How Managers Can Influence Workplace Well-Being
January 16th, 2020
When you think about your best manager, what are the first few things that come to mind? Hopefully, you think about someone who is bold, communicates well, gives employees space to do great work and positions them to take care of themselves.
When it comes to well-being, managers are one of the biggest indicators on whether employees will or will not participate in well-being programs at work. Work can be very complex in any environment and managers must pay attention to what their people need. Also, in this working all the time kind of world, burnout is on the rise and it seems we are all having a hard time turning “off”. Therefore, it’s crucial for managers to lead the way and model healthy behaviors.
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Model Behavior
Even if you have an established and comprehensive well-being program, a perceived lack of manager support could prevent employees from participating and benefiting from these initiatives. Showing this type of support could be as simplistic as participating in walking challenges, not emailing over the weekend, packing healthy meals and moving more at work. If you see your manager get up during the day to take a 10-minute mental energy break, you will be more likely to model that behavior. A big part of any managers role is to inspire and motivate their team and they won’t be able to do this if their employees are not well. Here is the great news: This type of investment cost very little to implement.
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Set the Tone
Managers set the tone for new initiatives, influence their team to get involved and allow employees to take advantage of the supportive environment and resources available. Here are some ways to get managers involved:
- Encourage your management team to be visible and to openly participate in the wellness program offerings.
- Photograph and document managers in action and living the wellness program mission and brand.
- Have managers share personal stories to cultivate connection. Use their stories in your newsletter or in wellness marketing campaigns.
When management enthusiastically supports the mission and vision of the workplace wellness program, they are sending a message that it’s OK for the employees to embrace it too. When management is visible and engaged, employees are more likely to trust the program, which normalizes the wellness efforts and gives employees non-verbal consent to participate.
Innovative’s Workplace Wellness
Innovative’s Workplace Wellness assists employers in creating a culture of health. Our skilled wellness team works hand-in-hand with organizations to design and implement customized wellness programs that improve your population health and ultimately lower claims costs. Workplace wellness is more than keeping your team physically healthy. It’s about empowering employees to be their best, creating a fully engaged staff and making them advocates of their health. We help employers focus on each individual employee, guiding your team to effectively manage their own mental, physical, and emotional energy so your employees and your business thrive. To learn more, visit here.
