2073: Workplace Wellness: Are We Missing The Point? by Dr. Jenny Brockis on Healthy Work Culture

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Work Daily. Workplace Wellness. Are we missing the point? By Dr. Jenny Brockis of drjennybrockis.com. Workplace wellness has really taken off over the last couple of years. PricewaterhouseCoopers released a report calling for wellness to be made business as usual, and it's a great call to action. As a medical practitioner with over three decades of experience, I applaud these and others' efforts.

[00:01:26] Taking care that people are not only kept safe, but remain healthy and fit for work makes plenty of economic sense. Healthier workers remain on the job for longer and reduce the costs of sick leave, stress leave, and absenteeism. But while multiple workplace wellness providers jostle for position in their pursuit of the Holy Grail to demonstrate their value in boosting an organization's bottom line, there is a bigger question needing to be asked.

[00:01:52] Is this enough to boost engagement and productivity? My contention is no, it's not. And I'm concerned, too, that many of the wellness initiatives remain piecemeal and ad hoc in their introduction and evaluation. Being healthy at work incorporates physical, mental, and cognitive fitness. At present, most workplace wellness programs focus on the first two, but we need all three working synergistically to provide complete health and well-being, which does lead to greater engagement and productivity.

[00:02:22] A report by Bupa from 2015 acknowledges this, indicating that workplace culture also has an important role to play. That's because while providing fresh fruit, discounted gym access, and on-site health checks are nice to have, they fail to address the three essential elements for greater engagement. One CEO shared with me how he had provided yoga classes for all his staff several times a week after work,

[00:02:50] but had been very disheartened by the low take-up rate for his initiative. What he had failed to do was to ask if his employees were interested in yoga, whether the timing of the classes suited, and what other activities they might prefer instead. If he had, he might have understood that the majority of his employees had young children, it simply wasn't possible for them to attend the classes after work, and that yoga, for the vast majority, wasn't something they really wanted to do.

[00:03:16] Checking in first to ask what is relevant and needed always works better than making assumptions that can be so very wrong, as does talking about why health and well-being is important from an employer's and employee's perspective. Two, autonomy. Sure, who wouldn't want to be in an environment where you have access to good food, a gym, a nice office with decent furniture, or good lighting? But if you're constantly being monitored for what you do or don't do,

[00:03:44] this can lead to a sense that you're not trusted to do your job well. This is highly demotivating and the quickest route to the nearest exit, as is if the culture of reward only goes to the ones who sacrifice the most, put in the longest hours, or forego their holidays. Loving your job, knowing that you're good at it, and having the desire to succeed can be frustrated if your boss or manager fails to enable you to demonstrate your true capability or disallows you from accessing new opportunities or further training.

[00:04:15] Boosting engagement and productivity needs something more. In his book Drive, Dan Pink talks about the need for mastery, autonomy, and purpose. These internal drivers have been identified as what really motivates us to work and helps us to see the results of our efforts, too. And three, the people factor. Creating a high-performance workplace needs people who get on well with each other. How we feel about the people we work with influences our level of commitment and trust.

[00:04:43] While it's not realistic to get on famously well with everyone, having a mindset that is more accepting, tolerant, and less judgmental fosters greater contribution and collaboration as a whole. It only takes one toxic person in the office to infect the whole department, lowering morale and encouraging the development of a silo mentality. Bullying, uncertainty, and mismatched expectations are extremely damaging to consistency, reliability, and innovation.

[00:05:11] When people choose to leave, the reason commonly given is not necessarily the pay or lack of child care, but getting away from an ugly boss or manager. Creating a brain-friendly work culture looks at how to fit these three components together. One, create a fit and healthy brain optimized to work at its best. Two, operate using those workplace practices as demonstrated by the brain science

[00:05:36] to be the most effective to help us get more done to a high level in a shorter period of time. And three, integrate by forming meaningful interpersonal connections with colleagues. Workplace wellness programs are the starting point for creating a high-performance workplace. It shows a business or organization does care about the well-being of its staff. Recruiting new staff members and replacing those who leave is hugely expensive.

[00:06:02] Retaining talent is imperative, so it makes sense to ensure every staff member is fit to work from a physical and mental perspective, and also given the emotional and social support to flourish. To do the work we love with people we like and for the benefit of others doesn't have to be difficult, but it does take vision, time, and tenacity, and has to start from the top. Nurturing a high-performance workplace culture that is people-centric requires these three things.

[00:06:30] Health, energy, and happiness. You just listened to the post titled, Workplace Wellness. Are we missing the point? By Dr. Jenny Brockis of drjennybrockis.com.

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[00:07:32] Find Oli's Sleep Solutions for the whole family at oli.com. That's O-L-L-Y dot com. And another great post from Dr. Jenny. Thank you so much to her for letting us share today. As a keynote speaker, Jenny Brockes has presented to and worked with thousands of people to empower them to cultivate their own thriving mind. What gets her out of bed in the morning is the opportunity to impact someone else's world.

[00:07:58] Seeing that spark of insight in their eyes when they see what they can do for themselves. As a voracious reader and prolific writer, she continues to indulge her curiosity and has just published her fourth book called Thriving Mind, How to Cultivate a Good Life. And as a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician and best-selling author, her vision is to enable everyone to be a happy, thriving human. And her site is definitely worth your time. She's got a lot to offer there. So check it out at drjennybrockes.com.

[00:08:27] That's drjenny, J-E-N-N-Y, Brockes, B-R-O-C-K-I-S dot com. And that wraps up today's episode. I do hope you enjoyed it and that you'll be back with me again tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. Thank you. Thank you.