22 BCBusiness AUGUST 2014 illUSTrATion: GrAhAm roUmieU
1. Start with a few of the essential
buzzwords and work from there:
future-proof, intuitive and disruptive.
2. Gather the oldest, whitest males
from the company, put them in a
boardroom and let the magic fly.
3. Pick a brand that you admire and
then copy them. After all, imitation is
the sincerest form of flattery.
4. "Too many cooks in the kitchen"
does not apply here: get input from
every level of employee.
5. Vision boards aren't just for
40-something oprah freaks—though
employees in this category may make
the most enthusiastic contributions.
6. The more layered and multi-faceted
your vision is, the more directions your
company can expand in.
v i s u a l l e a r n i n g
Creating a Vision for
Your Company
issues that are affecting their ability
to perform the job. Codrington says
small businesses have an advantage
in this regard because they are less
reliant on formal procedures and large
departments, which can often make
employees feel like they're being kept
at arm's length from the decision-
makers. Encouraging a trusting
culture where communication lines
are open, from top to bottom, is the
first step to avoiding confusion and
misunderstanding around sick leave.
If an employer suspects their
employee of a false claim, they should
proceed with caution, relying only on
objective medical information and
facts—and never impressions. "Mental
illnesses are called silent disabilities.
They're not well understood and
there's also a stigma attached to
them," says Slade-Kerr. "If you are
very open about respecting people's
human rights and your duties to
accommodate, that's going to make
more of an open culture where
employees feel that they can come
forward."
Codrington recommends asking
the employee work-related, functional
questions: "When can you come
back? What can you do when you
come back? We need to plan around
you, so give us an idea of your
expected departures and how long
we can expect that for." In the end,
he says, it comes down to one level
of intervention: starting a respectful
dialogue with your staff.
•
1
2
3
4
5 6
SoUrCe: mental health Commission of Canada
1 in 5 1 in 3
Canadians will experience
a mental health problem or
illness in any given year.
Canadians who experience a mental health
problem or illness report having sought and
received services and treatment.
Percentage of short- and
long-term disability claims in
the workplace that are typically
mental health problems and
illnesses.
30%
