Why Your Well-being > Your Organization’s Well-being

How you can help your teammates live this equation

A person who consistently puts their own well-being first, brings their best self to work. Full stop.

There’s a traditional orthodoxy within many organizations – one I want to detonate – that personal sacrifice for the sake of the organization is the norm and that those employees sacrificing their own well-being are more dedicated. Are there moments when you need to focus more on work? Yes. But if those moments become all too frequent, that’s a recipe for burnout, unneeded stress, and resentment.

Our Global Human Capital Trends studies over the past several years demonstrate how organizations that encourage and support the well-being of its people first and foremost are thriving. A focus on employee well-being – meaning their mental, physical, financial, social well-being – is also a growing expectation among the talent that companies most want to recruit, access, and retain.

To live this equation everyday means that we as leaders must take an active role. Here’s three things you can do to help your teammates put their own well-being at the top of their priority list.

1.      Be vulnerable: No one has everything in their life going smoothly all the time and sharing how you are overcoming a challenge or obstacle can be beneficial to you team. For me right now, it is sharing how the monotony/routineness of life in the pandemic doesn’t give me the same energy that I get from being in person with my teammates and our clients. Sharing this struggle has opened the door for more meaningful conversations with my team about their own well-being.

2.      Model and communicate about it: Many times, leaders feel compelled to be available 24/7 and respond even when taking time off, which can signal to your team that taking real time-off isn’t valued. Modeling how you take care of yourself is important. For example, one of my favorite ways of modeling well-being is the time I spend broadcasting Georgetown University Men’s Soccer Team games. Sometimes I have to move things around to accommodate a game in the middle of a workday. To me, it is important to communicate why I have to move or miss that call or meeting – it demonstrates to my teammates that I have interests outside of work that sometimes take precedent.

3.      Tune in to the truth tellers: Getting an accurate picture of how your team is really feeling about their well-being is critical to living this equation. As a leader, sometimes people tell you what you want to hear, but it may not always be accurate. Seek out input from your teammates and proactively ask how the team is feeling. Are there people feeling burnt out? Is there someone who is always going above and beyond? If so, spend time with that individual to see what’s going on.

As we continue to recover from the pandemic and make decisions about how, when, and where our teams work, we have an opportunity to put people’s well-being at the center.

Here’s more about why Your Well-being > Your Organization’s Well-being: