Create an Environment of Well-Being

In his Fast Company article, “Only 34% of workers are thriving: How leaders can help reverse the well-being crisis,” leadership speaker and author Chris Dyer writes, “As the demands of the modern workplace continue to intensify, workers find themselves grappling with feelings of loneliness, stress, and a lack of appreciation—issues that threaten not only individual well-being but also the overall health of an organization.” Dyer adds that he’s seen firsthand the organizational benefits of prioritizing employee well-being. How do leaders, including talent development leaders, do so?

In “A Whole-Self Mindset Improves Company Culture,” Emmanuel V. Dalavai, Jeanne Koehler, and Jennifer Meiss explain what a whole-self mindset means, outline the four intelligences that contribute to a whole-self presence, and guide TD professionals in analyzing where their organization or client currently is and proposing steps forward.

A Whole-Self Mindset

Bringing one’s whole self to work means different things to different people, including various experts. Some see it as showing up authentically and transparently, while others urge employees to use cultural smarts for showing up at work. The authors of the December 2024 TD at Work guide define a whole-self mindset as bringing the components of the whole, our collective life experiences, to work.

What is important regardless of a specific definition is psychological safety, whereby employees feel free to share their voice and belonging and where employees feel safe to be themselves. It also means considering the four intelligences—the authors depict them as intelligence, emotional, physical, and spiritual quotients. Some experts use social quotient, adversity quotient, and others.

The four quotients contribute to employees’ ability to contribute productively to the organization mission and remain engaged. Further, the four interact with each other. For example, eating well and sleeping enough contribute to an employee’s ability to focus on the task at hand. And emotional intelligence is more than regulating one’s own feelings, it’s about recognizing emotions of others. So, it contributes to the teamwork that is so prevalent in much of work today.

TD’s Role

Well-being in the workspace is not only about how individuals are faring, it’s also about team relations and ability to work together. It’s about the organization too, including the overall culture and the atmosphere that senior leaders nurture.

For example, are employees satisfied with their job? Are they content with their work-life harmony, and do they feel they matter at work? Are teams working toward a common goal? Does a mutual sense of trust exist among team members? Are leaders transparent and do they communicate openly? Do leaders treat all employees, regardless of level, with respect?

TD leaders can begin to determine the answers to questions such as these through surveys, exit interviews, speaking individually with employees, focus groups, and sitting in on meetings.

To learn further about the organization and what might be affecting employees, teams, and the organization, TD professionals can review recruitment and internal talent mobility practices. Does everyone feel they have a chance to advance?

Further, are time-off programs fair and do they reflect the modern workforce, such as allowing for volunteering opportunities, attending outside activities, and caregiving responsibilities? Are employees recognized and rewarded not only for outcomes but also for their efforts and the way they conduct themselves?

Do leaders, including HR, give employees the opportunity to voice what they may see as ethical violations, or share their opinions? Are staff provided a chance to be themselves, if not in their immediate team, then perhaps in the confines of an employee resource group?

It’s important to note that some of the pressures affecting employees and the organization may be external, such as economic trends.

TD’s Role Modeling

TD teams can be authentic themselves, sharing their past experiences or vulnerabilities. They can also listen well and encourage employees to be courageous and bring their whole selves to work.