If there’s one thing guaranteed to destabilise workplace wellbeing, it’s today’s VUCA world of:
- Volatility
- Uncertainty
- Complexity
- Ambiguity
It sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? But it’s the reality we’re all living (and working) in, with political shifts, tech disruptions and economic turbulence coming at us faster than ever.
It makes me feel like I’m clinging to the clunky wooden roller coaster at Dreamland in Margate with a blindfold on (you’ll know exactly what I mean if you also live in a place with fairground rides that have seen better days!)!
Now, the old ‘set it and forget it’ approach to business has become as effective as a chocolate fireguard, thanks to the current VUCA outlook we can’t seem to shake off.
But, the one thing you can count on is your people.
No matter how unpredictable the world gets, your team is the key to strategically getting through it. And this is why the businesses thriving are those investing in workplace wellbeing, besides just throwing money at the latest AI tools to increase productivity.
Because truthfully, workplace wellbeing has transcended the fluffy extra it was once perceived as. Now, it’s your biggest competitive advantage during tough times – or at any time!
Make Workplace Wellbeing Your Secret to Thriving, Not Surviving
In their recent Harvard Business Review article What VUCA Really Means for You, academics Nate Bennett and G. James Lemoine had this to say about VUCA and it’s impact in the workplace:
“It’s become a trendy managerial acronym, and a catchall for “Hey, it’s crazy out there!” It’s… easy to use VUCA as a crutch, a way to throw off the hard work of strategy and planning – after all, you can’t prepare for a VUCA world, right?”
Wrong!
You can prepare and you can minimise impact by giving your team members the right tools to show up as their best selves – creative, engaged, and ready to take on challenges.
This mean prioritising workplace wellbeing in a way that actually makes a difference you can feel, measure and improve. And it calls for more than ticking boxes with token yoga sessions or fruit bowls in the staff kitchen (although don’t stop doing these good things).
Bridge the Gap Between Potential and Performance
Investing in workplace wellbeing workshops is a brilliant way to bridge the gap between potential and performance. And here’s why it’s a really, really good idea:
- Drive performance – Employees bring their A-game when they feel good, mentally, physically, and emotionally. They collaborate better, make sharper decisions, and stick around longer. So, start thinking about workplace wellbeing as your business’s power source, mitigating burnout while supporting higher performance levels.
- Stress less, achieve More – Stress levels are through the roof right now. And stressed, exhausted employees don’t perform at their best. The solution? Promote a culture where wellbeing is non-negotiable. This means –
- Encouraging self-care inside and outside of work
- Normalising conversations around mental health
- Providing practical wellbeing support, like mental wellbeing workshops
- Learn to go with the flow – Static job roles, rigid career paths, and limited learning are so last century! In contrast, the future of work is about adaptability. Your team is falling behind if they aren’t continuously learning and evolving. Ensure this isn’t the case by baking a growth mindset into your company culture, equipping staff to grasp challenges, upskill, and step into their full potential.
Ready to Invest in Your Greatest Asset?
It’s clear workplace wellbeing is a key strategy for attracting, retaining, and developing top talent, especially in a time when you can’t predict what’s going on from one day to the next!
At Stress Matters, we’ve got the ideal wellbeing workshops to get you started, including:
- Mindset: Challenge Your Boundaries to Grow – Help your team develop a growth mindset, overcome self-doubt, and push beyond their limits.
- Thrive, Not Survive – Our unique Thrive approach covers five key areas of wellbeing, ensuring your team doesn’t just get by, but actually flourishes. Think sustainable success, not short-term survival.
- Resilience: Confidently Managing Change – Uncertainty isn’t going anywhere, making it a priority to build resilience with practical tools for coping with change, handling stress, and bouncing back stronger.
In addition, there are compelling bespoke continuous learning options for you to explore, giving your people opportunities to stretch their skills, explore new passions, and become the ultimate versions of themselves.
After all, the VUCA world isn’t going to slow down. So, encourage them to experiment, to take risks, to fail gloriously and learn from it. Because in this crazy world, the only way to survive is to grow. And it’s a win; win situation when you can help them do good work and feel good.
Get in touch today and let’s talk about how our workplace wellbeing workshops and longer-term tailored programmes can help both your team and your business thrive in a climate where the only certainty is change!
