Wellbeing - The Business Case
Do you sometimes see or hear particular phrases and think 'this is the phrase of the moment'? Wellbeing certainly comes into that description - don’t be fooled - it is a real topic. My work with Executives and decision makers convinces me these are serious issues. In the UK the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in recognising this is putting a great deal of effort behind raising the profile of the subject. Some of the things they have said in their own statistics are that:
- 30% of people agreed or strongly agreed that "My health is suffering because of my work"
- 51% felt "They don't have enough time to build relationships outside work"
- 37% of women and 46% of men want "A job that gives their life meaning"
- 80% of mothers and 88% of fathers want "More time with their families".
Yet it needn't stay like this. If staff can integrate their responsibilities and interests into their daily lives without detriment to their work or home, there are marked reductions in stress levels, sickness, and absenteeism. It will be clear that there is also an impact on relationships at home, at work and with customers because of this.
A lot of the blame for imbalance appears to fall on employers. I say appears because when it comes down to it, who is in control about what people do in their work and their lives? Surely it's a balance, an interaction between the employer and the individual?
For example we know that bullying is on the increase at work - yet another factor to consider. Even so almost 11% of employees work 60 or more hours a week - typically in professional and managerial jobs. Are all those people being bullied to do those hours? Are they all under pressure to work that sort of time? My experience is that this is an area where coaching starts to have an impact.
You see once work/life balance starts to go wrong, there are any number of possibilities; on the one hand, some individuals require counselling because they become terribly stressed and for the larger companies, they may well be able to afford an employee assistance program (EAP). But many companies are not in that position.
Some stressed employees will suffer sickness and there will be increased absenteeism, once again these are things that will affect the success of the organisation. In some cases the stress can be significant to the extent that performance is suffering and either the employer or employee end up seeking a legal remedy to the situation.
Is there a coaching element? A personal or business client may not necessarily know or recognise just how much their work/life balance is truly affecting their life. Sometimes it is only through eliciting information via careful questioning and also by setting some exercises, that I can bring this situation fully to the client's attention. At that point we can work on what adjustments are needed to restore the sense of balance that is right for the individual. This isn't as easy as it necessarily sounds because what we are really doing is working on what things are interfering either with the individuals thinking, their behaviour or their resources. Those things that prevent them from getting to that healthy balance state that they might really desire.
However, through conversation and brief experiments that cause and challenge the client to think, we can move the situation on in virtually all cases. The times when this won't occur are usually when the client is unwilling or unable to take responsibility for his or her own future well being.
The benefits of achieving greater wellbeing are considerable. They include from the employer's point of view:
- retention of valued employees
- improved customer service
- reduction of absenteeism, sickness and stress
- improved productivity and performance
- increased morale, commitment and loyalty
- employee flexibility
- supporting innovation
- increased creativity
- greater ability to deal with change.
From the individual point of view, addressing work/life balance helps them have a greater capacity to overcome obstacles and begin to live a life that they really value both at home and in their work time.
After all, isn't work just a part of life?
David Miskimin is an Executive & Business Coach with a background of over 15 years senior management experience with major organisations. He works as a coach and mentor with leading people and with teams in business. His experience enables him to coach senior managers to achieve performance excellence. This is 1:1, in workshops and with his many international clients, often via the telephone. Visit him at http://www.thedirectorscoach.com David has also applied his business expertise to his parenting experiences and co-authored The Coaching Parent book. Find our more at http://www.thecoachingparent.com...............................................................................................................................................................................
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