Wellbeing is a direct outcome of working well
Wellbeing programs are now ‘table stakes’ for corporate retention strategy not just a recruitment carrot. The wellbeing concept used to refer to physical status, but now it includes emotional, social and financial aspects. Search LinkedIn and you’ll find an increasing number of positions incorporate wellbeing in their title. Are businesses on a quest for holistic wellbeing?
You won’t be surprised to read that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the health of more than 55 per cent of the global workforce. This is evident as individuals have suffered burnout, relationships have deteriorated with lower trust in leadership, and employees report less inclusive work environments, as found in Gartner’s survey of 20,000 employees.
PEP (Personal Efficiency Program) can help with pretty much every aspect of wellbeing. According to PEPworldwide:nz GM, Jo McFadden: "Wellbeing is a direct outcome of working well."
"Best practice work processes deliver on so many levels and, importantly, help people feel in control and empowered," says Jo. "It’s all about reducing noise, prioritising effectively, and using tech tools properly to clear your head. Flow is that state when time passes without you realising, you‘re highly creative and at the peak of your productivity. And when work is going well, people are also happier in their wider lives."
This is what workplaces, and indeed the New Zealand economy, is seeking in a world on the verge of recession.
Wellbeing is a driver of organisational performance
Deloitte recently reported that 78 per cent of global organisations say wellbeing is a driver of organisational performance and 96 per cent of them say wellbeing is the organisation’s responsibility. At the same time, poor mental health is costing UK employers nearly six per cent of mean annual earnings.
PEP principles show that by reducing noise, prioritising effectively and using systems properly, people can clear their heads, resulting in less stress, greater control and in turn greater wellbeing. Employee engagement goes up and sick leave goes down.
"Having coached thousands of people in PEP over ten years, we know that better work practices help people sleep better. You can leave work at work. All the thoughts and tasks of work can cripple some people. We teach people to do it now, get it out, get it down.
The people we see get the most out of PEP are the ones who don’t think they have a work style issue. And yet they are the very ones who often break down on the first day of the course. They’ve suddenly realised how much they are juggling and holding in their heads, and that glimpse of being free of that unnecessary stress becomes this massive insight and relief."
Creating a culture of care
Improving wellbeing requires a multi-pronged approach, including helping employees link their personal goals to business goals and work empathy within teams. Caring for each other in the workplace is vital to enhancing emotional and mental wellbeing according to Mercer. Harvard Business Review reports that framing care as a team approach to tackling distress is key. Working together and maintaining empathy and contact can increase wellbeing and productivity.
In a disrupted world, managing your emotional culture has never been more important. Checking in on how people are feeling is something that can go a long way towards looking after people’s emotional wellbeing. "It’s easy to only focus on the cognitive side," says Jo, "making decisions, moving through workloads, while the emotional side is easily forgotten. People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you made them feel".
Slow down to speed up
Jo says another thing PEP teaches is the importance of prioritisation and slowing down to speed up. "If you’re constantly focused on the urgent things, you’re at the mercy of that highly addictive adrenalin rush. You don’t get as much of a rush from the important long-term projects. But the problem is that the adrenalin is totally unsustainable. Taking breaks, slowing down to speed up, gives space for proactive planning. This in turn allows you to deal with those high-urgency tasks when they come along."
By ditching bad work habits like multiple handling, procrastination, distractions and interruptions, employees can transform their wellbeing and energy at work. "PEP teaches people how to be very intentional, to put people back in control of when and how they work. And we love showing these practices to leaders, because when they role model this to their team, it has a multiplier effect."
PEP habits build a supportive and mutually respectful workplace culture, by giving people the tools they need to build, protect and grow their physical, social, emotional and financial wellbeing.
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Find out how PEP can help you harness the power of working well by getting in contact with us here.