Creating a Culture of Well-Being
What would our world be like if we all checked in with one another regarding one topic: wellness? The Harvard 80 year study found connection is the main contributing factor of happiness. Studies on companionate love at work point to an emerging practice among organizations that brings profit to organizations in multiple ways. This includes putting employee well-being in the forefront. Recent studies have shown increase in employee engagement, productivity, reduction in absenteeism, and increase in bottom line earnings when happy employees care for their customers bringing joy to investors.
We may all agree this sounds great, however, change in culture is key, and this weighs heavily on identifying the values of our organization. The first question to begin with is, if these values are defined, how well are we living them? Our team will only rise to the level that we emulate.
In the educational setting, team members who practice self-care, can rise to a level of empathy and compassion to reach the children they serve. What would life be like for the seemingly ‘defiant’ child who had a caring check in from a teacher, janitor, administrator, cafeteria worker, bus driver; simply asking, ‘is everything ok?’ We fail to ask because we are conditioned to look at the negative behavior and consequences. Also, our lives are filled with stressors, and we easily lose the perspective of why we are really at work. Most probably, there is a stressor in the child’s life causing them to react and act with negative behaviors.
Our job as leaders, is to remove barriers to change, and create opportunity for change. How do we shift our thinking from one of behavior modification, to one of caring and understanding that as human beings we act in response to stressors & equally respond to human support? Could it be that simple? Let’s think about the last time we felt angry, fearful, anxious, and sad. What was the stressor? How did we respond when we got a defensive reaction from a loved one? Was the response different when we perceived support? It is a self-actualizing task to show empathy and to be moved to action with compassion. Where do we begin?
Maslow taught us, there are stages of needs, and we cannot reach the top of the pyramid before we address each stage. Do stressors come from basic need of safety, shelter, utilities, food? During our pandemic conditions, the answer to these questions for most if not all of us collectively, is yes.
Contact us today: alexia@theresilientpathway.com to have a conversation about culture and well-being!
