Strengthening our bonds
From June 14 to 18, UM hosted its Work-Life Balance Week. This year’s event focused on the theme of connection: collective intelligence, management, and how to balance work and personal life when you’re a caregiver. These were the topics explored during the roundtable discussions and the improv-style conference organized by the Work-Life Balance Department.
“This is a week that the UM wantedto ‘focus on connection, ’ says President Philippe Augé. “Connections between managers and their teams, connections and a sense of belonging, connections within the work community to foster collective intelligence, and finding a balance between work and family life.” After sixteen months of a health crisis that has profoundly disrupted our lives, reflecting on new ways of working together does not seem superfluous.
“Helping managers take action”
This special week kicked off with an online roundtable discussion on the topics of management and quality of life at work. WithAgnès Fichard-Carroll, UM Vice President for Social Responsibility, and Bénédicte Luporsi, Director of Human Resources, in attendance, this discussion forum gave teaching, administrative, and technical staff the opportunity to share their management practices, using two short videos presented by trainer Sylvain Delarue and produced as part of the “Training and Support Across All University of Montpellier Campuses” (FASIL-UM) project, supported by the Interministerial Fund for the Improvement of Working Conditions (FIACT).
The topics covered in these “ management” sessions were discussed with staff at the remote sites in Montpellier, and their content was tailored to their specific needs. Objectives: to enhance employees’ managerial training and encourage them to pursue more in-depth training, as well as to raise awareness of psychosocial risk prevention in managerial practices. “These video clips are part of a range of initiatives led by the Human Resources Department, which works to improve quality of life at work through the integration, support, and training of UM staff,” explains Bénédicte Luporsi. “They raise questions that will help managers take action,” adds the trainer.
Better work-life balance
A second online roundtable discussion addressed the work-life balance through the lens of caregiving. In France, between 8 and 12 million people are trying to balance work with caring for an elderly dependent. To address the challenges they regularly face, support programs are available. Social service assistants from the UM and the CNRS, supported by experts in their field, presented the support systems designed for both caregivers and those receiving care. “ The role of caregiver can sometimes be daunting,” notes Frédéric Pizzo, a psychologist at UM, “yet it can be an opportunity to seize in work organization if open communication is established between the caregiver, their supervisors, and their colleagues.”
Collective intelligence
In a more creative approach, Valérie Weidmann, a trainer, presented at a conference the collaborative principles of collective intelligence, defined as the ability of “a group of individuals to find appropriate solutions to the challenges they face in a complex context.” This concept was then illustrated during a theatrical improvisation session that staged the questions raised by the audience. The entire event was orchestrated by Montpellier-based actor Julien Masdoua and his theater company, Le Capitaine.
On-demand tools
In addition to this week’s events, the regional interministerial platform for human resources management is offering webinars available for on-demand viewing through July 30.“Happiness at Work,”“Team Cohesion,”“Remote Work,”the “Workload”kit, and“How to Make Your Meetings More Effective.”These videos offer various tools to help everyone improve their quality of life at work.