the implementation of this Strategy.”Peter Cassells, Chairperson of NCPP Council

“ A key ingredient in the success of Ireland’s social part-nership has been its capacity to respond to changing economic and social circumstances. The NCPP is helping to develop a shared understanding of the challenges as they arise within our workplaces and to bring forward new approaches and initiatives.”Philip Kelly, Assistant Secretary, Department of An Taoiseach

“ The NCPP has shown that partnership and other relatedHR innovations which take employees needs andambitions into account can be a real source of produc-tivity growth. The challenge over the next three yearswill be to encourage and support more companies,especially small businesses, to think about how they can customise partnership-type workplace innovationsto improve productivity.”John Walsh, Assistant Secretary, Department of Enterprise,Trade and Employment

“ Ireland is no longer a low-cost/low-wage economy andwe must recognise that we cannot compete with someof the emerging economies on cost grounds alone.The growth of knowledge-intensive work will be one ofthe most important influences shaping work and work-places in the coming years. The recommendations of theForum on the Workplace of the Future represent animportant milestone in charting the way forward for allof us to achieve what we want – a competitive economythat can create and sustain jobs in a workplaceenvironment which expands access to opportunity andenhances the quality of working life.”Brendan McGinty, Directior of Industrial Relations and Human Resources, IBEC

“ Our priority must be to work together to generate theconditions for an Irish economy that will be amongst themost competitive in the world, able both to create newjobs and to sustain the jobs we have.”Liam Doherty, Project Director, IBEC Dispute Resolution Skillnet

“ Subscribing to the notion of partnership is not enough.For effectiveness in the workplace and sane living for allof us, the theory must be put into action. That is thechallenge we face in the evolving Ireland of today.”Dorothy Butler Scally, Independent consultant in personal and professional development

“ If partnership is to take hold at the level of the enterpriseand start to address what many consider to be the ‘democratic deficit’, then sufficient and adequatefinancial and human resources will have to be providedto the NCPP. This would enable the process to be rolledout into individual workplaces and support employeerepresentatives and management who are prepared toengage with these innovations by putting resources attheir disposal.”Jerry Shanahan, Member of Executive Council,Irish Congress of Trade Unions

“ As a new member of Council I am impressed with thework of the NCPP since its establishment in 2001. As webegin now to agree and to implement a new programmefor the next three years, it is clear that there are big challenges ahead. For me, the real challenge is that thebroad agenda and activities of the NCPP translate intomeaningful and positive experiences for workers in theireveryday working lives.”Catherine Byrne, Deputy General Secretary,Irish National Teachers' Organisation

“ The ground work has been completed. There is a clearunderstanding of what the workplace of the futureshould look like. What is required now is action at thelevel of the workplace supported by government and the social partners to do what needs to be done.”Fergus Whelan, Industrial Officer, Irish Congress of Trade Unions

“ The NCPP will play an even more important role in theevolution of Irish industrial policy and industrial relationsin the years ahead. All stakeholders must have a role inmoving the partnership and performance processforward and in doing so must ensure that workers atevery level are involved. The NCPP’s success or otherwisewill be measured in terms of how all stakeholdersrespond to the challenges of globalisation, competition,employee involvement, change processes and the needto ensure that the best employment standards are maintained in Ireland.”Gerry McCormack, National Industrial Secretary, SIPTU

“ The NCPP has an integral role to play in supporting thefuture competitiveness of Irish industry. Irish organisa-tions are now operating within a dynamic, knowledge-based and increasingly highly competitive market.This new marketplace is demanding that organisationsboth public and private adapt to and embrace change inorder to remain competitive in the future. The Forum onthe Workplace of the Future will provide an essential framework and knowledge bank that will help Irishorganisations manage this change and remain one stepahead of the curve.”Professor Joyce O’Connor, President of the National College of Ireland

“ Competitiveness, achieved through a partnershipapproach with workers, is essential in every sector of the Irish economy going forward.”Edward Keenan, Director of Industrial Relations, Employmentand Manpower Services, Construction Industry Federation

info@ncpp.ie www.ncpp.ie

Views of Council Members