Life Balance

 

This Master Class is set in the context of the impact of the modern world of work on people and organisations and the pressures that are created by demands for ever higher levels of performance. The session will give practical insights into how organisational and personal tensions are managed in Ciba Specialty Chemicals through a framework for becoming an 'Employer of Choice'. It will also incorporate the results and lessons of the CIPD's long term research into the impact of people practices on the bottom line. This is a practical session with the opportunity to experience on a personal level the approaches and techniques that Ciba uses to heighten awareness and manage work/life balance issues. This session is not about altruism but is about how a wide range of practices can be harnessed to deliver personal performance that impacts positively on the bottom line. Happy people really do make happy customers and stakeholders.

Bob Morton will set the context for the session and give some practical HR practices and policies that underpin Ciba's strategic approach to becoming an Employer of Choice. He will introduce Ciba's holistic model for work/life balance and then Mick Lock will involve the participants in practical application of the various tools used in Ciba. In some cases these will be snapshots and in other cases a full blooded experience. It will be an opportunity for participants to indulge in some real thinking about their own work/life balance.

Due to the nature of the session and space available, participation will be limited to senior practitioners who already have an understanding of progressive people practices and who are willing to get involved in some personal experiences and reflection.

Bob Morton commenced his personnel career as a graduate trainee with the Lewis's Retail Group in the UK. He joined Ciba-Geigy in 1973 with The Clayton Aniline Company, where he progressed to hold a number of senior personnel posts. He transferred to Ciba - Geigy's UK Group HQ in the late 1980's and in 1995 transferred to Ciba's Corporate HQ in the USA, as Director of Human Resources until the merger with Sandoz which formed Novartis. Ciba Specialty Chemicals was de-merged from Novartis in 1997 and in the same year he moved to Switzerland as Head of Human Resources for Ciba's Global Performance Polymers Business. In 1999 he returned to be based in the UK where he is now Head of HRD for the Northern Europe Region of Ciba.

He has worked in most parts of the world in all areas of Human Resources from Employee Relations through to Organisational Development. His special interests centre on large scale organisational change, managing across cultures and business performance management.

He is a visiting speaker on International HRM on the Executive and full time MBA programmes at Lancaster University Management School and at UMIST in the UK and speaks regularly at CIPD conferences. He is also a regular speaker at International HR conferences and in 2000 he was a keynote speaker at the United Nation's inaugural HR conference in Geneva.

He edited and co - authored with Professor Pat Joynt a book on International HRM, 'The Global HR Manager', which was published by CIPD in October 1999.

Bob is a Companion of the CIPD and is past Vice President International of the CIPD. He is a member of the editorial board of 'People Management' and sits on the board of CIPD Enterprises. He is currently Chair of the CIPD's International Forum.

Michael Lock is both a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and a Chartered Educational Psychologist. His consultancy activities therefore encompass Occupational/Work Psychology, Child/Educational Psychology and work as an Expert Witness. Michael offers consultancy support to a diverse client base, including PLCs, Government Agencies and the Education Sector. In the commercial arena his work centres mainly on assessment for selection and 'top team' development projects. This includes one-to-one coaching and 360° feedback. He is particularly interested in 'human performance', the 'inner game of management' and the practice and impact of effective leadership.