By Cori Maedel, CHRP

Creating Change Using the P6 Framework

This is the fourth of a five part-series exploring the varied impacts of the National Standard, developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, as it applies to wellness in the workplace. Read Part One, Two and Three now.

Action Items to Get You Started

Now that you understand what makes an organization ‘psychologically safe’ and have had a chance to assess your own workplace, you may be ready to start making change. To simplify this process for employers, the HMCC created a framework that includes these six successive components: Policy, Planning, Promotion, Prevention, Process and Persistence.

For each component of the P6 Framework, three actions items are recommended.

Policy – Commitment by organization leadership to enhance psychological health and safety through workplace interventions 1. Obtain endorsement from organizational leaders
2. Build the action team
3. Communicate the policy

Planning – Determination of key psychological health indicators across the organization
1. Gather the facts
2. Survey your employees
3. Measure readiness to change

Promotion – Action taken to promote the general psychological health of the workforce
1. Build employee resilience
2. Create a respectful workplace
3. Enhance mental health knowledge

Prevention – Actions taken to prevent the occurrence of significant psychological problems or mental disorders

Primary Prevention – 1. Use a Psychological Health & Safety lens for job design and employee selection
2. Provide stress management training
3. Support work/home balance

(see the Action Guide for Secondary & Tertiary Prevention steps)

Process – Evaluation of implementation and results of actions taken to enhance psychological health and safety
1. Plan your evaluation
2. Measure the implementation process
3. Measure short and longer term outcomes

Persistence – Sustainment of effective actions in a process of continuous improvement
1. Support champions and communities of practice
2. Create a culture of psychological safety
3. Ensure a feedback loop

For a more detailed overview of each step – download the Action Guide.

Read Part Four of the series now.

Cori Maedel runs the Jouta Performance Group and has 25 years of diverse professional experience in HR and business development.