CONTEMPORARY
WORKPLACE GUIDE
The Workforce of the Future is a culture of working that reflects our changing world and the demands of our future workforce.
The Workforce of the Future embeds a culture of trust that empowers employees to determine how, when & where they work
and measure success by results.
The Workforce of the Future is built on the principle that work is something you do,
not somewhere you go.
2. WHAT IS THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE?
3. THE SCC CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT
- Focus for leaders
- Three key focus areas for working in a contemporary environment
- General overview
- Desk space specifics
- Food
- Kitchens
- Public spaces
5. HEALTH & WELLBEING IN THE CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT (coming)
6. TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENABLER IN THE CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENT (coming)
This toolkit has been developed to provide
both change champions and people leaders who are new to the contemporary workplace with some guidance on the key differences and features of the new environment, and outlines the following:
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What is contemporary working at the Civic Centre all about?
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What is the Workforce of the Future and how will the way I work change as a result?
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What does it mean to be a people leader at the Civic Centre?
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What are the key attributes of a leader to successfully lead a team in a contemporary environment?
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How will the way I work differ in a contemporary environment?
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How do I best use the variety of work settings that are available?
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How can I continue to look for ways to operate in a paper lite way?
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How do I demonstrate performance in a contemporary workplace?
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What do I need to remember about Health, Safety & Wellbeing in an contemporary space? How does this differ from ‘typical’ workplaces? (Coming)
PREREQUISITE
Contemporary Workplace Workshop 30 August 2017 – provides the foundations for working in a contemporary workplace and equips you with knowledge on workplace etiquette and behaviours.
At Shellharbour Council, People Leaders play a very important role in providing direction, guidance and inspiration for their team.
Leaders in a contemporary workplace require not only the foundational leadership attributes but also an awareness of the contemporary workplace and the behaviours associated with this environment.
"The world is becoming more digital, flexible, customisable and transient. Technological advances, on-going globalisation, rapid shifts in demographics, societal changes and resource constraints are creating an entirely new way of working, with implications that can be felt from the corner office to the home office."
THERE ARE 5 KEY WAYS THAT ORGANISATIONS AND LEADERS CAN FUTURE PROOF THEMSELVES
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Transparent and authentic leadership: top talent are increasingly demanding this in their leaders/workplaces, working in a more virtual and connected world will require it, mobile, social and cloud can expose a lack of it in an instant
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High performing virtual & physical teams: organisations will need to facilitate this and leaders will need to learn to lead and optimise the performance of these blended teams
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Cross organisational networks & relationships: it won’t be about ‘what you know’ it will be about ‘who you know that knows it’ and your ability to collaborate with other experts/teams virtually and physically
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Relationships with colleagues, consumers & the community: again how networked you and the organisation are, how well you collaborate with others will be critical, if the world shifts quickly
and you/your organisation doesn’t have
the required capability, how quickly can you tap into it when you need it, how frequently are you collaborating with customers and suppliers to innovate and test new ideas
5. Flexible & remote working: are you doing it already? Are your team doing it already? People are demanding it/expecting it and leaders need to be comfortable leading flexible and remote teams and organisations need to enable it.
WHAT STEPS HAS SCC TAKEN?
To support the need for increased flexibility; innovation; collaboration and agility, SCC chose to create the Civic Centre as a 'Contemporary Workplace'.
It embeds a culture of trust that empowers employees to determine how, when and where they work and measures success by result. It puts our people at the centre of our workplace and inspires them to do great things.
The new Civic Centre is being designed on the principle that work is something you do, not somewhere you go.Contemporary working is being delivered through two focus areas:
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The Physical Workplace: Designing a new contemporary workplace enabled by mobile technology and grounded in people-centred design.
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Workplace Culture and Change: Achieving mindset and behavioural shifts – new ways of working and leading in a contemporary and paper lite environment
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Lead and model behaviours which place the onus on the individual to self-manage
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Relax traditional "control" in favour of trust and support
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Help managers move from managing physical presence and timekeeping to outcomes based management (Performance Partnering) ie. learn how to frame, delegate, monitor, close a task
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Focus on goals / vision - the "why" provide useful feedback to improve the work outputs / outcomes Use physical space more effectively
This section will be updated as neighbourhoods, policies and procedures for managing staff, and other key focus areas for leaders are determined.
WE ARE CONSIDERATE TO STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY
We share our space with staff and the community, so we:
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let people know in advance if we’re planning a large gathering in a non-bookable space or breakout area
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say hello, introduce ourselves to people we haven’t met, and make sure both our external (community) and internal (SCC) customers are looked after
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leave spaces (eg kitchen, bathrooms and shared / collaborative space) how we found them (or better)
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close meeting room doors as a courtesy to others
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keep our workspaces hygienic, tidy and clear, in line with SCC organisation wide goals
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strive to be good neighbours in our work space
WE SHOW COURTESY TO STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY
We look out for the people around us even when we’re focused on getting the job done, so we:
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keep our voice down when having a discussions open spaces, and are aware of information that we are sharing
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speak quietly in shared workspaces, so as not to interrupt our fellow workers from getting on with their work
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avoid shouting to a colleague who’s at a workstation several feet away to attract their attention
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avoid using anything which might cause disruption to others, e.g. a speaker phone or radio
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avoid using equipment that could a disturbance to others or be dangerous, e.g. pedestal fan or personal heater
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turn our mobile phone ring to ‘silent’ so we don’t disturb our fellow team members
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take a proper break. Make use of the lunchroom and other designated break areas to eat or prepare food.
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are considerate of our team members and those around us when certain circumstances mean we need to eat at our desks
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are accessible to others, but adopt clearly understood signals for when you’re busy and don’t wish to be disturbed
WE TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS AND THE SPACE AROUND US
We take responsibility for both our personal and council property, so we:
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ensure that records and confidential documents are locked away in personal or team storage overnight
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lock away or take home personal items we consider valuable
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hold private and / or confidential discussions in quiet rooms or meeting rooms
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report something if it is broken, empty or needs attention
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protect the environment and SCC by operating in a “PaperLite” environment
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we use the right bins (recycling, landfill, secure) and also dispose of food waste thoughtfully
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ensure our voice mail is switched on when leaving our desk, and make use of technology to keep our team members informed of where we are (for example, updating our location on Skype)
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are tolerant, remembering that not everyone shares exactly the same values, and treat people how we wish to be treated
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are empowered to speak up and if we have a concern, approach the matter directly, with tact and diplomacy
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have breaks away from our desk and make use of outdoor space to promote our health & well being
WE THINK AND WORK AS ONE COMMUNITY
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We manage expectations daily, and strive to deliver outputs as agreed with our manager, and specific to our work purpose, and at all times we strive to perform at our utmost effectiveness
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We are committed to collaborative teamwork and a supportive environment
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We aim to create a positive impact on our team members and the community
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We are transparent - Our external facing operations mirrors the agreement for internal council operations – a community facing agreement will also be developed
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We practice tolerance and empower others
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We encourage staff to be balanced in decision making regarding taking a break, moving, being active – it’s good to step away from your desk and have some fresh air.
WE ADOPT AN AN SCC WIDE STANDARD TO KEEP OUR DESK SPACES CLEAR, TIDY & HYGIENIC
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Confidential information locked away of an evening
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Stationery kept in pedestals / central stationery store
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Put away what the individual deems valuable to them No radios at desks
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No heaters
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No pedestal fans (case by case – can be reviewed by HR if there are health issues)
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Mobile phones on silent and keep personal calls to appropriate times
THE SMT ENCOURAGE STAFF TO USE LUNCH ROOMS, BREAKOUT SPACES AND OUTDOOR AREAS FOR TAKING BREAKS, IN PARTICULAR, FOR LUNCH..
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However, it is understood that certain circumstances may dictate there are times when staff are required to eat at the desk, and they should be empowered to make the choice.
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Staff are asked to be considerate of their neighbours when making food choices
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The SMT encourage staff to be aware of ‘outputs’, as agreed with their managers
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Be aware of hygiene and clearing up after yourself when consuming food
WE LEAVE OUR SHARED KITCHEN (AND OTHER) SPACES AS WE FIND THEM, OR EVEN BETTER..
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Perishable / unsealed / unlabeled – will be thrown out at a set time each week TBC (“If in doubt, chuck it out”)
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When having events or gatherings in shared / collaborative space, make sure you leave the space as you found it or better
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If you have any dry goods in your personal storage they must be sealed
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If something is empty – tell someone or refill it yourself (“running low, let me know”)
WE ARE COMMUNITY FACING, SO OUR BEHAVIOUR OUTSIDE MIRRORS THAT OF INSIDE..
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No smoking in plaza or building - only designated areas
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Staff to adhere to the ‘sun safe’ policy
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As the public spaces are community facing, staff are encouraged to engage with community and consistently delivering high levels of customer service
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If something wrong, report it = General Rule
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Be mindful of confidential conversations in the public space
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Staff are also able to choose to work outside but asked to be mindful of practices and make sure your behaviour in public spaces mirrors practices inside the Civic Centre (considerate, courteous, responsible)
Click the Paper Lite icon to be re-directed to the document flows and paper lite processes
THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT!!
Ask yourself, do I need to print this or can I view it online; how many copies do I really need?
There are also many tools that are available to employees such as:
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Office 365
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Scan documents to email/store
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Print to PDF and email/save
We should all create and keep our documents in an electronic format rather than using paper.
With an increase in the number of electronic files, accurate file naming becomes more important as this will be the method that we will need to use to help accurately identify documents that we have stored.
IF I DO NEED TO CREATE AND KEEP PAPER BASED DOCUMENTS, HOW DO I ARCHIVE?
HOW DO I KNOW WHAT I SHOULD KEEP VS. THROW AWAY?
Our Records Management Team have developed a helpful site that provides you with a step by step guide on what needs to be kept and why. It also explains where we should store items that we need to keep.
Records Management Team Contact -
Tamie Young | Team Leader, Records
Ph: 02 4221 6250
E: Tamie.Young@shellharbour.nsw.gov.au
This section will be updated in the coming weeks - we will advise you via email.
On the 9th September, the Technology team will be running a workshop - please ensure you attend this session. We will also update this section in the coming weeks and notify you via email.
