Our Services

Russell Professional Group offers responsive solutions to restore organisational health, as well as proactive strategies to enhance performance.

Employee Assistance Service

Russell Professional Group offers confidential individual counselling and support for staff experiencing personal and work related issues. Our consultants operate within a brief therapy framework, with most clients undertaking between 3 to 6 sessions. We provide a range of support modalities including face-to-face counselling, telephone counselling, counselling in the workplace, or counselling at the client's residence if requested. Russell Professional Group's Employee Assistance Service can be of use to staff who may be experiencing issues related to:

To find out more about our Employee Assistance Service, talk to us.

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Rapid Response Intervention™

While positive stress can maximise motivation and productivity, negative stress or distress has the opposite effect. Research indicates that employees experiencing distress exhibit warning signs or 'red flags' to alert the aware employer of a situation that could escalate and result in significant human and financial costs. Immediate and appropriate intervention when 'red flags' appear will reduce the risk of negative impacts for both employees and the organisation.

Through our Rapid Response Intervention™ Russell Professional Group assist organisations to more accurately identify and manage 'red flag' behaviours, while also providing targeted solutions to reduce further risk. No matter what the cause or impact of distress in your organisation a Russell Professional Group consultant will immediately assess the situation to identify the required intervention and deliver a targeted and cost effective solution.

To find out more about the Rapid Response Intervention™ and how it can assist your workforce, talk to us.

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Early Intervention Program

The Early Intervention program continues to be one of Russell Professional Group's cornerstone services. Based on his research into predictors of workplace stress in the 1980s, Dr. Jon Russell developed an early intervention model that aimed to maximise support for staff who were suffering stress, while also minimising costs to the organisation.

This Early Intervention program was piloted across a large Victorian Government agency in 2001. On completion of the pilot, results indicated that well over 80% of staff who had lodged a stress compensation claim were actively engaged in a return to work program within 5 weeks of being referred. This program has now become standard practice for managing stress claims across a number of Government agencies.

Based on the success of this model in Victoria, Russell Professional Group was invited to implement the Early Intervention program across the Queensland Government. Evaluation research continues to demonstrate the multiple benefits of the model, including:

• Ensuring staff receive appropriate treatment as soon as possible
• Obtaining a holistic view of all factors contributing to the issue
• Providing the workplace with risk management recommendations to minimise repeat occurrences
• Decreasing compensation insurance premiums and associated costs
• Decreasing the number of claims entering dispute
• Utility as a pre-claim risk management strategy

To find out more about the Early Intervention program and how it can assist your workforce, talk to us.

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Injury Management

An injury in the workplace not only means lost productivity and time off work but often intensive treatment and rehabilitation. Our research demonstrates that an effective early assessment maximises treatment outcomes and prevents the development of negative secondary symptoms. From assessing the functional and occupational impact of an injury, to providing support and recommendations for an expeditious and sustainable return to work, Russell Professional Group offers a range of specialised injury management services, including:

• Initial occupational rehabilitation assessments
• Vocational assessments
• Physical assessments
• Psychological assessments
• Worksite assessments
• Functional capacity evaluations
• Return to work programs
• Job seeking assistance and vocational guidance

To find out more about reducing your costs through our Injury Management services, talk to us.

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Conflict Resolution

Russell Professional Group provides a range of interventions aimed at identifying, managing and resolving conflict in the workplace. The type of approach used to manage the conflict depends on several factors including the nature of the dispute, the personalities involved, and the level of entrenchment of the parties. Our consultant will assess the specifics of your situation and recommend the best solution for an effective and expedient outcome. Our strategies include:

Mediation

A formal process where our consultant facilitates discussion between two disputing parties, with a view to raising awareness of the impact of one’s behaviours on others, reaching resolution of the dispute, and generating a list of understandings and agreements regarding future directions.

Workplace Conferencing

A process that brings together individuals who have been affected by harmful and negative workplace behaviour. The focus of the workplace conference is to address the causes and consequences of this behaviour, and to find a satisfactory solution through consensus decision-making. Workplace conferencing has application when conflict permeates an entire work team, rather than affecting just two individuals.

Conflict Coaching

Self-referred sessions, where the aim is to improve an individuals response to conflict by assisting them to develop insight into their own dispute resolution style, and explore ways in which they may contribute to unhealthy interactions. During these sessions, individual's have the opportunity to practice alternative conflict resolution behaviours with an experienced Psychologist, before trying them out in real life situations.

Health and Wellbeing Assessment

Russell Professional Group developed the Health and Wellbeing Assesment to assist employers to clarify, manage and minimise human risk factors in the workplace. The aim of the assessment is to identify these risks so that preventative, supportive and restorative strategies can be implemented to assist the individual, management, and the organisation as a whole.

The assessment process involves comprehensive and confidential interviews with identified staff, communication with supervisors and managers, and liaison with other key parties. This enables our consultants to develop a complete understanding of the issues, and provide sustainable strategies for resolution.

To find out more about how our Conflict Resolution strategies can work for you, talk to us.

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Organisational Research

Russell Professional Group's experience in behavioural observation and research, and organisational diagnosis allows us to use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect, analyse and interpret relevant organisational data, including survey scales, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and structured analysis of organisational documentation.

We also conduct formative and/or summative evaluations to determine whether organisational programs have achieved their objectives. Our involvement in organisational reviews, program evaluations and workplace investigations has required preparation of simple and complex reports where expert opinion is sought in relation to organisational functioning and improvement. We are often requested to participate in further organisational improvement activities based on our insights and recommendations.

To find out more about how Organisational Research can be used to improve your business, talk to us.

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Human Resource Development

Russell Professional Group offers a range of human resource strategies customised to meet the needs of your business. Whether you are seeking to attract and retain quality staff, or looking for solutions to meet the challenges of the ageing workforce, we can help. Russell Professional Group provides support to Managers at all levels in change and performance management from a practical policy-based perspective.

Our strategic planning strategies narrow the gap between organisational vision and behavioural objectives. Regular external and internal scanning, including 360 degree feedback can help pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats, while facilitated stakeholder focus groups can elicit information about how internal or external clients perceive the organisation, with a view to identifying specific areas for improvement.

To find out more about our range of Human Resource Development strategies, talk to us.

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Management Assistance Program

Russell Professional Group developed our Management Assistance Program (MAP) out of a desire to better equip Managers with the skills required to deal with difficult staff situations. The Management Assistance Program is an integrated approach that comprises a series of monthly seminars usually delivered across a 6-month period. The content of the program is customised to address specific organisational needs, usually identified through a pre-program focus group and survey. Typical seminar topics have included:

• How to manage staff through change
• Supportive leadership
• Becoming an effective mentor
• Recognising and addressing staff stress
• Understanding "games" people play at work
• Effective performance management
• Conflict resolution for positive outcomes
• The emotionally intelligent manager

Managers are also given the opportunity for ongoing coaching throughout the program.

To find out more about the Management Assistance Program and how it can assist your workforce, talk to us.

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Training

Russell Professional Group’s training seminars and workshops are designed to meet specific organisational objectives in consultation with our clients. Our programs incorporate contemporary research with action learning, and place emphasis on discussion and debate, role-plays and practical exercises. This approach assists learning at the cognitive, as well as emotional level. Russell Professional Group consultants are experienced in facilitating interactive workshops that balance knowledge transfer with skills development, and in maintaining a safe environment that optimises challenge and discovery. Programs can easily be adapted to meet organisational needs.

Previous Russell Professional Group training seminars have included:

• Developing high performance teams
• Supportive leadership
• Change and transition management
• Organisational culture
• Stress management
• Performance management
• Dealing with difficult people
• Conflict and dispute resolution
• Workplace communication skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Managing workplace bullying
• Maintaining work life balance

For more information about our Training Programs, talk to us.

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Coaching

Russell Professional Group provides individual and group coaching, and management and leadership development programs, to employees at all levels of the organisation. Our coaching programs are dynamic and tailored to cater to varying needs and situations. The aims of the program include broadening individuals’ personal insights, facilitating focussed goal setting and assisting individuals to identify and utilise effective strategies which will impact directly on their work performance and motivation.

Specific individual feedback and information is provided to each client to enable ongoing development in relation to “real time” work experiences. In the case of personal and leadership coaching, behavioural style may be assessed via 360 degree feedback from supervisors, peers, direct reports and clients. Ongoing reviews of critical and relevant work situations, as well as counselling, are provided to enhance personal insights and to enable individual progress and organisational outcomes to be monitored and measured.

To find out more about how our Coaching can develop your people, talk to us.

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