To some people, having a mindful culture and workplace is more important than money and growth. However, a lot of people are motivated by money and will put up with a substantial amount of politics for a good wage (and perks) instead of putting their wellbeing first and this needs to change.
Recently, we spoke with a highly successful female Manager that works in a heavily male dominated industry. The perks that come with this particular job are incredible. Big six figure salary, international travel opportunities, regular invitations to red carpet events, great lifestyle and so on. However, when we dug deep and discussed the role itself, we uncovered that with this glamorous lifestyle also came jet lag, extended time away from her partner and friends and also unwarranted advances from senior male colleagues that she was expected to host when they visited Australia.
Are you willing to sacrifice your wellbeing and purpose in the workplace for money and perks? Would you sacrifice money and perks for a great working culture and a job that was not as “glamorous”?
What’s really important to you? As a Recruiter, I always ask our Talent “What’s the main reason that you’re looking for a new job opportunity?”. The answers can vary, but they are generally the same. Money. Burnout. Wanting more flexibility. Being able to find purpose and meaning in the work that they do. Not feeling challenged enough or feeling that there’s room to grow. Having a lack of respect for the business or people that you work for.
One response that is not mentioned nearly as much as it should be is wellness and purpose. Iceberg recently interviewed a former psychologist and now the CEO of Smiling Mind Dr Addie Wootten and we discussed how there needs to be a move towards a greater emphasis on wellness of one’s self in the workplace.
I’d love to see a greater shift in people choosing to prioritise their physical and mental wellbeing over a bigger paycheque, but also think that modern workplaces and employers should play a greater role in caring for their team’s wellness.
Here are the top 5 things a modern day employer or workplace can do to create a more mindful culture:
– Give your employees realistic workloads and timeframes that are still challenging yet manageable.
– Encourage people to leave on time and if they struggle to do this, teach them how to time manage that they can.
– The physical office environment itself can make a big impact on how your staff actually work. We have a dog friendly office and the dogs themselves play a big role in improving office morale and forces us to take regular breaks to walk them. If you’re a manager, don’t hide away with your door closed. Be on the ground with your team and accessible if they need you.
– Say what you mean and mean what you say. Show that you trust your staff once they have earned it. For example, have an allocated day per month when they can work from home if they’re always achieving their KPIs.
– Regularly check in with your staff. Don’t always assume that they’re coping. Have a human conversation with them, you never know what’s going on below the surface. Have a genuine interest in your team and be approachable and accessible via regular WIPs and check ins.
You can reach out to Anna here.
If you’re interested in learning about how to create a mindful workplace, find out more about Smiling Mind and their workplace workshops and wellbeing programs here.
This article was first published at Smiling Mind.
