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Engaging for success: Enhancing performance through employee engagement Case Study John Lewis Partnership On our site visit to John Lewis Partnership we were told: “If all members of staff feel that they have a voice on issues that matter to them, then they feel more involved and feel part of the company. If they feel that they are not being listened to, then they feel distant not just from the company but from their team.” The company has a multi-layered approach to employee engagement and voice. The Partnership promotes engagement in a number of ways, by sharing knowledge, making a huge amount of information available to partners (employees) and taking time to ensure people understand it; sharing power, operating a range of councils and committees with which partners can become involved; and sharing profit through a number of means including an annual bonus and non-contributory final salary pensions scheme. Partners have oversight of strategic business issues through the Partnership Council – this body is able to hold the chairman of the business to account and to question senior management in a similar way as shareholders would in a plc. Partners are informed about strategic business decisions through a wide range of communications, and can influence their working environments through the open structure, particularly newly revamped branch-level fora; the suggestion scheme, and through management consultations on key areas and issues such as performance management. 39 The difference made by employees having a voice and being empowered to intervene in, and contribute to, organisational strategy and problem solving is demonstrated by the London Ambulance Service. Case Study London Ambulance Service The London Ambulance Service (LAS) has transformed its service delivery through engagement and partnership working in the past few years. A service that was criticised by London’s media as the ‘worst’ ambulance service in Britain in 1997 was hailed ten years later as the best. The LAS is the largest ambulance service in the country, serving the metropolitan area within the boundary of the M25 and employing around 4,400 staff. 94
Chapter 4: Enablers of Engagement – What has to happen to make engagement work Unions and management recognised in 1999 that the future of service was being placed in jeopardy by the perceived failures, in particular response times, and a lack of public confidence as a result of sustained negative media coverage. Staff morale was at its lowest ebb. It was clear that drastic steps including breaking up an integrated London service were being considered. Major investment of £50 million was needed to start to bring the service up to scratch, but the funds would not be forthcoming unless confidence could be built within government that the service could be reformed. Both sides came together to begin discussions on a critical path to recovery. Senior managers admitted publicly that the service was struggling – an honest admission that was vital in gaining the trust of staff who were only too aware of the situation. Both sides accepted that the relationship between the unions and management was dysfunctional and was itself contributing to difficulties at service and station level, with constant threats of industrial action, petty disputes erupting regularly and large numbers of grievances. Above all, they recognised that the poor relationship made it difficult to get issues of importance to staff discussed and resolved. Engagement was at a low ebb. A new approach was developed, based on a partnership framework, setting out new ways of working, based on the principles of building trust and mutual respect, honesty and transparency, a positive approach and willingness to learn together and from each other, and early discussion of emerging issues. Staff engagement and involvement was at the heart of the new approach; for the first time staff were involved from the beginning in major decisions such as the procurement of new ambulances. The involvement of staff, often through their union representatives has been institutionalised across the Service. Regular consultation involves union reps in decision making. Senior managers and union reps make annual visits across the service to engage directly with staff at station level. The LAS partnership forum meets every six weeks. Service wide partnership conferences involving reps and managers are also held annually, with presentations on strategic issues. At the same time regular informal meetings are also held to ensure partnership operates on a day-to-day level. The results of the efforts to engage staff in the improvement of the service are clear. LAS is the only ambulance service to receive a Good/Good rating from the Health Care Commission for its services and its use of resources two years in a row, and has the highest clinical performance indicator compliance results in England. The service won the NHS Innovator of the Year Award for London in 2008 and achieved the best emergency preparedness independent audit results in England. 95
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Foreword by Secretary of State This
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Chapter 2 The Case for Employee Eng
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