The PROTEA approach
The PROTEA approach
Every project follows the same six steps.
P · Pinpoint the problem
P · Pinpoint the problem
Define the business question before collecting any information. For example: why are handovers so often delayed?
R · Research employee experiences
R · Research employee experiences
Surveys, structured interviews, management interviews and a review of relevant workflow documents.
O · Observe patterns
O · Observe patterns
Summarise recurring themes and look for gaps between what management assumes and what employees experience.
T · Trace likely root causes
T · Trace likely root causes
Test possible explanations against the evidence, and treat them as hypotheses until the evidence supports them.
E · Establish an improvement plan
E · Establish an improvement plan
Every action gets a clear problem, an owner, a deadline, the resources it needs and a way to check progress.
A · Assess progress
A · Assess progress
Review whether the changes happened and whether the agreed indicators moved, and note what else changed along the way.
How your people’s information is handled
How your people’s information is handled
◆ Before any survey, your team is told who will see the responses, how they will be used and how long they will be kept.
◆ I only collect what the agreed purpose needs, and handle it in line with POPIA.
◆ I don’t promise anonymity unless the survey design genuinely supports it. In small teams, I avoid quotes or breakdowns that could identify someone.
◆ Reports show how many people were invited and how many responded, and keep facts, perceptions and hypotheses separate.
◆ Results are never used to rank individual employees, or for hiring, promotion, disciplinary or fitness for work decisions.
What Protea does not do
What Protea does not do
At Protea, we focus on understanding workplace conditions, employee experiences and workflows to identify opportunities for meaningful improvement. Our approach is not clinical, and we do not provide psychological diagnoses or psychometric testing. Our surveys are designed to gather structured feedback and understand workplace experiences, rather than serve as validated psychological assessments.
When a situation calls for specialised support, we’ll help guide you towards appropriately qualified, registered professionals.
Every workplace is different, so we can’t promise specific outcomes. What we can offer is a clearer understanding of your workplace, informed recommendations and practical support to help you move forward with confidence.
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