Peer-to-Peer: Let’s Connect…

 

Let’s get to know each other…

that’s what the new GSS Staff Engagement Committee hopes will happen at the upcoming Fall Engagement BBQ. The overall purpose of the initiative was to create a Committee whose members are dedicated to staff engagement, self-care and wellness, innovation, and creating connections in GSS. Through peer-led events and engagement, the Committee hopes to create connections across GSS programs at a frontline level: “From frontline, for frontline.”

The idea for the Staff Engagement Committee came out of the Housing First team’s follow-up on the Global Workforce Survey that GSS staff completed last November. The survey asked staff about work life balance and safety in the workplace. Survey results guide action planning for improvements and this year the focus for action is identifying and addressing factors that lead to some staff feeling stressed or burned out. Programs across the agency are exploring these factors.

In exploring workplace stress and burnout, the HF team had conversations about intentional self-care, individual and collective responsibility, the need for effective communication and out-or-the-box thinking. The outcome of those conversations pointed to HF team actions going beyond HF to include the broader GSS community:  

  • “The opposite of burn-out is connection”

  • “HF wants to know their colleagues, interact, have fun, and lift each other up.”

  • “HF staff want to be more involved within Spady; they are eager to help fellow programs with anything they can!”

The idea of a frontline focused, peer-to-peer Staff Engagement Committee was born. The idea caught on with other programs and, within weeks, a Committee was in place. Front line representatives from HF, Unity Manor, MSD, RTT, and Housing First bring varied program voices and views to the table, and Lyndsay Aiton, HF Manager, supports the Committee.

The Committee took quick action. The invitation to the first staff engagement opportunity went out in August: Fall Engagement Barbeque on Friday, Oct. 17, from 2 - 6 p.m. at the Co*Lab, 9641-102A Avenue.

This message from the Staff Engagement Committee about the fall event says it all:

“It’s an opportunity for everyone to unwind, connect, and have fun welcoming Fall together. With activities and interactions led by peers, we strive to foster stronger relationships and a sense of community within GSS. No expectations—come as you are!”