Organisational Change and Psychosocial Hazards: Insights for Leaders

National Safe Work Month - Week Three Insights

This National Safe Work Month we're sharing our top insights for leaders and change practitioners with a focus on recent Psychosocial Hazards legislation changes, and organisational change.

In Week One we talked about the different jurisdictions, and Codes of Practice, as well as the need for leaders and change managers to understand their obligations.

Week Two took a deep dive into the language of the legislation, especially the definitions of hazards and risks. Then we sorted out the key differences between the concepts of PsychoSOCIAL safety and PyschoLOGICAL safety.

This week we are looking at early warning signs of psychosocial harm.

When we are in the process of organisational change, it can be easy to miss the warning signs that are telling us that the change we are introducing is having an impact that we are not managing effectively.

So here's some signs* to keep an eye out for but remember, everyone is different and getting to know your people and their unique personality, traits and habits is the best way to spot a change in behaviour that could indicate it's time to offer support.

5. Physical early warning signs

• tired all the time

• sick and run down

• headaches

• persistent/resistant musculo-skeletal complaints

• changes in appetite

• reduced reaction times

• increased errors and/or accidents

• difficulty sleeping

• weight loss or gain

• disheveled appearance

• gastro-intestinal disorders

• rashes

6. Emotional early warning signs

7. Cognitive early warning signs

8. Behavioral early warning signs

These early indicators can help leaders understand when risk is not being well controlled with the change activities already in place, and where new actions might need to be taken. Or where the actions at play need to be wound back, or paused.

We will be back next week with our final batch of insights into the legislation, what it means, and how leaders and change practitioners can best understand it to deliver effective change outcomes.

Want to bring your team up to speed today on psychosocial hazards and gain the practical tools as a leader to deliver effective organisational change?

Check out our other blog articles to find out more or work with us now.

Here's a taste of what you expect from partnering with us:

“The program empowered me with a newfound confidence in leading during times of change, and it gave me a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play in such situations.”

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*this is not an exhaustive list and as leaders we should never seek to 'diagnose' our teams as a medical professional would. As with many things, taking action early is likely to prevent problems getting more serious and causing major difficulties later on. Make sure you know the support mechanisms available for you and your team, and always direct your team to medical professionals for this type of advice.