The Workplace Wellness Collective: Workplace Leadership Hour Episode 6
It is no secret that “Good leaders are always learning,” and that statement was reinforced by each participant in Wednesday’s Workplace Wellness Leadership Hour session. Co-hosts Sumana Jeddy, Felipe Cofiño, and Michele Thomson began the session with their own workplace wisdom but the conversation quickly branched out to many different leaders speaking out about their beliefs and key advice. There is no way to have it all figured out, especially when faced with times of crisis, but there are ways to prepare and set a strong workplace foundation. Both research and experience from leaders’ best and worst times show that these few people-focused methods are the best starting point to succeed operationally through crises.
Founder and CEO, Jeddy Wellness
If you are not ready for action, give yourself the grace to step back, process your feelings, and figure out how to respond.
Sumana’s Research:
- Before a Crisis
Use the Job-Demands and Resources (JD-R) Model to assess the balance between what is expected of your team (like high workloads, deadlines, or unclear roles) and the support they receive (like team collaboration, training, and flexible work options). While you may not always know what is happening in their personal lives, balancing the demands and resources at work helps reduce stress. Open and transparent conversation, beginning with yourself, will allow employees to feel valued and safe to express their needs and personal concerns when relevant.
- Before a Crisis
- During a Crisis
Stress is probably high, there are many questions, and likely tons of directions your employees are being pulled in. Implement short and frequent breaks to pause for a moment and as many personalized check-ins as possible. Provide Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which research has shown offer vital mental health resources and counseling, helping employees manage stress (Bennett et al., (2023). During this time self-disclosure can be utilized as a powerful communication tool, letting everyone know when you also have to take a pause and are figuring things out. This reduces any stigma around utilizing resources and taking time for yourself when needed. Encourage showing up for one another and handling what you can if it may be too much for someone else at that time.
- During a Crisis
- After a Crisis
The best thing a leader can do following a time of crisis is continue to remain available to their people. Check in with them and make sure they know that you are there for support and guidance with resources, even when it has been months since the event. This reinforces that the people are the priority, not just their performance. Create anonymous surveys and opportunities for qualitative feedback, to know what support is still needed and how to adjust and prepare for the future.
Reference: Bennett, J.B., Chan, A., & Attridge, M. (2023). How to leverage your EAP for a mentally healthy workplace: What leaders need to know and do. Benefits Magazine, 60(4), 16-23. Read here.
- After a Crisis
Leadership and Workplace Culture Specialist
Who are you going to call? Your crisis buddy. Pair employees up so they can check in on one another during the crisis. This helps build a sense of mutual support and prevents feelings of isolation. Crisis buddies can encourage wellness practices and create a shared sense of responsibility for each other’s well-being.
Michele’s Strategies:
Prioritize Your People First:
Making sure your employees feel supported, heard, and capable to perform the operational demands that are needed creates an effective and productive work environment.
Embed Wellness in Crisis Planning:
Be proactive in offering wellness resources to employees so they are aware and familiar with what they can utilize before they are immediately needed.
Break Down Work into Manageable Tasks:
The list of tasks to tackle at once is overwhelming- well, probably daily- but during a crisis it is hard to know where to start. For yourself and each group of employees, break down large projects into smaller, more manageable pieces.This reduces the “overwhelmed” feeling and helps all work time be more focused on productivity.
Maintain a Calm, Reassuring Presence:
Aligned with being transparent and focused on wellness, do your best to stay aware of your own emotions and outwardly maintain a calm and grounded demeanor. Would you want to follow the lead of someone that seemed lost and frantic? This pairs well with transparency, because one of the main messages in the session was, “IT IS OKAY TO SAY I DON’T KNOW.” Use this sparingly, calmly, and when necessary.
Adapt Expectations Temporarily:
Be flexible with deadlines, shift workloads when needed, and communicate that it’s okay if not everything can be completed as planned. This reduces the pressure employees may feel and encourages them to prioritize their well-being.
Offer Decision-Making Autonomy:
Give employees every opportunity to have control over the areas of their lives that they can. Autonomy will reduce stress, and increase feelings of engagement and confidence. It may also help them to release control over areas where additional expertise and input may be valuable.
HR Executive| Top HR Voice Linkedin
Ideas for Leaders (FelipesFive):
Transparent and Frequent Communication: Consistent communication helps prevent assumptions.
Empathy and Compassion while Instructing: Leading with empathy fosters trust and understanding.
Clear Direction and Priorities: Keep instructions simple and focused to avoid overwhelming your team.
Be Visible and Accessible: Ensure you are approachable and present for your team.
Promote Resilience and Wellbeing: Encourage practices that build resilience and support employee well-being.
Ready to Transform Your Leadership Approach?
Take the next step in transforming your leadership by prioritizing downtime and creating a healthier, more productive workplace. The end of the session ended with a variety of summary statements that included a range of suggestions- from body language and physiological responses to internal reflection and strategic operational planning. Here’s how you can get started:
Reflect on Your Leadership Style:
How do you communicate with your teams during different phases of a crisis?
With the onset of a stressful situation or decision do you freeze, fight, or flight?
What strategies do you find useful to prevent burnout during a crisis?
Key Leadership Insights: A significant discussion from the show focused on the distinction between being efficient versus effective as a leader. Efficiency often involves task-oriented decisions, while effectiveness means doing what’s right for your people and business in any given situation. Leaders like Vinay Raman, CEO of CAARMO Inc., and Kimberly S. Arnold, CEO of Somatic Leadership, explored how true leadership often lies in balancing both, where short-term efficiency leads to long-term effectiveness. As you reflect on your leadership approach, ask yourself: Is this efficient or effective? Sometimes the best outcome involves a blend of both.
Join Our Next Episode: Don’t miss out on further insights! Tune in on October 2 at 10 am MST / 12 pm EST for actionable tips to enhance your leadership skills.
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Call to Action :As a leader, be aware of your own biases and tendencies, how you want your people to feel, what you wish to accomplish, and what the best specific steps are to move forward. You are a leader for a reason and it’s the people that make your team!. Catch up on the live and post event comments.
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Written by Hannah Nease and Reviewed by Sumana Jeddy
Stay connected with The Workplace Wellness Collective for more resources and discussions on creating a healthier, more inclusive workplace.