On the phone, the voice is frank, energetic. From the first word, you feel a great energy. Ornella Macheda has held the position of HR Director at the Sarine Health Network (RSS) since 2020. The following year, she decided to set up workshops for work and reflection on the development of sustainable teams.

Text by Francesca Sacco

What important lessons did you learn about sustainable teams through this project?

It is essential to dedicate energy to monitoring working groups to anchor what has been learned in daily life. It's about creating cohesion, and that requires investing in connection and informality. Yes, that's what I learned, or rather what we experienced. An idea that germinated in one person's mind can inspire others, if they have the opportunity to experience that it's a good thing for them too. The HR manager must be convinced of the positive impact of a long-term project and fully commit to supporting the teams. In fact, our workshops are more than just training; they are relationships!

What do you do differently today, following these workshops?

For me, fundamentally, what interested me was creating bonds of trust and instilling in managers the commitment to develop their teams in this mindset. Because if relationships are good, people are more likely to express their ideas in front of their colleagues and are more eager to get involved in how teams function. That's why we started by training all of our managers. We wanted to implement lasting change – logical, since the workshops aim to create sustainable teams! With the little hindsight I have, I think this has further refined my personal understanding of employee growth. Let's say it has strengthened my philosophy and my belief in the fundamental importance of trusting relationships. As HR Director, I believe it is part of my role to disseminate this conviction, because trust is the foundation of good collaborations. And when I hear that someone I've supported recommends their colleagues come to see me if they have a problem, it reinforces me in this position.

In broad terms, what was the project?

We therefore began the experience with the network's managers, about twenty people, by adopting a micro-project approach to obtain rapid and measurable effects. We wanted to avoid falling into the trap of those initiatives whose end – or even results – are never seen. In the end, all the people who participated decided to continue, and the project was therefore renewed. For follow-up, quarterly breakfasts were organized to share informal moments.

The project in figures

• 3 half-day workshops
• 23 hours of work in total
• 25 managers trained
• Quarterly follow-up in the form of thematic meetings

The company in brief

The Sarine Health Network (RSS) employs 400 people. Founded in 2016, it brings together the 28 municipalities of the Fribourg district of Sarine. It oversees a nursing home with about a hundred beds in Villars-sur-Glâne, a home care and assistance service, an ambulance service serving a population basin of 100,000 inhabitants, and a coordination center.

The HR Director's philosophy

Before joining the Sarine Health Network, Ornella Macheda worked in recruitment at Merck Switzerland, then as an HR manager within the police force, first in Lausanne and then in West Lausanne. In 2020, she became head of the HR & Training department at RSS. The team is therefore young, with skills and personalities that she describes as very complementary. From the outset, Ornella Macheda made her relationships with staff a priority. She therefore decided to meet everyone. «I wanted to know what people did, immerse myself in their daily lives, understand their professions. So I started by doing internships in the departments.» Then, she set about strengthening ties, for example by organizing events within the network. The workshops organized since 2021 on the development of sustainable teams are a continuation of this.

Let's continue the discussion with Ornella Macheda lduring our next MeetUp Actitudes™: 

on Monday, May 15 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM (via video conference) 

Registration (free) for the next MeetUp Actitudes™: https://lnkd.in/g4c-kRZv