XN000022-1978-04-13 — Page 14

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1978

13

SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMENTS ON

STAFF RELATIONS AND STAFF MANAGEMENT

*****

GOOD STAFF RELATIONS BEGIN NOT WITH CONSULTATIVE OR NEGOTIATING MACHINERY BUT WITH GOOD STAFF MANAGEMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE HON. MARTIN ROWLANDS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY,

MR. ROWLANDS CITED FIVE ASPECTS OF STAFF MANAGEMENT WHICH AFFECT STAFF RELATIONS:

* DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITY AND MAKING IT STICK=

* ENCOURAGING INITIATIVE AND DELIBERATELY PROVIDING THE

INDIVIDUAL OFFICER WITH A CHALLENGE-

* ENSURING THAT WORK IS BOTH PROPERLY ORGANISED AND

SUPERVISED=

* DEVELOPING GOOD TWO-WAY ORAL COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN ALL

LEVELS OF STAFF

AND

* ESTABLISHING THE CONCEPT OF ACCOUNTABILITY DOWNWARDS

WITHIN THE ORGANISATION.

ELABORATING ON THE LAST POINT, MR. ROWLANDS SAID WE WERE ALL USED TO THE IDEA OF BEING ACCOUNTABLE UPWARDS TO OUR SUPERIORS. +EQUAL EMPHASIS SHOULD, IN MY VIEW, BE GIVEN AT ALL LEVELS TO AN OFFICER'S ACCOUNTABILITY TO HIS JUNIORS IN MATTERS WHICH AFFECT THE IR WELL-BEING, HE SAID.

WHILE PROPER STAFF MANAGEMENT ALONG THESE LINES WAS A NECESSARY FOUNDATION FOR GOOD STAFF RELATIONS, ONE ALSO NEEDED A PROPERLY CONSTITUTED FORUM IN WHICH MANAGEMENT AND STAFF COULD TALK TO EACH OTHER ON AN EQUAL FOOTING AND IN WHICH THEY COULD RESOLVE THE DIFFERENCES WHICH WERE BOUND TO ARISE FROM TIME TO TIME IN ANY HUMAN ORGANISATION.

+

FORMAL STAFF CONSULTATIVE COUNCILS, OF WHICH THERE WERE NOW 19, SERVED THIS PURPOSE AT THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL. +HOWEVER, BEFORE EXPANDING THEIR NUMBER, I BELIEVE THE TIME IS RIPE TO REVIEW THE IR ROLE AND MODUS OPERANDI', WITH THE AIM OF MAKING THEM MORE EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENTS FOR RESOLVING MATTERS WHICH ARE WITHIN THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT'S AUTHORITY.+

MR. ROWLANDS SAID AT THE SAME TIME WE NEEDED TO REVIEW THE ROLE OF DEPARTMENTAL STAFF CONSULTATIVE COUNCILS IN RELATION TO PAY AND STRUCTURE MATTERS AFFECTING DEPARTMENTAL GRADES OF STAFF, FOR THESE NEARLY ALWAYS HAD IMPLICATIONS FOR SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, AND THEREFORE NEEDED TO BE DETERMINED ON A SERVICE-WIDE BASIS.

+MY INITIAL, ...............