Workplace Wellness: Why It's Crucial for Long-Term Business Sustainability
When I first heard about workplace wellness, I immediately thought about employee wellness programs that many companies offer; but workplace wellness is so much more. For a workplace to thrive it needs healthy employees, operations AND finances. One leg without the other and the entire stool is unstable. Let's explore the importance of all three.
Why does employee wellness matter? According to a Forbes.com article, "…88% of workers feel their definition of “success” has changed, and they’re now prioritizing work-life balance, mental health and having a meaningful job over a steady paycheck." Naturally the physical well-being of an employee is at the foundation. When an employee has health issues, it affects their ability to contribute in the most effective ways. It is crucial that employees not only have access to great healthcare, but have the time and space, if health issues occur, to take care of them and that includes mental health. We have to care about people as "whole humans" and recognize that if people are experiencing challenges outside of work affecting their mental health, it will affect them while at work. A great company is supportive no matter the cause. A poor work environment might be the single biggest contributor to poor employee mental wellness. Because so much time is spent at work, people want an environment that is supportive -- that means people understand their role, what contributions they make, are recognized for the work they perform and feel supported, both personally and professionally.
A mentally and physically healthy workforce leads to better operations. For solid operational health, the organization needs to know its True North and have clear, realistic and actionable goals. Without actionable goals, your organization might see the target, but have no way of getting there.
Successful goals require measurement. Why? Because how else will you know if you are on the right path? Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the most common way to manage your goals and the trajectory of your business' success. Believe it or not, that's only the beginning. Breaking down what components go into each of those indicators is how you begin to measure your organization's operational health. Two key things to remember 1) If your activities can't be measured, stop doing them and 2) 80% of your activities should align back to the KPIs. When these aren't happening, your organization is not in good operational health.
And finally, financial health! This is where most organizations seem to focus the largest portion of their time. The obvious problem with that is finance still only makes up 1/3 of your business success. It holds no more or no less significance than employee wellness and operational performance, yet it garners all the attention. Let's get the elephant fully exposed - businesses have to make money to be a success. There is no way around that. We have to stop pretending like businesses aren't designed to turn a profit (yes, even non-profits are designed to turn a profit). Financial health, according to Experian.com, is the current state of your monetary situation, such as credit, debt, savings, investments and income and as a business leader understanding your organization's broader health and the role your department plays can be the difference between company growth and constriction.
Three Keys to Workplace Wellness
Transparency, transparency, transparency. We say it 3x because it is that important. Open communication about financials, workplace challenges, goals and expectations as well failures and victories create an environment for information sharing. In transparent cultures, barriers are quickly resolved before they can create chaos and prevent your business from sustainable business success.
Everyone in the organization must know your True North! Your True North is your Mission, Vision and Values. It keeps your organization steering in the same direction.
Empower your teams to solve problems. Yes, everyone. Your leaders are not the only ones that can or should solve problems. Including front line and cross-functional teams can often deliver the best results. It becomes a win-win! Your teams become engaged and feel like they are apart of the team. The best ideas come from the teams closest to the work and when you support their ideas you change employees to advocates, who are no longer just showing up, but actively thinking about how to continuously improve your business.
Be Kind Lyfe helps organizations deliver work experiences that demonstrate empathy, respect, honesty and inclusion, while empowering the entire organization to be creative, innovate and solve problems in ways that are considerate and compassionate to all the communities they serve.
