Zorg Vilvoorde: leaders as a lever for satisfied employees and good care provision
Zorg Vilvoorde is not just any company: consider them a family where everyone is welcome. The unique position this care provision occupies within the care landscape is down to the emphasis it places on accessibility, personality, connection and offering the best care together.
This was the question
Zorg Vilvoorde was looking for a flexible coaching programme for its leaders, tailored to their various roles in sectors such as home care, elderly care and childcare. The organisation takes the firm view that caring for others begins with caring for one's own employees and leaders. The key question: how could this be achieved in a scientifically underpinned manner?
The collaboration in a nutshell
The question from Zorg Vilvoorde was clear: putting and keeping employees to work “with pleasure” — and in line with high-quality care provision. With the High Energy Habits for Leaders programme, we support leaders in their role as a lever, in line with the organisation's general well-being.
The story
Zorg Vilvoorde wished to launch a dynamic coaching programme for its leaders, completely in line with the organisational philosophy, vision and mission. For example, Zorg Vilvoorde maintains a progressive staffing policy in which the vision forms the starting point and the leaders are the lever for a high-quality care offering and motivated employees.
And the past demonstrates this: a range of projects have already come about within the innovative labour organisation concept. Each one was aimed at better service provision and stronger staff motivation.
All of this was always based on robust scientific proof. For instance, Zorg Vilvoorde sets great store by the self-determination theory of Deci & Ryan, therefore focussing on the ABC (Autonomy, Belonging and Competence) of employee needs.
Every day, Zorg Vilvoorde's leaders face many challenges: providing direction, supervising projects, supporting colleagues, safeguarding the team dynamic and plenty more besides. So energy management can be a challenge. That was why we proposed our High Energy Habits for Leaders programme: a holistic trajectory that encourages leaders towards self-insight and development.
“I have learnt a huge amount. Since the programme, I have been far more conscious of the impact of energy on my life.”
No sooner said than done! Zorg Vilvoorde's leaders went to work with a range of tools and tips & tricks to put their own change pathway into practice. Interactive sessions and videos, always available on My Health Partner, gave every leader the motivation they needed to begin their own well-being journey. A new theme around energy was addressed every two weeks. Connection, focus, mental resilience, working remotely, healthy eating habits and physical activity: the central thread of the collaboration was a holistic one.
“Many of the elements that came up in this programme are things we already knew, whether or not consciously. What was spectacular, though, was the tools, tips and tricks to put our own change pathway into practice. Little tips, encouragements, clear videos and interactive sessions spurred you on to launch your own personal journey.”
There were meaningful and interactive group session supervised by a strong tutor and coach every month. Beyond that, High Energy Habits for Leaders also gave us the flexibility we wanted. Half of the programme was taken online and there were videos available for all the topics, supplemented by some extra explanation and assignments.
With a Net Promoter Score of 60, Zorg Vilvoorde looks back on the programme with satisfaction. In times of crisis and staffing shortages, it helps us consider our mental and physical health.
Lode Peeters
The figures do not lie: thanks to the measurements at the start and end of the programme, we could see a clear, positive evolution in the leaders' well-being. As they went through the programme, they became far more aware of the various aspects that determine their energy level. The general energy level also rose compared to the start of the programme.
But the most important thing? Zorg Vilvoorde took the next step in its role as a steadfast ‘caring employer’. In the future, the organisation will continue to invest in well-being initiatives, so as to expand further upon this task.