Culture: The key to employee wellbeing

For many people, there’s a growing sense of pressure increasing and life becoming more complex and demanding. It’s no wonder many employees find themselves struggling with how they’re feeling. And that inevitably affects how they are in the workplace too. It’s more important than ever to pay attention to employee wellbeing and mental health.

Many companies recognise this already. They care about their employees, and have been trying to integrate approaches for improving wellbeing into organisational strategies for a long time now. Some of these efforts are delivering real results and filtering into how people lead and behave day in, day out. Other businesses could find they aren’t making much headway. Some might think they’re tackling wellbeing but no matter how well-intentioned their actions are, they still could be wide of the mark.

And actually, if various wellbeing initiatives are taking place within a culture that’s tacitly promoting the opposite of wellbeing - perhaps by turning a blind eye to issues like presenteeism or leaveism - they’ll struggle to make any real inroads. Even worse, it could inflame cynicism…

Does your organisation really see the whole person - or the “resource”?

People come to work with thoughts, feelings and complex emotions extending way beyond the workplace. Employees aren’t just a “resource” there to do a role yet there are still employers who don’t see the whole person. That has consequences and could become a pathway to ill health and burn out if it isn’t addressed. ?

Wellbeing’s a broad term and it can feel intangible and difficult to pin down. But a perfect definition isn’t necessary for action. Essentially it comes down to how happy and engaged employees feel. We reckon there are four main elements to wellbeing within the workplace: how physically well someone is, the level of emotional wellbeing they have, how socially connected they feel and how happy and satisfied they are in their role.

Going beyond the lunchtime yoga class…

Would you say your employees feel healthy? Are they are working productively in an environment that’s physically and psychologically safe? Different initiatives all have valuable parts to play as long as they’re recognised for what they are. On their own, they won’t transform a culture and they can’t “create” wellbeing. It’s far more fundamental than that. Time and again, the evidence tells us employees who feel genuinely cared about as people are way more satisfied, secure and committed to their role and employer.

Employee wellbeing results from a culture where everything aligns to support it like leadership and management actions and behaviours, and company and personal values. A culture where behaviours and actions that genuinely and authentically promote wellbeing are recognised and celebrated, and where those things that damage wellbeing aren’t tolerated. A culture where it’s understood that wellbeing and mental health go hand in hand and that it’s part of every company’s duty of care.

Managers have a huge role to play…

Managers are faced with numerous challenges every day. It’s really easy for the focus to be on results, where all that seems to matter is getting the right outcomes. But it’s essential that at the same time employees feel appreciated, valued and cared about. A lot of those feelings are derived from relationships with their managers.

Many managers are genuinely enthusiastic about supporting employee wellbeing and make a big success of it. Others recognise its importance but don’t know how to approach it. Some might view it less positively - as a hurdle to overcome. That’s a view that needs addressing. Ethically speaking, supporting employees with their wellbeing is a no-brainer. And it’s also key for business success.

Managers need to become the standard bearers of a culture of openness and empathy. Companies need to support that by enabling them to develop the skills to help others. By equipping them with ways to identify wellbeing issues as they arise, managers are then far better placed to recognise when people aren’t fine … and to step in and support any employee that’s struggling.

How can a coaching culture help?

• Coach managers to take an interest in the whole person and understand what’s going on in and outside work that could affect wellbeing.
• Questions have a significant role to play. Use coaching to make powerful questioning part of the everyday norm. Managers need to know how to ask the right questions, and recognise body language cues to pick up on what isn’t being said as well as what is. They can build trust by demonstrating supportive behaviours like empathetic listening.
• Managers should be receptive to employees’ ideas on wellness rather than making assumptions about what’s needed. Giving employees the chance to share their thoughts ensures they feel included and involved. Group workshops can be open and non-intrusive ways to hold coaching conversations about stress and wellbeing.
• Educate managers on mental health in the workplace to help remove any stigma. Coaching skills enable them to give others the tools to manage their own wellbeing better too – and also to recognise when additional help and support is needed.

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