Finding the motivation to motivate at Living Well

Alison Donald from Holm Primary School enjoyed an Excellence in Education through Business Links ( EEBL) teacher placement at Living Well in Inverness, June 2006.

Alison is currently studying for her Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH), a qualification designed to develop and improve participants’ practice as leaders and managers. This involves work-based learning in order to enable candidates to develop the competences required - to meet the Standard for Headship in Scotland.

A comparative study of a leadership and management issues in school and in an organisation has to be carried out as part of the qualification. Alison chose to look at motivation and specifically at motivating staff.

EEBL helps to organise placements for teachers in the Highlands and Islands and as part of that service. Jenny MacRae from Careers Scotland set up the contact with Living Well health club in Inverness, as this was the organisation Alison was keen to explore.

Operations manager at Living Well, Allan Bell, was happy to take Alison on board and share the success and staff procedures at Living Well. Alan pointed out that Living Well is trying to work more closely with the local community and being able to share experiences and establish a good link with a local primary school by taking on one of their teachers for a placement would help them carry out this commitment.

Alison’s main question was: "In Living Well, how do managers take into account issues of staff morale and motivation?"

Unknown to Alison when she asked to spend her placement at Living Well is that it had recently won Scotland’s Health at Work (SHAW) first ever Mental Health and Wellbeing Commendation Award. As well as this, they have achieved SHAW Gold plaque and won the first Food Standards Agency EAT SAFE award in the Highlands and Islands.

Living Well is part of the Hilton group and has adopted the Hilton stress awareness programme which offers all staff the chance to take 10 minutes out of their working day to meditate in times of stress. Living Well also offers various internal and external counselling services for any team member.

The placement ended up being a great success for everyone involved and there is more scope for Living Well to work with Holm Primary in terms of health and fitness - and Holm primary has had the opportunity, not only to experience the motivation and management structure, but also to see the career prospects within this organisation and the progressions available to staff.

Alan and Alison summarised their feelings about the placement like this: Alan Bell, operations manager: ’ Very good. Alison was very enthusiastic and we are very pleased that she chose our organisation as a centre of management exchange. It was interesting to get an insight into how school management differs from ours."

Alison Donald, teacher Holm Primary: "It was very interesting looking into the staff motivation strategies used by Living Well."

Alison expressed that as a result of the placement she will make some key changes to the way she works.

To find out more how you, as an organisation or as a teacher, can take part in an Excellence in Education through Business Link placement, please contact Jenny MacRae - telephone 01463 244548

Alternatively, you can register your interest in EEBL online