The Performance Analysis
The methods of analysis used by Springlife AB have been developed and tested by Dr Bengt Arnetz, stress-researcher at the Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, together with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The difference between the Performance Analysis and other available methods is the connection between biological values, experiences in the working place and performance over time. This method measures and analyses the most important factors in the organization, those that affect the health of the group, their satisfaction with work as well as performance ability at large related to economic results.The outlook of Bengt Arnetz creates preventative measures that can be put in action before stressful working conditions show in loss of performance, unhealthy stress, exhaustion and individual absence due to illness (sick-leave of individuals). Clear indications are achieved even in departments or staff groups within a company that are in the risk zone before they enter an acute phase. The method is unique through the direct connection between the objectively measurable health, the biological values, which can be determined through blood samples and hormone level studies, and the subjective experience of the workers, described in the answers, obtained by the Performance Analysis, as well as the group’s performance over time.
Each area of improvement has a scientifically developed and validated guide value that clearly shows the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. In a unique way the Performance Analysisidentifies, with the help of these values, the most important factors that generate health, motivation and the performance’s and organization’s power of change. The method does not assume any arbitrary standard values, generated from external comparisons of small importance to the client. Instead it illustrates, on scientific grounds, the values a group needs to maintain and/or improve performance, motivation and health. A unit that reaches up to the guide values is in good condition and runs a small risk of being affected by increase in e.g. absence due to illness. The Performance Analysisalso includes guide values for the stress experienced by employees (improvement areas Mental energy and work related exhaustion). Through the examined connection between experienced health and biologically measurable health and performance the Performance Analysisproves whether the actual health of the group is good or not. At the same time it describes the factors within an organization that reduce the co-workers health, create negative stress, and the resulting effects on the co-workers’ performance. The area of improvement work pace is an example where overstep of the recommended values increases the risk of future exhaustion reactions and losses in performance. A reversed scenario, with values lower than recommended, are often a sign of under stimulation and/or “slack”, a under-use of human resources, within an organization. The Performance Analysis also includes a standardized, comprehensive measure of future performance and health capacity. This prediction of future is named dynamical focus value and has also been scientifically validated. As a result, the Performance analysis offers “hard” goal values for the organization’s processes that have been described as soft areas up till now. The method also includes a well documented, quality controlled technique for the return of results and implementation of steps needed to translate measurement results into practical improvements.
Consequently the Performance Analysis gives a clear decision-making foundation for the efforts that are effective for successful improvement work. Springlife AB’s co-worker survey gives clear answers to where the bottlenecks are for efficient follow-up.
The Performance Analysisresults are made up of four parts: (1) a current-state analysis (which consists of eleven areas of improvement with their respective guide values), (2) a future prognosis (the dynamic focus value), (3) a priority of what the Company primarily needs to attend to, and (4) a internal comparison between the different working units (the design of the internal comparison is basically vertical but always takes place after consultation with the client). Consequently the results describe the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, where the greatest improvement needs can be found, as well as show suggested efforts through comparison with the scientifically based reference database.
All in all Springlife AB’s base package defines the psychosocial work environment in eleven areas, where two affect the health of the employees, one describes their commitment and eight measure the processes in the work place (such as leadership, working joy and mental energy) and the effect it has on the stress levels of co-workers as well as their ability to perform well. The questions in the questionnaire measure and analyze the state within all the areas that affect the personnel’s motivation, comfort and ability to work efficiently with high quality. The eleven areas of improvement are put together into a forecast of the future, the dynamic focus value, which also works as an index of the satisfaction of co-workers, and their perception of work contentment. This can be seen as organization’s power and measures the power of the organization to perform their assignment in the future. The dynamic focus value is a joined value of all the questions in the questionnaire.
The method utilized by Springlife AB is called the Performance Analysis. Its base package consists of 44 scientifically validated questions. These can be categorized into eleven areas of improvement.
1.Mental energy: a measurement of health that measures the absence of negative stress symptoms, further giving a value of the mental/psychic energy.
2.Work-related exhaustion: measures both the mental and physical exhaustion of the co-workers.
3.Work pace: a “measurement of stress” that describes the amount of work in proportion to time as well as the relationship between planning, implementation and reflection.
4.Efficiency: describes the work-flow in the work-place. Decision-making processes, usage of resources etc are evaluated.
5.Participation (Involvement): catches the co-workers experienced influence, their ability to affect decision-making as well as their degrees of freedom during work.
6.Social atmosphere: measures the collegial collaboration.
7.Learning at work: measures the development and usage of competence.
8.Feedback: measures the performance feedback the co-workers receive from their closest supervisor.
9.Leadership: measures the behavior of the closest supervisor in their professional roll.
10.Co-worker responsibility: corresponds to the other side of leadership – co-workers sense of responsibility, motivation etc.
11.Goal Orientation: describes the clarity of the goals, the realism, degree of influence and evaluation.