Wellbeing – the latest buzzword to hit the boardroom. It’s a term that is moving from the periphery of organisational conversations to the heart of people focused agendas. Yet it’s not a new idea, so why are we taking note now?
We’re living in a fascinating and contradictory wellbeing era. On a personal level we’ve seen a decade long obsession with the concept. We’ve immersed ourselves in ideas of happiness and self-help to such an extent that we’re now fuelling an industry worth £10 billion per annum. It’s at this point I feel I should confess that I was probably one of the first to rush out and buy both Arianna Huffington’s ‘Thrive’ and Sheryl Sandberg’s ‘Lean!’ Yet at the same time when we turn on the radio or read the paper, we’re hit by disturbing reports about growing mental health issues, the obesity crisis and more pertinent for us, the bleak view of job related stress.
Gallup’s well cited, global study alone, claims that 70 percent of us are dissatisfied in the workplace and, however much we attempt to detach ourselves from these trends, the reality is the majority of us contribute to them. If I asked you to honestly reflect if stress, anxiety or depression form a part of your daily life, what would your answer be?
Hosted by the London School of Economics, leading researchers recently debated the powers behind wellbeing and, more importantly, which players should take responsibility. The inevitable conclusion was drawn that the trilogy of society; government and corporations should act together. In my opinion, this collaboration is critical but also nothing new. We only have to look to community led movements to acknowledge the success of ‘togetherness’ attitudes towards health. However, if we focus on the workplace, through personal experience and research in employee behaviour, it’s clear that in the majority, individual’s alone cannot find a sustainable sense of wellbeing. Despite our best efforts to empower ourselves towards better health, we remain restricted by the often conflicting drivers of our work and non-work lives.
In acknowledgement of this the UK Government launched the national ‘Happiness Survey’ (2010) and ‘What Works Centre for Wellbeing’ (2015) as a way of integrating wellbeing metrics into measures of economic success. With this backdrop the attention is now turning to businesses, with the Health Minister Norman Lamb writing personally to every FTSE 100 company to ask for support and action on it’s ‘Time to Change’ wellbeing campaign for better mental health at work. The reality is organisations hold a privileged position to influence employee wellbeing, something supported by our research in the Financial Services industry. Employee led surveys found that the way we feel about our jobs influences our overall life satisfaction by up to seventy percent. And this isn’t simply connected to the amount of hours we spend in the office, it also reflects our inability to keep work, emotionally, mentally or physically, at work.
I was recently asked to chair the European HR Transformation Summit and was fortunate enough to witness fascinating debates from industry directors on engagement and wellbeing. What appeared unanimous was that forward thinking companies are taking ownership of their organisation’s health and by investing in long term strategies they’re already beginning to reap the rewards. The benefits include the business case advantages of improved absenteeism and presenteeism; the leadership advantages of building skill sets that harbour sustainable productivity and innovation, and the advantages of attracting high calibre millennials that demand wellbeing, mindful management and flexibility.
It’s a sensitive and fascinating arena and something that needs careful reflection. If you checked in with your view of the world today, would you feel your personal or business’ approach to health, falls into the bucket of pioneering wellness? Or would you place your attempts into the tokenism pot, alongside ad hoc, 10 minute ‘Mc-mindfulness’ classes. The response could provoke you to reevaluate, and consider the three rules to creating a powerful wellbeing strategy…
Rule #1: Know where you’re at
As with any credible project a clear picture of the current position is critical. Part of the difficulty about wellbeing is that it is complex and personal. Setting one definition that everyone can understand, that is suitable for the diverse realities of working life, and that is measurable, is fundamental to the success of your intervention. Working within the Wellbeing MSc Programme at Bath University, Yoke Consultancy has applied a seven sector framework of organisational wellbeing to the financial services sector. The method enables the independent measurement of employee wellbeing across: ‘Mental and Emotional Health’; ‘Physical Health’; ‘Relationships’; ‘Networks and Community’; ‘Meaning and Purpose’; ‘Competency and Action’ and ‘Financial Health’. Once the results from senior leadership interviews surveys are analysed, a ‘baselined’ wellbeing position is set, from which all interventions can be measured.
Rule #2: Talk about it
With a line in the sand drawn, it’s time to start openly asking people about wellbeing. By sharing the overall trends from rule #1, instigating honest conversations on wellbeing with senior management allows you to see what
people find difficult to talk about and what support they may need. Our research showed 56 percent of workers expecting firms to play a ‘highly’ active role in wellbeing, so tackling communication
problems is a great first step.
In addition, during the process its important to dedicate time to ask yourself about your wellbeing. Do you feel you’ve invested energy in understanding what it means to you; do you feel able to articulate this in appropriate way that might inspire others at work? Without these skills setting an example of wellbeing is difficult.
Rule #3: Take targeted action
With the information gathered it’s time to design or redesign your wellbeing programmes. Firstly, ensure what you’re doing will add the maximum value by targeting the low scoring areas identified in your wellbeing assessment. Focus on proven techniques that make a wide impact on your organisation, such as structured ‘Wellbeing Training Programmes,’ that deepen managerial skills to promote a culture of wellness. And above all remember to measure the effect each intervention has against your chosen framework and celebrate the successes with your colleagues.
Rachel has over 15 years of Management Consultancy experience and an MSc in Organisational Wellbeing. She is the key driving force behind Yoke and so excited to be at the forefront of such an inspiring industry.
I am not so sure that we do, judging by what I see around me. Look forward to hearing what others have to say.
Really interesting insights Rachel. Wellbeing is often difficult to define and your right that it remains a very personal concept. I do think there are several key enablers to creating a successful workplace wellbeing programme. Advocacy from the very top tier of senior management, identifying and prioritising where your issues are and empowering the workforce to drive, evolve and sustain your programme to name but a few.