Wireline Issue 42 - Summer 2018

Resilience | Employee Wellbeing

Resilience is not about taking on more work… We’re trying to help people perform, and if individuals perform then the business performs

What do the participants say? …At BP

Fraser Buchan, area operations health and safety manager at BP, says the programme invited people to take a step back and assess their priorities – something it’s been difficult for many to do recently as they’ve been focused on short-term issues such as meeting project deadlines or managing the implications and uncertainties of organisational change.

Fraser Buchan

“It helps you understand where you need to be applying your time, attention and energy,” he says. “The course and its exercises aren’t complicated, and they very quickly let you understand where your gaps are.” After a period of business efficiencies and the formation of a new business model at BP, he says the programme timing was good as it has enabled the business to strengthen its focus on the wellbeing of its people.

feedback suggested people welcomed the chance to take time out for self- reflection. “Most training is focused on being a more productive employee, but this was about ‘how do I make myself feel better?’,” he says. “We weren’t looking to produce measurable results, but to raise awareness. We got tremendously positive feedback but, critically, it now has our senior management asking us how we might take it forward. Its success has been recognised and there’s an opportunity to do more.” That ‘more’ is set to take the form of a full-scale physical wellbeing and mental health programme for the entire North Sea workforce. “With a fitter and more alert workforce, the business is less likely to witness mistakes and less likely to have a process safety event,” adds Alan. “If you can be the best version of yourself today – and that’s the ultimate aim – you’re less likely to make a mistake, whether you’re operating a valve or writing a procedure.” Alan and Francis share a belief that creating more resilient people leads to a more resilient business. “Resilience is not about taking on more work,” says Alan. “It’s not about the business trying to get more out of people; everybody has a heavy workload already. We’re trying to help people perform, and if individuals perform then the business performs.” Francis adds: “We’ve engaged with our employees in this way to make them more resilient, and they’re benefiting by looking at things from new perspectives.”

Fraser adds: “It’s really good to see mental health, resilience and wellbeing talked about – not just in BP, but in the wider industry.”

Ross Nickson, environmental team lead at BP, says: “It really helps to have psychological wellbeing recognised as an issue because of the changes that have been going on in the industry. “The programme raised awareness of the tools and techniques we can use with our teams to address issues such as fatigue. More broadly, it’s struck a chord – we really need to be aware of it and be sensitive to it.”

Ross Nickson

…At Centrica Storage

Liam Jackson, a project manager at Centrica Storage, says the routine contact with wellbeing coaches who come to know you makes the programme genuinely distinctive. “You can have daily support if you need it,” he says. “It’s not like having a one-off medical, coming up with a programme and getting on with it. You can review and adapt your approach to suit at any time. It’s a long-term journey and they’re on it with you.”

Liam Jackson

Liam says the support has helped him achieve a better work-life balance. “I used to take my laptop home with me, but now I’m focused on getting my work done during working hours. And I’ve actually become more productive, while also spending more time with my family,” he explains.

“That’s down to the coaching. They don’t tell you what to do, but guide you on how to think about it and come up with the best solution for you.”

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| W I R E L I N E | SUMMER 2018