Zurich Hospital Association
Healthy workplace –
The impact of the unwritten rules on
the behaviour of staff
Ruedi Wyssen
Head of the health promotion in the Zurich
Hospital Association
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HPH Standard 4
A healthy workplace promotes the mental
(psychological) health or well-being of
employees and the reduction of work-related
stress.
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Zurich Hospital Association
The unwritten rules have an important
impact on the stress and the psychological
health of the staff members.
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What are the unwritten rules?
The written rules include all the formal aspects of strategy,
process, resources and organization.
These, together with the actions and behaviour of managers
send signals to the entire body of an organization.
But factors beyond anyone's immediate control (i.e. culture,
climate, regulations) transform these signals into parallel but
unwritten rules.
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What are the unwritten rules?
The unwritten rules include important information, behaviours
and skills that are necessary to succeed within an organization.
The unwritten rules are neither good or bad, only appropriate or
inappropriate to what you want to achieve.
Each individual’s behaviour is driven by a set of unwritten rules.
But sometimes everyone within quite large groups shares the
same unwritten rules. And everyone interprets a new policy
statement in the light of these shared unwritten rules.
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What is the meaning of the unwritten rules?
Unwritten rules are important. They often conflict with change
initiatives, and are dramatically increasing the chances of failure.
They explain failures caused by often apparently unconnected
written rules or manager behaviour.
Uncovering the unwritten rules can provide a missing link in our
understanding of what is going on.
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Three practical examples of unwritten rules
Example 1:
“If you make a mistake, look at first for a guilty person.”
Example 2:
“Make your decision safe, before you decide.”
Example 3:
“Your are only succesful with tactics.”
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Example 1:
“If you make a mistake, look at first for a person to blame.”
If somebody makes a mistake, he sometimes first looks for a
person to blame, because he himself is afraid of the
consequences.
The search for a guilty person is not very useful. It only gives an
answer to the question: “Who is right?“ But the answer does not
remove the original problem.
Obviously, it is more important to look for a good solution and not
to look for a person to blame.
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Zurich Hospital Association
Example 2:
„Make your decision safe, before you decide.“
There are two reasons for this behaviour. On one hand the
anticipation of collective decisions which are made before the
respective committee can start with the decision-making process.
For these managers the objective is to push through a particular
decision. In this sense this behaviour is part of a power game.
The effect is that the benefit of a committee can be doubtful.
On the other hand this behaviour is part of a personal
uncertainty. For this kind of line managers and staff members it is
very important not to make a wrong decision. They are afraid of
the possible consequences. That is why they need the certainty
to avoid a mistake.
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Example 3:
„Your are only successful with tactics.“
This rule is connected with the example 2. The tactical behaviour
means that the managers or staff members want to make use of
a particular situation for a personal point, i e. to get more
important information, to improve the personal status (status
symbol).
The problem is that the personal interests are more important
than the interests of the employer. This networking includes a
tactical behaviour, otherwise it is difficult to be successful.
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The effects of the unwritten rules
They prevent a constructive conflict culture.
The conflict behaviour is not effective.
The important personal networks lead to bypass established
communication channels and prevent the transparency.
The unwritten rules prevent a beneficial development in the
organization (also in health promotion).
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Who affects the unwritten rules?
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Who affects the unwritten rules?
Three leadership types have an important impact on the
unwritten rules:
- the narcissistic leader
- the schizoid leader
- the compulsive leader
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The narcissistic leader
- has a grandiose sense of self importance
- is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power and
brilliance
- requires excessive admiration
- is exploitative
- has no empathy
- is often envious of others
- has an arrogant behaviour
- is not able to cooperate in a constructive sense
- cannot accept a critical feedback
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The schizoid leader
- shows an emotional coldness
- is not able to express emotions to others
- has very few friends and a lack of desire for such
- appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others
- has an intense fear of losing his self control
- shows an aggressive behaviour
- is suspicious of the others
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The compulsive leader
- is preoccupied with details, rules and schedules
- shows an extreme perfectionism
- is excessively devoted to work
- is overconscientious and scrupulous
- is inflexible in all matters
- is unable to discard worthless tasks
- is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others
- shows rigidity and stubbornness
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What are the conclusions?
For these three personalities it is very important to have power,
status and recognition.
The behaviour of these personalities creates a climate of anxiety
and uncertainty.
The reaction is that the staff members create negative unwritten
rules to survive.
The organization and the workplaces are “unhealthy”.
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„Healthy” organizations
„Unhealthy“ organizations
•
Culture of trust
•
Culture of mistrust
•
Positive dispute and feedback
culture
•
No dispute and feedback
culture
•
Decision-making processes are •
very transparent
Decision-making processes are
intransparent
•
Cooperative behaviour
•
Competitive behavior
•
Positive work climate
•
Mobbing
•
Less critical unwritten rules
•
Bad work climate
•
More critical unwritten rules
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What do we need?
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Hospital Governance
Hospital Governance is the set of responsibilities and practices
exercised by the board and executive management with the goal
of providing strategic direction, ensuring that objectives are
achieved, ascertaining that risks are managed appropriately and
verifying that the hospital‘s resources (staff members and
workplaces) are treated responsibly.