Managing wellness in the workplace – a leaders’ perspective
Monday 30 September 2019
It’s Monday morning and a busy week stretches out ahead of you. There are meetings, reports, proposals and deadlines! It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed and for the symptoms of stress to build in the background.
If that sounds familiar, then you’re not alone. Research carried out by UK based CABA, the wellbeing charity for accountants established by ICAEW, has found that only 2% of accountants have been unaffected by stress. In short, accountancy can be a stressful profession.
And while the technology revolution has brought many benefits, there are very real downsides – leaders, and their teams are available and on alert 24/7. Whether due to a company culture where there is an expectation that staff are always on duty or a “habit” that has simply developed over time, the culture of always being on duty is here and it is potentially damaging you and your teams.
At IASeminars we firmly believe that our team is our biggest asset! And we really do recognise the dangers of stress, overwork and ultimately burn out. All of these result in varying degrees of business and human cost and forward-thinking leaders are actively embracing ways to banish both!
Just some of the factors cited as causes of stress are being overworked, unhealthy office politics, feeling undervalued or not recognised, and money issues.
Ensuring that your team are happy, proactive and engaged is a long-term process but we all have to start somewhere. It’s clear today more than ever, that organisations need to find ways to make their employees feel valued whilst also promoting a healthy work/life balance.
Here are just a few ways to start:
- Supporting your employees learning journey can help them to feel more empowered with recent research undertaken by LinkedIn showing that employees offered opportunities to enrich their skills were 47% less likely to be stressed and 39% more likely to feel productive and successful. Training not only increases skill levels but makes them feel valuable in their job
- Make employees aware that support is there if needed. Have a culture where mental health is open for discussion and create an accepting attitude within your team
- Set realistic targets and expectations for your team members. Help them to prioritise their workloads so they don’t feel they are drowning in their tasks
- Encourage a bit of fun! A happy team will be much more proactive. Look at having regular social events which will help to lower stress levels and also develop comraderies
- Look at developing policies that give employees well deserved time off during holidays and down time. A good handover before they go on holiday will ensure they do not need to be contacted and gives them time to turn off from work, meaning they come back rested and relaxed and ready to tackle the challenges their job throws at them
- Lead by example, look after yourself, foster a culture of positivity and protect your own downtime!
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