Well-being in the Workplace- Simple leadership changes to make a big impact!
In the modern corporate world, employee well-being is not just a buzzword anymore - it's becoming a core value for many organisations. Businesses are realising that their employees' health and happiness play a significant role in their overall success.
We're not just channelling the tree-pose/herbal tea zen that you might find at your local wellness centre on your lunch break (although both yoga and tea are great strategies to employ). We're talking about how your team's well-being can pay you dividends.
The World Health Organisation defines mental well-being as a state that enables us to cope with stressors, empowering us to work well and contribute to society. Therefore, achieving a state of well-being at work requires a commitment to support ourselves and our team in all aspects of our well-being. More than just physical health - It also involves the mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social aspects of an individual's life.
What's my role/responsibility as a leader?
There is no longer any room for the school of thought that health and well-being is up to your team members alone, as work is a direct determinant of overall wellness; it is a shared objective. What a responsibility we in Leadership have for our team! It is so much more than a token agenda item or fleeting focus. It is up to you to embed these elements into your daily structure and operations.
In the recent Deloitte insights article: “The workforce well-being imperative”, their research findings show the work determinants that may negatively impact a worker’s well-being: Leadership, Design of work and Ways of working—all areas in our direct line of responsibility as leaders. We will specifically look at these today.
Pretty eye-opening stuff. As a super quick exercise right now, think back to your most recent round of employee engagement surveys or 2-way feedback sessions and cross reference whether any of these issues have been highlighted or raised? From my experience working closely with teams, there is a very high likelihood that discussions like these are taking place.
So what next?
There is no one silver bullet approach to success here. It comes down to having a deep understanding of your team and the individuals within it. It requires a commitment to change and a continual feedback loop to get it right. You may find yourself in an ongoing cycle of trial and error until you find the best solution for your team.
Suggestions to support making changes:
Leadership Behaviours
Invest in ongoing personal development for Leaders to continue growing their skills in delegation, two-way healthy feedback and finding creative ways to recognise and celebrate team successes.
How:
Formal training workshops
Working closely with a mentor
Allocating development time for online learning and
Even reading helpful books can be a great place to start. See our recommended reading list!
Design of work
Review your current structure and ensure that your team's roles and responsibilities directly align with your company's overall purpose. If things are being done because ‘we’ve always done it that way’, perhaps it's time for change.
Does every person have some autonomy over how they achieve their outcomes? If not, hold some consultation sessions to ensure buy-in; you’d be amazed at the wonderful ideas your team have that they’ve been dying to implement. With ownership comes pride in the results!
How:
Use your organisational structure, position descriptions, and last performance discussions/feedback sessions to review your overall corporate design. Potential outcomes are:
moving people into new roles,
removing some no-value tasks, overburdening the team, or
outsourcing low-value tasks to a technical solution.
If you’re unsure where to start, The Elevation Collective can talk you through an activity like this!
Ways of working
Have a clear communication structure, e.g. expectations on the speed of replies or availability at certain times of the day. Limit meetings to only those that add value and have a clearly defined agenda and time frame. Where possible, allow flexibility in start and finish times to suit the overall lifestyle requirements of your team.
How:
Set clear boundaries that work for your team and structure, e.g. block out 2-4 hours where only proactive work is to be completed. This means notifications are silenced, and there is no expectation of an immediate response to any messages.
Do a stocktake on current meetings you hold regularly and their overall benefit; you’d be amazed how much time is wasted, putting unnecessary pressure on your team! “According to a recent survey by global organisational consulting firm Korn Ferry, more than 67% of respondents said they spend too much time in meetings and on calls, negatively impacting work and productivity.”
Need help to decide on whether it warrants a meeting? Check out the decision chart at the end of this article by Lucid
If you’re struggling to get the most out of your meetings - check out this free linked-in course
Team wellbeing requires a team effort. It is a collaborative approach and will take an openness to new ideas from you as the leadership team. It might be uncomfortable at first, but change usually is to some extent. The benefits of enhanced morale, loyalty, commitment, innovation, productivity and profitability outweigh this discomfort. In our next article, we will address the area of physical well-being and how to support your team effectively.
If you would like to discuss how to get started looking into the wellness in your workplace and the positive changes you can make, we are here to help! The Elevation Collective would love to learn more about you and your team. Book a free consultation with us today!
Referenced articles:
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/employee-wellbeing.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/01/the-growing-importance-of-employee-wellness-how-are-you-responding/?sh=40b03b197afa
https://lucid.co/blog/do-you-need-a-meeting
https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliawuench/2021/04/21/the-four-steps-that-will-help-you-decide-if-a-work-meeting-is-necessary/?sh=1ebcc49a6423
