Workplace People Culture

We are committed to supporting a positive and productive workplace people culture. Make sure you read and understand these behaviours because this workplace people culture is part of your position description, and we will review your performance against it and the other documents relevant to your role. Feel welcome to ask your supervisor if something does not make sense to you.

 
Use the power of your words for positive outcomes.

  • Communicate with others as positively and clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, distress and unnecessary workplace tension.

    If you are concerned about something, take the time to think it through. 

  • What is the problem? 

  • Is it an actual or perceived problem? 

  • Is there another way to think about it? 

  • What are the possible solutions? 

  • Who needs to be involved in the solutions?

    Say what you mean, mean what you say, don't say it mean.

    Talk to the people involved in the solution, focus on the issue or the behaviour and how it affects you. Stick to the facts and discuss the problems, don't get into the blame game or abusing the person. Write your main points down if you need to. Ask for their point of view and take the time to listen. Discuss possible solutions and ask how this might affect them, keep an open mind to find a solution that works for everyone.

    Unacceptable behaviour:

    • Talking behind someone's back or about other people in a negative or non-factual manner

    • Speaking on behalf of someone else (putting words into their mouth)

    • Making presumptions and saying that people said or feel things when you have no evidence to support your claims

    • Spreading rumours about co-workers, management, clients or the workplace in general

       

      Choose your mood, choose your attitude. 

      Model a positive and friendly attitude.

    • Say good morning/good afternoon

    • Smile

    • Use a friendly tone of voice and body language

    • Choose to "love what you do"

  • We recognise that everyone has a down day or time in their life, this may be happening to the people around you. Don't take it personally if someone is having a brief downtime and is not as happy or as positive as usual.

    Unacceptable behaviour:

    • Continued or regular instances of talking rudely or aggressively to co-workers, management or clients 

    • Talking negatively about being at work or work activities

    • Not constructively participating in problem-solving and decision making

Respect yourself, respect others

  • Every member of our team is valued, and we all play an important role in creating an enjoyable and productive workplace. Every team member has the right to be treated with respect.

    Unacceptable behaviour:

    • Yelling

    • Swearing

    • Bullying

    • Excluding people from activities and decisions that are relevant to their work and workplace social activities

    • Getting someone else to do parts of your work that you do not like

It's always your turn to learn

  • We work in an ever-changing environment, and we always have new things to learn. Each person is responsible for continually improving their skills and knowledge. Australian Street Aid Project will provide you with the tools and resources to learn how to be an effective team member, but it is up to you to access them and build your skills and knowledge.

    Unacceptable behaviour:

    • Not taking the time to read training and other relevant material

    • Not making an effort to find the answer before asking someone else

    • Asking someone else to do a part of your job because you don't know how to

    • Continually asking someone to show you how to do something. If you have trouble remembering it, write it down. (You should know how to do something after being shown a maximum of three times).

Care for your colleagues

  • Take the time to get to know a little about your teammates. Ask them about their job and their interests. Let them know a little about you and your job.

     

    Help and be helped

    Sometimes we all get busy or need some help. Notice how your teammates are going and offer to help out if you see someone has a lot going on. On the other side of things, if someone offers you help, let them help you but don't take advantage of their thoughtfulness.

     

    Be involved in Innovation and Change

    If we want something to be different, then we need to do things differently.

    We can always find new ways to improve our work practices, and every team member has valuable experiences, knowledge and ideas to share.

    Be prepared to listen and give things a fair go.

    With new knowledge and experiences come new understandings; what we believed yesterday can change tomorrow. Be willing to change your mind, it could lead to exciting new possibilities.

    Unacceptable behaviour:

    • Saying things like "we have always done it that way, so why change it?"

    • Sabotaging efforts to change and improve things

    • Not listening and participating in discussions about changing and improving things 

       

Focus and Fun

  • We spend much of our life at work and with our Australian Street Aid Project work colleagues. Let's have fun and be nice to each other whilst still being a productive team. 

    It's ok to have a laugh at work and share this laugh with colleagues and clients. Remember to enjoy being you.

    Unacceptable behaviour:

    • Having a joke at someone else's expense

    • Mean practical jokes

    • Regular unproductive behaviour

    • Constantly distracting your colleagues  

    • Having a joke or conversation in front of a client and not including them in on it

We are all House-Keepers here

    • Keep your workspace tidy

    • Keep files up to date and tidy

    • Put things back where they belong

    • Wash your dishes and put them away

    • Put all rubbish in bins