When you are a people first leader, you understand the importance of the wellbeing of your people. You understand what type of environment you need to create to get the best out of your people and make it ok for them to feel comfortable to bring their whole self to work everyday. You understand the importance of prioritising ones wellbeing and that throughout peoples working life they prioritise different aspects of the life (work, family, friends, themselves) at certain times however your role is to check in with them to make sure they are not getting stuck down a rabbit hole or losing themselves in one area for too long over the other areas.
As a people leader we know all of this however we are sometime the worst at looking after ourselves. We prioritise helping and supporting others that we forget that we too need to step back and reassess our own position or perspective of the world. Society talks about how being a Senior Leader in an organisation can be a lonely place and it can be, however it does not have to be. Leaders could reach out and ask for help from either their peers, their own team or their boss. Sometimes showing that you are vulnerable and need help shows that it is ok to be imperfect and that everyone needs other people to check in on them and sometimes support them.
Below is an excerpt from People: People First People Always,
"Wellbeing is more than creating monthly initiatives where people can enjoy the odd massage or yoga session. It is more than providing a four-day working week. It is providing an environment where your people can be successful. It is an environment where they have a clear framework to work within, the right tools to do their job, and the appropriate level of resources and support. It is about tackling some of the hard topics like mental health. Plus, understanding that people will make mistakes. You would be better off spending more time and money on developing your organisation so it could focus on being better every day, than on trying to improve your organisation by thinking you can change the behaviour of your people in isolation; in other words, ignoring all the other factors that impact on your people.
But, yes, wellbeing is also about massages, yoga sessions, Fitbit challenges, and four-day weeks or flexible working arrangements. The key is to have a clear understanding of the desired future state for your people and organisation. It is about having a people first
mindset and creating the most appropriate strategy to strive towards that future state. As US motivational author, Simon Sinek, would say, we need to be set up to keep playing the infinite game.
Wellbeing, in my opinion, is one of the most misunderstood or underrated aspects of a successful organisation. Some managers and leaders see wellbeing as a nice to have or something fluffy that the hippies in the office want, in order to make everyone feel better
about themselves. They see no value in wellbeing, and, worse, don’t understand the impact of not including wellbeing as a key strategic pillar in their organisation."
If you want to know more visit www.peoplefirstpeoplealways.com and get your own copy of People: People First People Always. The rest of the Wellbeing chapter goes on to explain;
Kindness
Mindfulness
Gratitude
Mental Health
Physical Health
Psychological safety
Remember that Wellbeing is about looking after yourself as much as looking after others.
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