Page 8 - BOSS Today Issue 60
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BOSS Today #60 SPECIAL FEATURE
share feedback.” This should include n Most of all, listening to the team and
recognising and celebrating individual and acting upon what is learned. If staff
team achievements, however big or small, are tired, irritable and regularly make
Be clear with your company because when employees feel valued poor decisions, it is likely that they are
goals and targets, your and supported, they are more likely to overstretched and stressed. Gauge the
develop the resilience needed to handle
mood of the team through regular one
expectations of people and challenges. to ones and act upon that feedback.
always set time for one to
ones and check in on how Welcome Wellness In short, well rested, happier people who
have a well balanced life are going to be
Of course, these are just the foundations.
people are progressing Supporting employees in achieving a much better equipped to handle challenges
and where they might healthy work-life balance is key for and work-related stress.
helping to build workplace resilience,
need support. so what can businesses do to promote Be Practical
health and wellbeing within their staff? Indeed, as Marshall points out, while many
Our panellists offered a variety of ideas organisations talk about staff wellbeing
that employers could adopt: and resilience, to promote it in the
workplace, “you have to actually do some
n Ensuring that there are healthy food stuff!”
options available – free fresh fruit is a So, outside of the wellbeing tips
widely suggested example. outlined above, what practical advice
Jeanette Caswell n Ensuring that drinking water is freely would the panellists give to someone in
Managing Director, Office Friendly available and from a good source, not their team to help them to build resilience?
Marshall is keen to emphasise the
just the tap!
n Encouraging staff to consider their importance of encouraging contextualising
work/life balance, including the need to and adopting healthy perspectives: “The
take some time to ‘sort something out’. first thing would be ‘focus on the things
n Allowing flexibility with working hours, you can change, not the things you can’t’. A
A business performing including when there are important lot of people spend lots of time disagreeing
with company policies and decisions etc,
events in an employee’s personal
well, with high levels of life, such as managing childcare, and this in itself causes stress and anxiety.
retention of team members or looking after elderly relatives. When my team are getting stressed about
alongside enhanced Companies should recognise that there a situation I always ask them to think ‘Can
are different situations and adapt
I influence this or change it?’ If they can’t,
productivity, will all accordingly. they should move on to something they
lead to secure growth, n Encouraging staff to take their holidays can influence to make a situation better.
guilt-free, because nothing is more
Secondly, it’s important to think about
an improving cost base important than taking time off to the bigger picture: ‘Will this issue matter
and enriched customer recharge and avoid burnout. tomorrow/next week/next year?’ This
experiences. n Encouraging staff to distance helps focus the mind and hopefully brings
back some perspective.”
themselves from work
communications, emails and calls when Both Derbyshire and Caswell believe
they are on days off or annual leave. that the key practical step is to encourage
n Encouraging staff to take regular – and practise – open and regular
breaks during the working day, communication and collaboration. Caswell
including taking a walk in the fresh air advises: “Be clear with your company goals
outside. and targets, your expectations of people
n Offering financial support, such as and always set time for one to ones and
Stuart Derbyshire discounts to gyms or for clubs outside check in on how people are progressing
Chief Sales Officer, OT Group of work. and where they might need support.
n Investing in a mental health first Collaborate as teams, sharing ideas or
aider. This gives a safe space for your challenges, and give a space for the team
employees to confidentially share to contribute to shaping plans or problem
challenges and ensures that there is solving.”
someone there to help with a healthy For Buckley, the key pieces of practical
mindset. advice are to lead by example and to
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