This blog brings to a close our blog series on the Well-Led Guidelines for sustainable company success through a focus on employee wellness. The first blog, Three Key Reasons Your Organization Should Be Wellness-Led, examined why organizations that make employee wellness have more sustainable success and happier employees. The next two blogs. Five Essential Guidelines for the Well-Led Organization and Five More Powerful Guidelines for Organizational Success, provided the first ten Well-Led guidelines for organizations and projects, while this blog provides the final five.
We at Wellness Leadership LLC have integrated these fifteen guidelines and the Global Standard for Risk Management from the Project Management Institute to develop a first-in-class assessment and strategy model for sustainable success for organizations, programs, and projects. If you want our services, please get in touch with us on our website, www.wellnessldr.com. Also, be on the lookout for our first chapbook, The Well-Led Organization, at the end of February 2024.
Now, on to guidelines 11-15 of the Well-Led Organization.
11. Plan in affirmations and thankfulness. In his still relevant 1936 book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote, “Lincoln once began a letter saying: “Everybody likes a compliment.” William James said: “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” He didn’t speak, mind you, of the “wish” or the “desire” or the “longing” to be appreciated. He said the “craving” to be appreciated. Some 85 years later, the sage Ted Lasso put this concept in simpler terms, “Believe”!
You can get people to do incredible things on their own accord if you authentically believe in them and appreciate what they do for the organization. What are some tips to show you believe in your team and are thankful for them? Here are just three:
- Post signs of encouragement. I have seen this simple technique work on many occasions. On one occasion, I noticed an off-the-rail project transformed by the positivity of the new project manager. Taking over for the previous, less optimistic project manager, the new leader posted positive messages throughout the project site. This was reinforced by a can-do attitude that empowered the individual team leads. People went from complaining about obstacles to solving problems. Soon, the project was on track. What if your project is remote and not at a single project site? You can be positive and affirming in the stand-up meeting. One way to do this is to set an affirming word or phrase for the day or open with a success story.
- A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Okay, I know I have moved from Ted Lasso to Mary Poppins. But like Mary, always temper your constructive criticism (the medicine) with a positive comment. Start with a positive comment, and then the person will be more receptive to the recommendation.
- Show you are thankful. Lastly, never underestimate the power of thanksgiving. A simple handwritten note thanking a person for their efforts can work wonders. For team efforts, plan a celebratory outing. A little thanks goes a long way!
12. Be engaged and lead up front. The lesson in leadership is that sometimes, the leader has to show the team how it is done. This does not mean that every time a team member needs an extra boost to complete a task, the leader has to do it for them. No! It suggests that at some critical junctures, it is essential that the project director lead the way and show the prowess that got them to the position in the first place. Also, the leader should be engaged and there for critical moments. As a Quality Assurance Director for a leading IT consulting firm for 30 years, I always checked whether the project lead was present for critical rollouts. And nothing got my ire up more as a project lead was not there for a crucial event.
Engaging and showing confidence and resolve during critical events is always the best move of a leader. First, it shows your team you care and are with them, especially since most critical deployments happen on the weekend. Second, you are there for necessary decisions and lend a steady hand if something goes wrong or needs correcting. Lastly, you are on hand to affirm the team when things go well and take responsibility when things go wrong.
13. Leaders eat last. While leaders are meant to lead upfront, their needs should be secondary to the team’s. The best way to get a person’s loyalty and make them feel cared for is to ensure they have the necessary equipment, knowledge, and nourishment.
I will give a simple example, which I still remember even though it has been over fifteen years. Our team had a tight deadline and had to present at two remote locations in less than a day. The only way to get to our second location on time was to rent a small prop plane, one seat shy of our party. Instead of taking the front seat near the pilot, our boss sat in the only place left – a tiny compartment with a flip-out next to the garbage. The lead wanted us to focus on the presentation close to the time we landed. I was already loyal to my lead, but that simple gesture cemented it. Lead up front, but take a backseat to their needs!
14. Be great by doing good! People work for money but stay engaged when they believe in the company’s mission, vision, and purpose. Also, it is my experience that most people are generous and want to give back, albeit the form of altruism differs amongst individuals. An organization with an inspiring vision statement and a purpose beyond the bottom line will drive employees to higher levels. Likewise, properly formed employee resource groups that allow employees to give back significantly impact employee morale and provide a positive impression of the company to the community. Let me give an example.
My prior company had a program established by three younger consultants called CoderDojo. This program is a coding program for kids and teens, some of whom have never been able to code. The program provided the consultants with a leadership opportunity and a venue for applying their skills. The final class was the best part of the program. The students got to display their coding projects, and judges from our company’s senior leadership handed the awards. The participants were happy and proud, but the consultants who made up the program were even more motivated!
15. Build in fitness breaks. The last rule is like the first rule: acknowledge that overwork is counterproductive. Set a rule that each meeting starts 10 minutes after the hour or half hour, depending on the timing. Encourage people to set an alarm to move on their watch for at least 10 minutes each hour. Another way to build fitness in the workday is to have a walking meeting or a fun fitness break. Establish a wellness calendar with fitness and mindfulness breaks.
These fitness breaks were especially crucial during the pandemic when everyone stared at their screens for days. One of the programs we established was Peloton Pandemic Pandemonium. I knew we had a cohort of Peloton riders on my team, so we established a calendar of live Peloton rides when people would voluntarily ride and high-five each other. Other programs were Bollywood dance, Yoga, and digital Karaoke.
There you have it! The last of the fifteen rules for the Well-Led organization. Next week, we will move back to a topic on individual wellness – Body and Soul combos. Until then, Change Well!
