15 Sep 2024
Your most burnt-out employee used to be your most enthusiastic one – Why wellbeing is vitally important
Let’s be clear: my role as a leader is to get the job done and to get it done well. I expect a lot but I give a lot in return and I always support my team. This is why wellbeing is such an important subject for me as I build engaged and close knit teams, who support, trust and work really well together and deliver.
To me, wellbeing at work isn’t about adding meditation apps to a benefits package and calling it a day. It’s about building an environment where people can thrive. That means reasonable workloads that don’t routinely bleed into evenings and weekends, managers who notice when someone’s struggling and create space for honest conversation, and a culture where taking your full lunch break or using your holiday entitlement isn’t seen as a lack of commitment.
I recognise that the person who leaves earlier in the day to collect their children from school, or who takes a mental health day without elaborate explanations, isn’t less dedicated. As long as I understand what they need and some of the why, I see it that they’re modelling a sustainable approach to work that prevents burnout and actually improves performance over time. When leaders agree and then protect the boundaries they’ve agreed to, they’re celebrating rest and measuring success by outcomes rather than hours logged. This is when leaders are not just talking about wellbeing, they’re creating the conditions where it can actually exist.
We’re losing our best people to companies that let them have dinner with their families.
Practice what you preach
What is vitally important is that when leaders make statements about wellbeing, we don’t just use words – we have to live to the same standards. Personally, I don’t have an off button. This means that I have to put the same effort into non-work time as I do into work. During lockdowns, I had to learn to sit and relax – after a long walk of course! I learnt to take delight in the small things, such as a good film, a bath, reading and decluttering the house. I thought that I already knew how to relax – I wrote my dissertation on ‘Discretionary effort and what makes a positive work environment’ afterall – but it soon became apparent that I didn’t necessarily do it!
Today, I make a concerted effort to have that cup of coffee with my team and to really listen to what they’re saying. To clear my diary for one day a week so I can respond to what I’m needed to do – and even to take that personal appointment if I need to – I certainly make up the time with late meetings and networking dinners. I also ensure that I enjoy my annual leave. One week in the sunshine means I’m a far better leader on my return having refreshed and revitalised my energy levels. A break is also great ‘thinking time’ – it’s interesting how many great ideas have spawned whilst away from the office!
You can’t pour from an empty cup. As leaders, we have a responsibility to ensure our teams aren’t running on empty, because burnout doesn’t just hurt individuals – it compromises everything we’re trying to achieve.
The business case for wellbeing
There are copious research documents that link positive employee wellbeing directly to increased productivity, retention rates, and bottom-line results. We all know that happier employees are far less likely to be absent from work and I’m sure most of us know that visible wellbeing activities have become a competitive advantage when attracting and retaining people, especially generation Z candidates who prioritise selfcare and holistic health.
(Mintel – https://store.mintel.com/report/uk-lifestyles-of-generation-z-market-report)
I’ve learned that saying ‘we don’t have time for wellbeing initiatives’ is like saying we don’t have time to service the engine whilst the car is breaking down. Prevention isn’t a luxury – it’s essential maintenance.
Investing in wellbeing doesn’t have to be expensive. At times, I’ve recognised that a team member is struggling with work. After careful conversations, I’ve realised that it’s not that the work is hard but the struggle is due to personal limitations, confidence or something that sits outside the ‘normal’ line manager support structure. As well as listening – a skill so overlooked in managers – I’ve been able to offer independent coaching, a mentor, or a support programme. Implementing a proactive employee assistance programme (EAP) has also helped as it’s specifically designed to support mental health, financial and personal issues outside of work that affect performance at work.
Those financial issues bring particular challenges that are worth exploring further. I’d love to be able to raise salaries and remove these burdens on our team members, but that’s not realistic. Instead of salary, I’ve found that offering additional benefits can help. A birthday day off, an additional day’s leave at Christmas, a few hours off to attend a child’s school performance, a small gift, reward vouchers, team events … low cost, value-add activities that can make a big impact for some people. Or consider enhancing skills through training that increases an employee’s value, self-worth and benefits the business.
Bear in mind that everyone is an individual, and what adds value to one person may not deliver the same support to another. That’s why I consistently ask for feedback about what we offer and how my wellbeing leadership is perceived – so I can hone what I do and ensure I deliver targeted support that delivers the greatest benefit for the team and the business.
As leaders, our challenge is to know how to drive performance whilst protecting our teams’ mental health.
As CEO, I have the responsibility of providing a safe, fun and caring environment, whilst recognising that this is business. I also have to consider workplace regulations such as the Health and Safety at Work Act’s mental health provisions and hybrid-working pattern expectations, especially post-lockdown. I need to be empathetic and consider wellbeing, even when taking tough business decisions. Particularly difficult when making job cuts and releasing some really good people, if this is what the marketplace demands.
There’s not an easy answer but when wellbeing is at the heart of your leadership, it helps knowing that the tough decisions are made in the spirit of necessity and that your team knows that they are and have always been valued.
The soft stuff is the hard stuff – and the hard stuff is often soft. Taking care of your people isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for sustainable business performance.
