The one thing every fighting fit CEO needs to do to enable workplace wellbeing excellence

This short blog reveals the key to workplace wellbeing excellence and why it's important to rethink this business critical topic - a must for every CEO. 

A global workplace wellbeing crisis is upon us. Well-meaning HR departments are investing in solutions to the extent that people are beginning to feel overwhelmed rather than supported.

CEOs are concerned that, in a time where resources are scarcer than ever before, investments are being made that don't actually deal with the issues. We know this because people talk to us.

Why is this happening?

Because many organisations have failed to understand that unless your culture is one of fairness, inclusivity, openness, empathy and support – at all levels – all the wellbeing solutions in the world aren’t going to fix things.

The one thing

The priority for all CEOs to ensure workplace wellbeing excellence and therefore lead everyone towards the best possible chances of coming out of Covid-19 as mentally healthy as possible, is to sort out your culture.

An organisation’s cultural DNA forms a core from which everything else flows (or should do). It defines what your organisation stands for, on what basis decisions are made and regulates how things are done. It acts as a barometer for the way people are treated and the support available to them.

How to do it

Defining your culture is about 10% of the work (and even then you might need to bring in an experienced facilitator to do it). The 90% is around embedding it, keeping it alive and evolving. There’s no quick fix and you can’t just tell people and expect them to believe and live it.

Our tips for ensuring your culture is conducive to workplace wellbeing excellence:

• Lead from the top - actions speak louder than words (both are required)
• Define clearly ‘how we do things around here’ and, crucially, ‘how we lead’, paying particular attention to supporting the wellbeing of your workforce
  
• Be clear that wellbeing isn’t a series of initiatives and solutions, it must become an interwoven part of your cultural DNA
  
• Ensure that leaders at all levels are on board with the importance of supporting wellbeing and that they’re ready, willing and able to do so
  
• Communicate with simple, clear, consistent messages (and keep doing it) so people know where they stand and what’s going on
  
• Measure people’s wellbeing, learn from the outcomes and use them to evolve the organisation
  
• And most importantly, leaders (at all levels) must protect your culture and live your values every day and never (ever) compromise them (and if they do, own up fast and fix it faster)

Bonus tip: invest in Wellbee to enable people to self-assess their own wellbeing and receive tailored support and signposting, whilst you uncover vital wellbeing indicators together with practical advice for improvement.

It’s easy to talk about wellbeing, it’s easy to provide a few solutions, it’s another thing to truly support it in practice. Many organisations are not culturally geared up to handle it yet – make sure you get ahead by making sure your organisation is culturally ready to support wellbeing across everything you do.