A better place to work
It’s radical. To empower staff, listen to their ideas, give them voice and agency in their workplace, and create multiple ways for team members to engage in supporting change in the office. These deliberate efforts promote an inclusive and diverse workplace.
The Ontario Digital Service (ODS) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive culture that empowers people to provide outstanding public service to the people of Ontario. We recognize that this supportive atmosphere requires both an open exchange of ideas, and thoughtful guidelines.
In a flatter organizational structure, like the ODS, trust is key to collaboration, results and impact. One of the mechanisms that we have to build trust across the organization is called the People Board. As current Chair, I am incredibly passionate about our role in supporting our colleagues.
The People Board’s mandate is to make work better. We engage with our peers to support change in the office, raise personal and systemic concerns, and to support an inclusive and diverse work environment.
A snapshot of what we do
People Board is designed to make our work, and our work lives, better.
In particular, we:
- Co-create, maintain, and uphold the ODS values, and Code of Conduct
- Represent the voice of employees at the Senior Management Table (SMT+)
- Bring forward proposals that seek to improve the workplace
- Offer peer support, and listen to our colleagues
- Sit as an independent body, without a reporting relationship into senior management (instead, we have an active partnership)
If a member of our team has a problem to share, or an idea they want to start, we’re here to listen, support and take action.
“Our senior management table trusts the People Board to be fair, inclusive and considerate in the work that they do. If the People Board suggests a proposal at the senior management table, they’ve done the necessary research and due diligence before bringing it forward. This trust leads to the notion of “positive acceptance” from senior management: we start with a default answer of yes.”
— Hillary Hartley, Deputy Minister and Chief Digital and Data Officer
Origin Story
The People Board was established to support sustained employee engagement.
Inspired by similar initiatives at the Government Digital Service (GDS) in the UK, and 18F (Deputy Hartley’s former organization in the US federal government), Ontario’s People Board iterates on two concepts: a Diversity Guild and the Senior Management Table.
18F’s Diversity Guild is similar to People Board; the Guild manages a Code of Conduct that guides the organization in their interactions in the workplace.
Similarly, the People Board at the Ontario Digital Service was formed to help create the conditions that enable a more collaborative, open and inclusive culture. The Board also provides active support to modern, autonomous digital teams who operate in an unique organizational structure (see this blog post about designing the ODS ).
Creating the People Board was also an opportunity to rethink how senior leadership makes decisions, alongside team members. It was an opportunity to widen the line of sight into regular management meetings, and bring diverse voices to the decision-making table.
In our model, a representative from People Board sits as a member of the senior management table — what we call SMT+. This forms the ‘+’ in the title because participation is extended to team members who do not hold management roles. Decision-making becomes more inclusive when both individual contributors and leadership sit together to discuss business priorities. Having a People Board representative at the table also ensures that staff members have input on decisions, and can share their perspectives, which encourages greater engagement.
“If SMT is the line of sight into the work of the organization, then People Board is the line of sight into the people.”
— Hillary Hartley
The Nuts & Bolts
The ODS elects members of its People Board to represent staff voices and perspectives. We meet every two weeks during a six-month term. Members sit for a maximum of two, consecutive terms to ensure that more individuals, across the organization, have an opportunity to participate on the People Board.
As members, our responsibilities are considered part of our work, so we have dedicated time to support the time commitment and participate fully in the experience. Our senior leadership creates space for team members to serve as members, and clears blockers to participation.
Accomplishments so far
No one week, or term, is the same on the People Board. Our work ranges, depending on the needs of the people inside our organization. Some issues are simpler, and others are more complicated.
Here are some of the things that we’ve accomplished so far:
- Created the ODS Code of Conduct, and put it into practice at our office, including using it as guidance during training programs and posting a paper copy of the Code on the walls in each of our boardrooms to share with visitors
- Established a Menstruation Station: a cabinet with products that support menstruation needs, featuring supplies that are donated by individuals at ODS (thank you for your support!)
- Collaborated with our Operations team to address staff concerns about security
- Launched a virtual welcome space to support onboarding new team members to the organization, including supporting an inclusive work space by providing information on using pronouns, understanding our Code of Conduct, and where to read our employee handbook
- Introduced new online methods to recognize achievement and collaboration across teams, including a collection of kudos emojis on Slack (our collaboration software tool), and a virtual Hall of Fame, where we celebrate our accomplishments
- Designed a “Space Champion” program to support people in our flexible work space model, where the default is ‘hotelling’ stations, rather than specifically assigned desks
Supporting people
We want to make work better, which means that people are at the core of our mission. Our initiatives start with ideas from people inside our organization, and we also continuously ask ourselves how we might better support people at work.
Weekly office hours are a simple way to openly engage with team members, and invite conversation. Each member of the People Board hosts dedicated office hours to be visible to staff, and address any concerns. We encourage team members to share their ups, downs, worries and wants. No matter is too insignificant. No idea too small.
I often say that feelings don’t come on a schedule. So, while staff are encouraged to come during office hours, people are also welcome to talk to any one of us, any time. This could mean reaching out online, as members of our team are distributed in various parts of the province. Or, it could be catching up with one of us over a coffee.
Our goal is to be accessible. We’re empowered to work through issues quickly. And we work to find options, and advance resolutions, as soon as possible.
We’re also not alone. The Ontario Public Service has many paths to support staff in the workplace — formal programs and diverse initiatives that put employees at the centre. The People Board supercharges these supports, and also activates peer support in new ways. Together with strong support from our leadership chapter, it’s changed the way that we work at the ODS.
Work is better for everyone. And everyone can make work better.
Get in touch
Interested in learning more about our Code of Conduct, or what we’re up to at the People Board, right now? Please get in touch.
Find me on Twitter @bella_velo or email us at Digital.Government@ontario.ca
