Incorporating well-being as a value and daily practice in your workplace could be your greatest advantage in recruiting and retaining employees, and in creating a great work experience for yourself and everyone on your team.
Here are a few practices that can make a significant impact on the well-being of your team:
1. Create opportunities for people to use their talents and their voice
People experience stress when they work against their natural instincts and talents to do tasks the way someone else dictates. By focusing more on results and allowing people the freedom to approach work by using their natural strengths, you can be instrumental in alleviating their stress and boosting their productivity. Creating opportunities for people to share ideas for improvement and express their points of view for consideration can also instill a sense of contribution and value.
2. Support people in their personal growth and self-care needs
The most toxic work environments are the ones that systemically shame or punish people for pursuing self-care and personal growth, and/or reward people for deprioritizing their personal needs. Leaders who know and trust their people will listen to their team members’ needs and support them in efforts to improve their health and happiness. Leaders who practice prioritizing their personal self-care are also much more likely to assist others with theirs.
3. Develop, support, and implement win-win solutions
When arriving at a collaborative decision or solution, a great way to keep people’s energy up is to find a way for everyone to benefit in some way. Encouraging people to share ideas, provide input, give feedback, and ask questions can bring opportunities to light. Dealing with objections and concerns can also be a pathway to minimizing fear, worry, and doubt – a big win for everyone involved in a collaborative effort.
4. Address disruptive behavior and energy with genuine care
While disruption may seem like a negative influence on teams, getting to the root cause can often be a catalyst for much-needed change and improvement. Initiating open discussions and listening for emotional cues without judgments, interpretations, or assumptions to truly understand where people are coming from can trigger a ripple effect of reciprocal respect and trust that enables lasting change. Disruption is often used by people as last resort to gain attention, so regularly creating the time and space for people to be heard can also be a preventative measure.
If any of these practices sound difficult or impossible to implement on your team, ask yourself what is the worst-case scenario that you fear most if you were to take these steps. If you fear judgment or rejection or worse outcomes – like deceit, opposition, or being cheated in some way by your team members - the most important first step is to start building trust, starting with trust in yourself.
If you’d like some tips on how to get clear on your hiring needs and attract great candidates, grab our FREE Job Ad Checklist at jobadchecklist.leadwithharmony.com
Andrea MacKenzie, Founder of Lead With Harmony, is an MBA, multi-certified coach, Kolbe-Certified consultant, and leadership and team-building expert with over 20 years of combined experience in corporate roles and business consulting. Andrea enjoys working with growth-oriented business owners and executives who advocate for the advancement and well-being of the people they serve, hire, and inspire.
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