Wellbeing is the new Culture

During my travels I met a buddhist monk. It turned out that he became a monk just recently. Before, he worked for a big multinational company traveling a lot, having a stressful but “successful” life. At one point he decided that he wanted to live a different life. So he became a monk! And you know what I always say? That you don't have to become a monk to find balance in life and be well :)

This conversation is an extreme example. However, it increased my determination that we have to design individual and organisational Wellbeing in a way that not everyone has to become a monk to find balance. As we spend so much time at work - an average of 90 000 hours in our lives! -, companies and leaders in our society have a huge responsibility to create a culture and mindset of Wellbeing. 

(I prefer using organisational Wellbeing instead of corporate Wellbeing as the former includes all types of organisations like non-profits, schools, etc... Depending on the sources of my information I will mix them below.)

Below I collected some interesting facts that inspired me while digging myself into the Wellbeing literature, this time focusing on the organisational / corporate part. Please bear in mind that this is only a snapshot, there is so much more interesting stuff out there! I hope you will enjoy it and share your views, concerns, experiences!

Wellbeing (r)evolution 

One of the oldest corporate Wellbeing programs was established by Henry Ford. He reduced weekly working hours from 48 hours to 40, in order to improve worker productivity. He got some followers. “Ford’s action may be the most successful wellness intervention for workers, other than actual health and safety regulation. Why? Because management made a decision that acknowledged the impact the workplace itself has on its workers.” says Julia Hobsbawm an honorary visiting professor of workplace social health at London’s Cass Business School.

Another even earlier Wellbeing effort is related to Cadbury. By 1879, George Cadbury and his family had been running a successful chocolate company for 35 years. They asked the question: “Why should an industrial area be squalid and depressing?” They took action and built Bournville. By 1895, Cadbury workers occupied 143 beautifully designed cottages. They realized that there was a link between productivity, loyalty, and the feeling of belonging.

Wellbeing is a keyword in the WHO definition of health: “a state of complete physical, mental and social Wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In 2005 the World Health Organisation has called on organisations to promote employee Wellbeing as part of good corporate practice, recognising that employee wellbeing has an impact on the wider society - says the International Journal for Wellbeing.

Wellbeing today

“The wellbeing industry is a 45, 46 billion dollar industry. The corporate part, it's growing at almost twice the rate of the global economy.” (Josh Bersin)

The Wellbeing industry is booming! The focus of organisational wellbeing shifted from health and safety. Wellbeing today includes a wide range of programs boosting employee performance as well as social and emotional well-being, financial wellness, mental health, healthy diet and exercise, mindfulness, sleep, and stress management. Leadership development programs also foster these efforts by developing the wellbeing mindset in leaders.

According to Deloitte′s Global Human Capital survey (see the chart above) there is still a big gab between the Wellbeing interventions that companies provide and that employees really value. Josh Bersin, the leader of the Josh Bersin Academy distinguishes the following wellbeing areas and suggests that innovative Wellbeing programs should be build around this framework.

• Physical health/wellbeing
• Mental resilience/wellbeing
• Financial wellbeing
• Family and community support

My recent small survey showed that most people are concerned about Mental resilience and they would be interested that their organisation offers this type of Wellbeing program. Physical health was on the second place where they felt stressed, however only on the third place regarding the type of wellbeing programs that employers should offer.

Millennials value health the most with the exception of family. A study by Stanford Health shows that 79% said family was important in their lives, followed by health and wellness at 53%, friends at 39%, spirituality at 31% and career at 27%. Millennials want a company culture that allows them to become their best selves. In fact, 80% of millennials say an emphasis on personal growth is the most essential quality of a company's culture.

Wellbeing in the future

The trend shows that we want more and more of Wellbeing. We take action and we also expect to be supported by our employers or even governments. The good news is that technology is supporting this trend very actively. AI is promising to change the way workplaces operate. The question stays if AI will be a force for good or disrupt workplace culture in negative ways? AI could definitely be a tool used to provide healthier, more productive, and accessible work environments for all employees.

"Year-on-year improvement requires not only participation in a health and wellbeing program, but also the creation of a stable, safe culture at work. It’s an ongoing partnership. " Dr Olivia Sackett, Virgin Pulse Institute’s Director of Research and Insights

Would it increase your Wellbeing if the gaps showed in the Deloitte study above would close? Probably yes. However, even if you get a flexible work schedule or daycare, what about the culture? Culture meaning how you talk to your colleagues and how they talk to you. How they listen to you and how you listen to them. How they respect your differences and how you respect theirs. It is a good start to have separate wellbeing interventions like one time workshops. The next step is to make it holistic and make sure that the new learnings are looped back and a new culture is embedded. Taking individual learnings on team level.

What can organisations do?

1. React: Take action on the results of your organisational health survey and design innovative ways to not only reduce stress level of your employees but establish a culture of Wellbeing.
2. Act: Integrate Wellbeing into your organisation as an enabler of your strategic goals.
3. Be the Frontrunner: Shift the thinking from ROI towards Value Based Investment when it comes to Wellbeing. Become the organisation fostering creative thinking, sustainable performance and offering a unique employee experience through innovative Wellbeing programs that embed changes in the culture.

The responsibility is on both sides, action should be taken both on individual and organisational level. The advantage for organisations is significant; Wellbeing fosters creativity, innovation and happiness.

Well, ... so what′s next? How to be well?

After my talk with the monk, I looked at my partner who was next to me listening to the whole conversation. “The monk choose the easier way” - he said. - “You are on the more difficult path. The monk escaped. You would like to change the status quo and create change inside the corporate world.” To be honest, I am not sure if becoming a monk would be a less difficult path for me. Indeed! Let`s not compare our lives. This is another thing that the monk taught me: we should not compare!

What I am sure about is that I am excited to co-create Wellbeing with you! Now it is your turn! You are very welcome to share your ideas: What do you think about future of Wellbeing in organisations and in general? What would you like to do about it? What are your concerns? What are you excited about?

Thanks for all the inspiration that I got from the fellow participants at the Josh Berskin Academy and all the interesting materials! I am excited to learn even more!

About Reka: I have been a management consultant in the last 10 years supporting organisations through transformation journeys in different cultures. I have a background in corporate finance and teacher training. I am a certified yoga & meditation teacher and a brain-based coach. I have been testing various exciting methods around Wellbeing and how these can support individuals, teams and organisations to become not only more efficient but also more human at the same time. I recently decided to start my business focusing on Wellbeing.Design - We are in beta! Sign up to our mailing list if you would like to get in touch!