Design a Workplace That Supports Energy, Focus, and Long-Term Output

Why corporate wellness is no longer optional

We're all familiar with workplace burnout, but many people struggle to recognize it within themselves.

Burnout may feel newly popularized because we previously had a poor way of identifying it. While others may argue that it has always existed, it just wasn't enough of a pain-point to make noise until the pandemic era, which amplified the conversation significantly.

During this time, hospital employees were working longer hours with concerns over their own health, and as such, hospital administrators were bringing burnout to the forefront; and others started paying attention. While awareness increased, meaningful cultural shifts lagged behind.

Messaging was found in hallway posters or emails describing for employees the signs of burnout and some resources to assist.

The problem is that it can be difficult to identify from the inside, which is not helped by the normalization of working longer than scheduled hours or through lunch/meals.

In workplace cultures where hustle culture is mainstay, going 80% of that can even feel slow. With these growing realizations, an additional one is becoming clear: this is a workplace culture and organizational issue and not just an individual one.

Workplace culture is created from the top down

We spend much of our day either at work, making the workplace a very influential space for shaping and creating habits, not just for how to complete our work, but how we live our lives outside of that space.

If leadership routinely works through lunch and answers emails into the evenings, which gives a particular message: we are a company that glorifies overextension.

If leadership prioritizes boundaries, encourages breaks, and protects mental health, giving another message: we are a company that supports work-life balance.

These messages are ushering in a new era, making it clear that compensation alone should not dictate where we choose to seek employment, but company culture does, too.

Burnout aside, culture dictates employee retention and loyalty. Previous generation retention looked very different from today's workforce. Companies of the past had messaging that prioritized investment in long-term growth, retirement and fringe benefits. While today's messaging is transactional, expendable, and lacking in long-term investment.

While this messaging may seem different from how culture shapes health, it is arguably not. When employees perceive a lack of loyalty from their employer, engagement and productivity will decline along with morale; creating unhealthy workplace environments.

How leaders can create healthier workplace cultures – the 6 S's

1. Say it

The best cultures are the ones that are verbalized and documented for all to see. This creates a system of accountability and reproducibility. When everybody hears it and can see it daily, it is a hard concept to ignore.

2. Survey it

Send out anonymous surveys to the workplace to assess employee satisfaction. To encourage participation, consider an incentive for contribution.

3. Set it

All leaders must buy in for this to work; therefore, setting a precedent for leaders that they must subscribe to the company's culture is crucial. During the hiring process, potential leaders should be interviewed for cultural fit; while existing leadership should be periodically evaluated for any shifts to their buy-in at regular review intervals.

4. Support it

While leading by example is key, so is supporting employees with sustainable methods. These can include flexible schedules, protected breaks, "open-door policies" and the like. Employees want to also be on the receiving end of these benefits, not just be assured their time is protected.

5. Sustain it

Once a wellness initiative or company culture shift is announced, it will be exciting at first, but momentum may fade and old workplace habits can persist. This is why it is important to support and reinforce the mission frequently – with weekly, monthly, and even quarterly reminders.

6. Strengthen it

This is where the office has the opportunity to reinforce quality workplace relationships. Scheduling wellness weekends or evening opportunities for bonding, trust, and connection are crucial. This time allows for a natural decompression and emotional regulation which serve as opposition to potentially heightened emotions during the typical workday.

Our office supplies these wellness weekends as ways to educate corporations and organizations on health promoting and supporting activities. We offer this service because we believe you should act within your zone of genius, while we act within ours.

Not sure where to start? Start with this audit:

1. Do your employees feel supported, or managed?
2. Are healthy boundaries modeled by leadership?
3. What messaging does your organization give: sustainable performance or overextension?
4. Do employees feel safe communicating concerns, challenges, or feedback?
5. How would your employees describe your workplace culture?

Are you interested in evaluating your workplace culture or identifying opportunities to refine and promote your messaging to employees? Let's connect to discuss your customized workplace culture audit and strategy for your team here.