act in the workplace (parma vfinal) 8th july [compatibility mode]

8/6/2019 ACT in the Workplace (Parma Vfinal) 8th July [Compatibility Mode]

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Working with ACT

How Using ACT in the Workplace CouldTransform....Well, Almost Everything

Rachel Collis

Rob Archer

Rob Archer / Rachel Collis



Session Structure

1. Why is ACT needed in the

workplace?

2. How is ACT in the workplaceproblematic?

3. How ACT in the Workplace Could

Transform... Almost Everything

2



About Us

3



1. Why is ACT Needed In The Workplace?



1. Lack of control

2. Lack of communication

3. No appreciation

4. No feedback

5. Career and job ambiguity

6. Unclear policies

7. Mistrust, unfairness, office politics

8. Pervasive uncertainty9. Random interruptions

10. The treadmill syndrome

Bill Wilkerson, CEO of The Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health

Top 10 Work Stressors



The amount of information

we process daily has

doubled in the past 20 years



Distracted...



Disengaged...

9



Distressed

10

1 in 6

British Occupational Health report



1 in 6

1 in 3

1 in 60 Referred to specialist

Mental health problem

Not engaged > risk



Distracted Disengaged Distressed

� Time Management

� Performance Accelerator

� High Performing Teams

� Success, resilience &

change� People-led Change

� Safety Leadership

� Avoiding the Black

Hole� Resilience Training

� Work Effectiveness



The Evidence

Proven to improve performance and

health.

Enhances organisational

interventions.

We understand not just that it works

but why.

And....it can be trained!

Thanks: Jo Lloyd, Paul Flaxman



How Using ACT in the Workplace

Could Transform....Almost Everything



Big but



2. What are the ways in which using ACT in

organisations can be problematic?

1. Difficulties with Creative Hopelessness

2. Combining ACT with problem solving

3. Getting hooked by politics, status, groupthink etc

4. ACT sounds weird

5. Making values work work.



Creative HopelessnessIf a person has exerted so much effort and yet is coming for

treatment, one of two things must apply:1. The person has not found the right way to fix the problem, or

2. The model for change is flawed and unworkable.

Hayes, Wilson & Strosahl (1999)



60% of people in employment are not suffering from

mental illness



Diener et al 2000

7.6 / 10



Groupthink and the Control Agenda



As long as you think the problem is out there,

that very thought is the problem"

Stephen Covey



Absolute belief is an essential part of any

massive achievement

Andrew Meikle: Win Now, Win Later



Y ou become what you think ...so discipline

yourself to think about the things youwant and keep your mind off the things

you dont want

Brian Tracy - Create your Own Future



We observe, we tell a story , and then we feel.Since we and only we are telling the story, we

can take back control of our emotionsby telling a different story.

Patterson et al: Crucial Conversations



So what do we suggest?



If CH involves:A dialogue focused on three primary questions:

1. What does the client want?

2. What has the client tried? And,

3. How has that worked?

Hayes, Wilson & Strosahl (1999)



Needs Analysis

� What does the client want to achieve?

� Where are they now?

� What have they tried?� What do they think will work?

� Context



Be clear what the problem is... and isnt.



Issue % Agr eed1 Attracting and r etaining skilled staff 35%

2 Changing organizational cultur e and employee attitudes 33%

3 Acquiring new customer s 32%

4 Developing new processes and products 29%

5 Incr easing customer loyalty and r etention 29%

6 Managing risk 29%

7 Improving wor kforce perfor mance 28%

8 Incr easing shar eholder value 27%

9 Using IT to r educe costs and cr eate value 27%10 Being flexible and adaptable to rapidly changing mar ket

conditions

26%

11 Developing employees into capable leader s 26%

What is Your Top Business Priority?

Source: Accenture



Dont make them wrong



Contacting the present moment fully as a

conscious human being, and based on what thesituation affords, changing or persisting in

behavior in the service of chosen values

Psychological Flexibility



Increase discrimination around workability



Weave it in...



What are the ways in which using ACT in

these settings can be problematic?

1. Lack of Creative Hopelessness



4. ACT sounds weird




Work problem Problem solving response

� Lack of control

� Lack of communication

� No appreciation

� No feedback good or bad� Career and job ambiguity

� Unclear policies / processes

� Mistrust, unfairness, politics

� Pervasive uncertainty

� Random interruptions

Enhance job control

Communication skills

Appreciative inquiry

360 degree feedback Psychometrics/ decision sciences

Policy review / process redesign

Challenge perceptions

Risk management

Time management



Value of problem solving Limitation of problem solving

Changing processes to improve job

control boosts health & productivity

People need help noticing new

opportunities and learning new skills

Psychometric tests help identify the right

career for me

Having a µtype¶ can restrict our sense that

we can grow, develop or adapt

Categorising people as µtalent¶ helps us

direct resources at the best

Categorising people as talent tends to

alienate those who aren¶t talent

Having a set of organisational values

helps us embed desired behaviours

Organisational values often lead to

cynicism

Risk management reduces our risks Risk management still leaves risk

Safety procedures have cut workplace

accidents

Most accidents are not caused by poor

procedures, but mindlessness.

It helps to know my strengths so I can

build on them and improve weaknesses

Strengths mean nothing without context.

We need to stick to our plan No plan survives contact with the enemy

...Outside the skin (most of the time) ...Inside the skin (most of the time)

The Limitations of Problem Solving








4. ACT sounds weird




Sometimes it all goes horribly and

terribly wrong...



Needs Analysis

� What does the client want to achieve?

� Where are they now?

� What have they tried?� What do they think will work?

� Context



Attitude



Dynamics



Understand whos powerful



Strategies to build influence:

Do good work

Hope you are noticed

Avoid political manoeuvring

Be humble

Have open and honest agendas

Genuinely seek feedback

AND...



Find out how the system works



Be prepared to sell solutions



Excel at presentation



Acceptance

Def si n

Self as C ntext

C mmitted

Acti n

Val es

C ntact with the

Present M ment

Psych l gical

Flexibility

Be Flexible...








4. ACT sounds weird




Private

event

s



l f



Translating ACT for Organisations

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Acceptance & Commitment Training

The 6 processes of ACT Mindfulness / values-based actionAAQ-2 WAAQ

Stress management Resilience

Self as context Your resilient self

Mindfulness Noticing attention

Defusion Noticing thoughts, focusing on behaviour

Acceptance Willingness

Self-compassion

Present moment awareness Getting present / Presence

Values Commitments / Whats important?

Unwanted private events Intrusive thoughts, painful feelings and memories

Creative hopelessness process Needs analysis process

Control agenda The limitations of problem solving

Mental toughness Mental flexibility

Contacting the present moment fully as a conscious

human being, and based on what the situation affords..

Needs to be explained in segments or

Flexible thinking








4. ACT sounds weird


h



The Current View...

Environment

Identity

Values

Capabilities

Behaviours

Vision

Source: Robert ilts



Successful organisations are characterised

by strong values that communicate what behaviour is appropriate and what is not.

Source: CIP



Source: In Search of Excellence ± Peters & Waterman

Organisations must have a sound

set of beliefs on which it premises all

its procedures and actions

To meet a challenging world, it must

be prepared to change everything

about itself except those beliefs.



You can whip people into line with fear, but you can't get them



You can whip people into line with fear, but you can t get them

to build any of the great human accomplishments.

That takes aspiration, which I think means values.

Hank Robb



You need low enough experiential avoidance that

you do not run from the pain that

Steve Hayes

empathy will give you.

We can take what we do in our therapy



We can take what we do in our therapy

rooms and bring it to the occupational and

social contexts of our lives.

We can live our values while havingour doubts come along for the ride.

If we can take a chance on this broader level -

the collective impact will be great.

Jonathon Bricker



Whats next?

W ki ith ACT W b it



Working with ACT Website

http://workingwithact.com Ideas to get involved:� Subscribe to the site

� Write a guest blog

� Ask us questions / request materials for using

act in the workplace (parma vfinal) 8th july [compatibility mode]

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