Compensation cycle time – is wellbeing part of your conversation?
It’s that time of year. Against a background of recession, inflation and strikes, the conversations can be difficult, expectations and reality out of kilter. We know resilience is low.
For these very same reasons, I’d like to suggest that it can be a precious moment to catch too. A chance to talk about whole performance, not just pay. A chance to recalibrate, to think about how sustainable working life is for you and members of your team.
This week I facilitated a client high performance workshop, using the Human Sustainability Index (HSI), and it was a reminder of how much all of us need to be given the permission to have these types of conversation. It requires empathy, but in my experience, people are very open to talking about what makes for a sustainable working life.
For this particular group, their HSI scores indicated that in the areas of physical health, competency and mental health, there was scope to build their resilience. Having a benchmark and a set of data enables these discussions. It led to a myriad of potential strategies. Among the ideas we talked about:
I’m giving these as some examples that bright, creative individuals came up with as potential ways forward when given the space to talk about their own wellbeing. It’s not meant to be a list of tips and hints, but to show that most people can identify what they need to do to make a difference, if given the chance.
These conversations echo a recently released Harvard Business Review article ‘9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2023 and Beyond’ (link in the comments) by Emily Rose McRae and Peter Aykens. They highlight:
Recommended by LinkedIn
According to the authors, this means that while employees seek purpose, flexibility and career opportunities in their work, managers find themselves under performance pressure from senior leaders. Plus, organisations are having to contend with the long-term physical and emotional impacts of stress, with nearly 60% of employees reporting they are stressed at their jobs every day. This can manifest as decreased productivity and performance.
Their conclusions are that leading organisations will need to provide fresh support and training to mitigate the widening gap and a range of solutions to support employees, including proactive strategies to maintain resilience and performance, and ideas such as proactive paid time off before high-demand working periods, no-meeting Fridays, allotted wellness time.
What struck me most was the suggestion of ‘discussion opportunities to work through challenges and difficult topics without judgment or consequences.’
This is my invitation for you to consider. How can you have these discussions? How can you best provide the support needed?
There’s no one size fits all answer, but could the compensation cycle be the chance to start having these conversations?
People solutions expert | EMEA Head of Human Capital Solutions
1yRachel, since I have been wearing my Whoop watch for my HRV, as a senior leader I have thought of myself as the heart rather than the sandwich meat - the exec committee and my employees are the sympathetic and the para sympathetic nervous system, and I just have to keep my heart strong to stay responsive and balanced! Thank you for the guidance you give me and our team.
Award-winning, Multi-National Workplace Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategist and Consultant. Mentor. International Keynote Speaker. Thought Leader and Advocate for Women's Health.
1yHannah Meredith (she/her)
►Certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner ► Emotional Intelligence Coach ►Addiction/Trauma Therapist ► Psychedelic-assisted Therapy
1yHmm interesting, Rachel.
Hi Rachel, I found your post very timely and helpful. We are wrestling with the post-pandemic work environment, within which we are still somewhat in ‘survival mode.’ At our strategy session at the end of last year, the leadership team concluded that we need to move into a growth mindset and transition away from the siege mentality that seems to be slowing down our decision-making and making us more risk-averse. We do recognise that we need a resilient and sustainable organisation, with people who are able to ‘run a marathon’ at a sustainable pace, rather than attempting it at sprint pace! I believe that we need to become a more progressive business, allowing a more flexible approach, so that people can be the best that they can be. By spending more time on growth and how to deliver it through clear personal and team objectives, we can create a more forward-looking organisation. However, we also need to offer people the options to work flexibly, ensure we are all taking our holidays, rest days and appropriate breaks during the day. It certainly requires a trusting leadership and a trusted workforce 😊
Bilingual | 🏆 Wellbeing Champion | Psychological Health & Safety Advocate 🧠 | Cardiac Mentor 💓 | Partnering with others to create healthy workplaces where employees thrive and organizations prosper. 📈
1yLoved this and I agree that comp cycle time is a good opportunity for these discussions and would encourage that these discussions happen regularly throughout the year!