Let me explain because this has nothing to do with Hamlet.
When you don’t quite know what the issues are or who may be creating stress in the work environment, but you do have a general sense of anxiety, stress, unease, or tension, you may need a workplace assessment.
A workplace assessment typically stems from anonymous complaints, broad concerns raised by an employee(s), or whispers overheard through the office grapevine.
What is a workplace assessment?
It’s a process where you seek to understand any underlying issues or concerns that may be impacting psychological safety, productivity, and employee happiness at work - so you can prevent costly turnover and ensure concerns don’t grow into disruptive problems.
A workplace assessment can unearth issues related to culture, practices, behaviours, leadership, and productivity in the workplace. It can shine a light on how effectively the organization is operating and can identify key areas for improvement. The process often involves identifying the root cause of conflicts in the workplace.
A workplace assessment is essentially a health or temperature check 🌡 for your organization.
Symptoms that indicate it’s time for a workplace assessment include:
DISENGAGED WORK GROUPS
High levels of absenteeism, burnout, and turnover, signs of low morale, toxicity, or employee unhappiness.
DYSFUNCTIONAL TEAMS
Conflicts within teams that can’t be attributed to specific individuals or incidents. These conflicts can be challenging to define, tend to be deeply entrenched, and can have toxic impacts on people, trust, relationships, and productivity.
SYSTEMIC ISSUES
Unaddressed or recurring issues related to lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities, boundaries, and decision-making powers can lead to increased conflicts, reduced collaboration and productivity, and increased turnover or employee unhappiness.
SIGNIFICANT TRANSITIONS
Departments or work groups that are undergoing major shifts and changes related to people, expectations, workflows, and | or deliverables, + where stress levels are high.
LEADERSHIP CONFIDENCE
Following a change in leadership, or where general concerns are raised about management’s treatment of employees, practices, and | or effectiveness.
And, if your intuition is telling you that something feels “off”, listen to that voice in your head or that feeling in the pit of your stomach.
Why should you conduct a workplace assessment?
Unlike workplace investigations, there is no statutory obligation or legal requirement to conduct a workplace assessment.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t conduct one…
Choosing to dig deeper and conduct a workplace assessment can be the difference between doing the “right thing” vs. the “easy thing” (doing nothing and hoping that the situation magically disappears on its own).
But let me tell you from my experience as a workplace investigator — the easy thing? It gets very tough, very fast - and it’s almost always preventable if addressed early and before it has a chance to escalate.
Even if you don’t have a news-worthy scandal bubbling beneath the surface, ready to erupt (and I hope you don’t) — the trust, loyalty and confidence in leadership that keep your organization running smoothly are built in the small and big moments. Taking meaningful, intentional action now shows your employees you care enough to check in with them, find out what’s working well, and are committed to improving the things that should be working better.
Do the work to build, maintain, and support a workplace culture that is rooted in the values of respect, integrity, equity, and psychological safety and you will reap the rewards of lower turnover, higher engagement, increased productivity, and a team aligned around your shared vision.
If this resonates with you, then here’s what’s involved in my process
01.
WE START WITH A CONSULTATION CALL
I will explain my approach + process and we’ll figure out if we’re a good fit. We will discuss and agree on costs (hourly rates, expenses + payment terms), timelines, scope, and how often I will share updates on my progress.
02.
WE DOT THE ‘I’S AND CROSS
THE ‘T’S
I will send you a proposal | contract + confidentiality agreement that we’ll both need to sign. You’ll review it, send back the signed contract, and we’re ready to begin.
03.
YOU GIVE ME ALL THE DETAILS
You’ll provide me with any background information, and share any relevant information (including exit interviews, investigation reports, or relevant written feedback), policies, and documents. We’ll agree on the process, timelines, logistics, and communications (how the parties will be contacted and what they’ll be told). We’ll determine where the interviews will take place, and when.
04.
I DO THE PREP WORK
I will review all the information you have provided and come up with an implementation plan. I will draft the communications and customize the interview guide to suit your unique needs.
05.
INTERVIEWS AND MORE INTERVIEWS
I will conduct in-depth interviews with the participants to develop a deep understanding of the issues and irritants that are affecting the culture and work environment.
06.
ANALYSIS + REPORT TIME
I will review all the interview notes to identify the key themes. I will draft a report that outlines the process undertaken, information gathered (including detailed summaries for each question), and thoughtful, actionable recommendations on how to move forward, address the issues, improve the culture, and restore the workplace. I will also connect you with industry specialists that can support and guide you through the sticky next steps that can sometimes feel overwhelming.
07.
INVOICING + CLOSURE
Once I have delivered the report, I will send you the invoice which includes a breakdown of billable hours, expenses incurred, and admin costs (printing, file organization and retention | archival fees). I will also send you a request for feedback so that I better understand your experience.
08.
CHECK-INS
I will conduct quarterly check-ins (for one year) with you, and participants in the workplace assessment process to drive accountability, momentum, and changes or actions to improve the work culture.
"It has been a real pleasure to work with you. I have appreciated your expertise, your regular communication with me, your kindness, and your empathy as we have moved through this very difficult process. I appreciate the thoroughness of your report and the recommendations for a clear path forward."
President & CEO, Alberta-based Non-Profit Organization
Are we a good fit?
In the work that I do, value alignment is critical.
I partner with clients who are committed to doing the work (and hard things), taking meaningful actions, and making intentional changes to improve the workplace and the work culture.
Because nothing changes if nothing changes.
If you’re not committed to taking steps and making changes, then it would be careless for us to partner together on a workplace assessment. We would be wasting my time and energy, your dollars and cents, and most importantly, we would risk breaking trust, traumatizing (or retraumatizing) participants by asking them what’s wrong, and then not doing anything about it.
Think of a workplace assessment like a new pair of glasses.
When you put on your glasses, your goal isn’t to see something NEW that wasn’t there before.
It’s to see things more CLEARLY.
Think of me like your new pair of glasses. I’ll help you to see the issues in your organization more clearly, and I’ll help you to carve out a clear path forward.
Are you ready for a new pair of glasses?
WHAT PAST CLIENTS SAY
