Why Should Leaders Prioritize Well-Being?

How can leaders encourage well-being at work through behaviors that support connection

Pressure and uncertainty are realities in many of today’s workplaces and can affect the well-being of leaders themselves. Leaders may be dealing with geopolitical factors outside their control that impact the economic and business climate. And there will be day-to-day business challenges to navigate. And external pressures can affect employees, who may feel insecure or overworked. Both leaders and team members may experience stress and a lack of balance.
 

The negative impact on a business of a lack of well-being is extensive, for example, it can lead to:

1. Poor decision-making

Pressure and uncertainty can make both managers and employees feel unsafe. People can react by going into a fight or flight mode where small requests can feel like major threats. The physiological reactions to pressure make it harder to make clear and rational decisions.

2. Poor performance

Employees who don’t feel physically or mentally well are not going to perform at their best. And putting further pressure on them is likely to make things worse, leading to…

3. Absenteeism

If people are too unwell to come to work, this is not only bad for the business but puts additional stress on co-workers. This can lead to a downward spiral of pressure, de-motivation, and poor performance across a team.

Given the risk to a business of poor mental or physical health issues, it’s important for leaders to prioritize the well-being of their people, at all levels of an organization.

How Encouraging Connection Can Help

I believe one way how leaders can support well-being within a team or organization is by focusing on connections. In my years of running peer learning groups and leadership workshops, I’m struck time and again by the relief people express when they share their feelings in a safe environment. “It’s not just me.” Sharing with others allows us to take a step back and see that our challenges are not necessarily personal failures, and to ask for help and ideas.

Leaders can help their teams and organizations by developing their own skills and mindset, so they can support connection and open communication within their teams.

Connect with Yourself and Your Impact as a Leader

A starting point for connection is to slow down a little and connect with what’s going on for you. What kind of thoughts and feelings are you experiencing? What strategies do you have in place to look after your own well-being? Given the importance of leaders as role models, it’s hard to be a positive influence if you are feeling disconnected from yourself. Look in the mirror first, connect with what is important to you, and be willing to show up as fully and honestly as you can at work.

Ask for, and be willing to receive feedback about the impact that you’re having on the team. For example, you might think that you are being very honest and direct in the way you communicate with your employees, but they might experience you as rude or uncaring. Or you might think you are supportive and kind, but they experience a lack of clarity in what they are expected to do. This ambiguity can be a source of stress.

Connect with Your Team

Connect with your team members and find out how they are thinking and feeling. For example, do people feel inspired to achieve? Or do they feel that their work is never good enough?

Most people are motivated by a sense of achievement they want to go home with, feeling they’ve done a good day’s work. Conversely, they are demotivated by excessive expectations. Asking people to meet targets and goals that are unrealistic leads to a sense of failure. Set people up for success with clear expectations and provide support if needed to help people manage their workload.

Recognize good work where you see it. Look for what people are doing right and express appreciation. Aim to give more positive feedback than negative, so that employees feel valued. This can contribute to their sense of self-worth and support their well-being. Take the time to sit down and listen to people, to understand their challenges and concerns. Sometimes, listening is all you need to do, to help people work through a difficult situation. And listening is also the best springboard to providing targeted support, so you can give employees what they truly need, and not what you may be assuming they need.

Connection Within the Team

Encourage team members to connect with each other.  We are social beings and need a sense of belonging. Psychologists from William James onwards have identified the extent to which feeling isolated or disconnected from others has a highly negative impact on mental health and well-being. Most of us want friendly faces and supportive relationships at work. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye on team dynamics, to help mediate any conflict, and to model respectful communication yourself.

Allow space in team discussions to share feelings as well as thoughts. This doesn’t mean that team meetings turn into therapy sessions. But if you pretend that feelings don’t exist or matter, that doesn’t mean they go away. Instead, they can leak out in unhelpful behaviors, or employees can bottle them up, which can lead to a lack of physical or mental well-being. There is a skill in both, allowing space for people to express negative feelings and knowing when to steer the conversation toward solutions. It’s important to acknowledge negative feelings before moving on to problem-solving. For example, by saying: “given the frustrations that you’re feeling at the moment, what might we be able to do to help manage the situation?”

When you understand the pressures your employees face, it’s easier to find ways to help them cope. Ensure priorities are clear so people work on the right tasks. Be clear about the standards required, so people aren’t working to a level of perfectionism that isn’t needed. Be mindful of personal issues in people’s lives, that might lead to a temporary reduction in productivity.

Signpost to Support

Make sure staff are clear about the help that’s available to them, such as employee assistance programs. Encourage them to take up the support that’s available. Normalize discussions around how people can look after themselves and their well-being.

The Starting Point

Ultimately, there’s a lot you can do as a leader to support connection with your teams and organization. But it does need to start with taking an honest look at yourself. In my book Crafting Connection, I explore three dimensions of connection: with yourself, with others, and with the wider communities to which you belong. The benefits of focusing on connection include bringing a greater sense of meaning and purpose into your life, as well as forging better relationships at work and beyond. These connections can support and sustain well-being in difficult times.

Author Bio

Felicity Dwyer is a facilitator, trainer, coach, and speaker, specializing in leadership and communication skills. She delivers programs for the UK’s two leading leadership and management institutes and facilitates group learning for organizations in the UK, Europe, and the USA. Felicity is the author of “Crafting Connection: Transform how you communicate with yourself and others”. Visit https://felicitydwyer.com Connect Felicity Dwyer