Care and well-being at work, reality or utopia?
The new challenges of recent years related to the pandemic, like telecommuting, labour shortages and hybrid work have refocused priorities on people as a resource inseparable from a company’s success [1].
In the current ever-changing context, it’s no longer required to prove that well-being and care are key to team mobilization, individual employee fulfillment and overall company performance. Many articles have been written on the topic, but what’s the reality on the ground?
- As a team manager or employee, have you really been able to take a step back from the issue?
- What have you put in place to ensure, first and foremost, your own well-being as captain of the ship or crew member?
- Are you being kind to yourself or are you drowning in the daily hubbub and feeling like you can’t get your head above water?
- If you’re a manager, have you put concrete actions in place to ensure that this concern is at the top of everyone’s priorities?
- Do you talk to your team about the shared responsibility of taking concrete, daily actions to care for others, to show empathy, to offer help and to ensure that the work climate is both energizing and supportive?
If you answered “no” to one or more of these questions, now’s the time to stop and give them some thought.
Prioritizing your own well-being and balance is necessary for building a culture of care within your team, whether you are the leader or a team member.
[1] Proust, S. (2015). “Prévenir l’épuisement professionnel par la mobilisation des ressources psychosociales : l’organisation du travail dans son rôle potentiellement bienveillant.” [Preventing Burnout by Mobilizing Psychosocial Resources: The Work Organization in its Potentially Benevolent Role.] Psycho-Oncologie, 9(2), 69-75.
Some Novatips for being kinder and more forgiving to yourself
- Take a step back from your calendar and evaluate what you could adjust to improve your recent balance between your professional and personal life.
- Learn to say “no.” Take time to think before you commit to a new project or request. How does this new request stack up against your priorities? Could you delegate the task or project?
- Add a 15-minute block to your schedule each week to evaluate how your week went, tune in to your emotions and energy levels, and set a wellness goal for the week ahead.
- Add something different to your daily routine once a week by packing different lunches, changing your route to the office or the walk you take if you’re working from home.
- Gradually incorporate physical activity into your schedule and try to get 15 minutes of fresh air at lunch.
- Introduce breathing and relaxation techniques to your routine: five to ten minutes a day will make all the difference.
- Respect your limits and accept that you aren’t perfect and that you’re doing your best.
- Dare to ask for feedback and acknowledgement from your teams.
- Develop your growth mindset.
Suggested reading: Six Ways To Develop A Growth Mindset – Forbes
A strategic partnership with yourself
By fostering your personal and professional well-being, you’ll be committing to a process of transformation that will help you, in turn, contribute to a culture of care within the collective intelligence of your organization.
Novaconcept offers various services to support leaders in this effort and in implementing a culture of care within their teams.
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