Jenni Gilbert This week marked Harmony Day, held every year on March 21 to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The message of Harmony Day is “everyone belongs”.
While a bit of a departure from the theme, it’s also a good opportunity to reflect on harmony in your life in general – and for the purposes of this story, in your workplace, whether you are a manager or team member.
After all, it is estimated that we spend an average 54 percent of our day on the job (Sodexo, Workplace Trends 2014). That’s a long time to be in a state of disharmony.
Chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death. A recent study conducted by The Resilience Institute of 16,261 people across 250 companies revealed that 81 percent of staff experience intense work environments with very concerning levels of worry, chronic stress symptoms, distress and disengagement.
Mentally healthy workplaces are something a growing number of Australian businesses are striving to create. The goal of wellbeing is not a short term (and often transient) outcome, such as “happiness”.
Wellbeing is an enduring state that leads to productive, engaged, balanced and healthy employees.
Stuart Taylor leads The Resilience Institute in Australia, whose purpose is helping people and organisations reach sustainable high performance.
He will be a keynote speaker at the Wellness @ Work Conference at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on April 1, part of The Wellness Show. He will discuss how to master stress and enable flow and resilience both at an individual and organisational level.
In 2002, while climbing the ladder to corporate executive, Stuart was diagnosed with brain cancer. He refused to accept the prognosis, instead embarking on a journey back to physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual health.
“Many Australians dread going to work,” says Stuart. “Some may have not found their dream vocation, but a vast number are going to work for organisations that operate with a culturally entrenched fear of punishment.
“Unrealistic deadlines and micro-management are the source of dread.
“From the countless organisations I’ve worked with, people in these environments are too afraid to voice their concerns and doubts.
“The result is often lost productivity, high staff turnover, absenteeism, distress and burnout.
“New ideas rarely surface as they are shot down before they get off the starting block. Projects that are destined for failure are not highlighted by concerned parties and growing resentment can affect the health of staff.
“A great way of determining whether a culture is fear-based is to observe how failure is handled.
“Is the culprit punished or encouraged to learn and adapt? This is largely influenced by the leadership style of the CEO and direct reports, who set the tone. They choose whether to lead with compassion (high-trust, sometimes tough love, high respect for individuals) or with indifference, contempt, sympathy or antipathy.
“Poor leadership skills that contribute to this toxic environment include micro-managing task completion, punishing staff for failure, a lack of empathy and setting up an environment of contempt – Us versus Them (car parks, titles, exclusion).
“I’ve worked with many business leaders who felt so incapable of being ‘wrong’ that they concealed any faults and flaws, presuming that showing any weakness would damage their image and threaten their position. A strong leader is one that can embrace change, accept and overcome challenges and own their imperfection as a strength.
“A lack of empathy in leadership can also be fatal to a company. Resilient leadership begins with emotional intelligence, humility and respect. Leaders need to be able to have compassionate conversations with staff, understanding their position.
“Empathy starts with a curiosity about others, active listening, tuning in to non-verbal queues, openness to diversity and the ability to see the perspective of others, while compassion takes the bigger picture into account.
“The compassionate leader creates a calm culture; not breeding fear through punishment of performance gaps. Performance gaps are viewed as learning and coaching opportunities.
“The compassionate leader appreciates the talents of their team members and seeks to liberate their potential. Individuals with a poor fit may be assisted to find their passion in other roles or organisations.
“To see an end to the `command and control’ style of leadership, we need to begin by encouraging trust-based cultures, and educating executive teams around resilience and effective leadership. Businesses should look to adopt a values-based models (care, innovation, can-do) rather than purely an output-based model (revenue, costs).
“In a trust-based culture, staff are encouraged and rewarded for having a contrary opinion; conflict is resolved with courageous, compassionate conversations not sympathetic avoidance, and coercion or contempt.”
From employees’ point of view, if they are dreading going to work, they need to assess whether it is the nature of their job or the environment that is truly causing distress.
“If it is the environment, get clear on what you’re prepared to accept and where you can push back,” says Stuart.
“Working on your personal resilience and self-confidence will give you the coping mechanisms to adjust to change and the ability to thrive in a difficult situation. Maintain strong lifestyle practices, valuing your health through adequate sleep, good nutrition, exercise and meditation.
“Try exercising and meditating each day, even if just for a brief period. The act of making this small commitment to yourself can help, whether it is for five minutes or an hour.
“Learn to delegate or say no when your plate is full and manage your time effectively by working in time blocks and getting up to move your body through the day.
“Most importantly, make time for the people and activities you enjoy in your life, no matter what you have on.”
