Cornerstones of Wellbeing in the Workplace

Image generated by Copilot

I have been struggling with the concept of wellbeing at work. I have seen a lot of efforts on organisational wellbeing go to waste because the investments often have limited return on investment. I am currently on a hunt to understand how we can genuinely achieve staff wellness that meets the individual needs of the employees and supports overall workplace effectiveness. In my search, I came across the concept of social wellness or social wellbeing, a crucial construct that ties into all the elements contributing to workplace success.

Social wellness, as defined by positivepsychology.com, can be understood as developing and maintaining positive interactions with others and local and global communities. Research shows that having a variety of quality relationships can influence our health habits, reduce stress, enhance psychological wellbeing, and boost physiological health (Umberson & Karas Montez, 2010). The research on social wellness at work is also linked to compassion and how compassion in the workplace can yield similar benefits (Dutton et al., 2014), as well as high-quality connections, which are correlated with organisational outcomes, including health and performance (Stephens et al., 2012).

A LinkedIn article lists the numerous benefits of social wellness, such as increased engagement and job satisfaction, enhanced collaboration and creativity, reduced turnover, and a more positive organisational culture. In my research, I also found another blog highlighting the types of practices supporting social wellness. Given the wealth of information available, I am trying to understand why achieving optimal staff wellbeing sometimes seems elusive. Many suggested practices, such as recognition, communication, and leadership involvement, are present in our organisations, but we seem to have not gotten the mix right.

This leads me to revisit the importance of organisational values. To achieve a return on investment, organisations need a culture that promotes social wellness, as these values serve as a guiding behaviour that influences the lens through which we approach wellbeing matters. It reminds me of the interpersonal quadrant of the values diagram (Bourne et al., 2017) I shared, and I could take a leap to describe this as an ethical imperative for our organisations to thrive.

Building on the foundational research linking social wellbeing to compassion and high-quality connections, organisations can further enrich their approach to staff wellness by integrating the following actionable insights:

Cultivate a culture of empathy and understanding: To achieve compassion at work, cultivating a culture of empathy and understanding is crucial. Encourage employees to share their experiences, listen actively, and demonstrate genuine care and concern for one another's wellbeing.

Facilitate meaningful connections: Organise team-building activities, peer-to-peer learning, mentorships, workshops, and networking events that facilitate meaningful employee interactions. Create spaces where employees can connect on a personal level, share common interests, and build genuine relationships beyond the confines of their roles.

Promote work-life integration: Emphasise the importance of work-life integration rather than work-life balance. Encourage flexible working arrangements, promote mindfulness and self-care practices, and effectively support employees in managing their personal and professional commitments.

Align social wellbeing with organisational values: Revisit and refine organisational values to align them with the principles of social wellbeing. Embed these values in every aspect of the organisation, from recruitment and onboarding to performance evaluations and leadership development.

To achieve a meaningful return on investment in wellbeing initiatives, organisations must go beyond surface-level interventions and cultivate a holistic approach that prioritises social connections, fosters a culture of empathy and understanding, and aligns organisational values with the principles of social wellbeing. By doing so, organisations can create a thriving workplace environment where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

In conclusion, social wellbeing is one cornerstone of enhancing organisational effectiveness. By embracing the principles of social wellbeing and implementing actionable strategies that foster genuine connections, organisations can unlock the full potential of their workforce, driving engagement, innovation, and overall wellbeing. I am still searching for other cornerstones of wellbeing.
 
References:
Bourne, H., Jenkins, M., & Parry, E. (2017). Mapping Espoused Organisational Values. Journal of Business Ethics, 159(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3734-9

Dutton, J. E., Workman, K. M., & Hardin, A. E. (2014). Compassion at work. Retrieved from https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/71478/Workman1_Compassion_at_Work.pdf?sequence=1

Umberson, D., & Karas Montez, J. (2010). Social relationships and health: A flashpoint for health policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1_suppl), S54–S66.
​
Stephens, J. P., Heaphy, E., & Dutton, J. E. (2012). High-quality connections. Center for Positive Organisations. Retrieved from https://positiveorgs.bus.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/HighQualityConnections.pdf

---