Strengthening Our Bonds
From June 14 to 18, theUM organized Workplace Quality of Life 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 of discussion addressed during the roundtable discussions and the improv-style conference organized by the Workplace Quality of Life Department.
“This is a week that theUM wanted to be‘centered on connection, ’ says President Philippe Augé. “Connections between managers and their teams, connections and a sense of belonging, and connections within the workplace to foster collective intelligence and strike a balance between work and family life.” After sixteen months of a health crisis that has profoundly disrupted our way of life, reflecting on new ways of working together does not seem unnecessary.
"Helping Managers Take Action"
This special week kicked off with an online roundtable discussion on the topic of management and quality of life at work. WithAgnès Fichard-Carroll, vice president of theUM in charge of 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 project “Training and Support Across All University of Montpellier Campuses” (FASIL—UM), supported by the Interministerial Fund for the Improvement of Working Conditions (FIACT).
The topics covered in these “management” videos were discussed with staff at the remote sites in Montpellier, and their content was tailored to their specific requests. 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 employees at theUM ,” explains Bénédicte Luporsi. “They raise questions that will help managers take action,” adds the trainer.
Achieving a 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. While they regularly face challenges, support programs are available. Social workers from theUM , and the CNRS, alongside experts in their fields, presented the support programs available to both caregivers and care recipients.“The role of a caregiver can sometimes be daunting, ”notes Frédéric Pizzo, a psychologist at theUM, “yet it can be an opportunity to improve work organization if there is open communication between the caregiver, their supervisors, and their colleagues.”
Collective Intelligence
In a more original 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 responses to the challenges they face in a complex context.” This concept was then illustrated during a theatrical improvisation session in which the questions raised by the audience were acted out on stage. 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 platform for interministerial support in human resources management is offering webinars available for on-demand viewing through July 30.“Happiness at Work,”“Team Cohesion,”“Remote Work,”the “Workload”toolkit, and“How to Make Your Meetings More Effective.”These videos offer various tools to help everyone improve their quality of life at work.