Author: Geetha Rajagopal, Co-Founder, Phebus HR Advisory
Often in Wellness, we speak about Return on Investment or ROI, Metrics, Engagement, Data, Risk, Clinical studies. We get so clinically focused that we remove the ‘person’ from the equation. We need to shift from SCARING people to CARING for people. That is the essence of rehumanizing ‘Wellness’.
And how do I go about doing that? Simple – the 3 C Model – wait, I did not create it. It was Rachel DrukkenMiller. 3 simple things:
1. Curiosity
2. Connections
3. Contribution
1. Creating Curiosity
Think back to when you were a kid? What is that one question you asked repeatedly? ‘Why?’. I was eager to learn, made few assumptions and approached each day every day as an adventure. So, why don’t we treat our interactions with employees and their needs the same way? Why do we assume that?
- If someone is not engaged in their health – they are lazy or incompetent.
- If we bring in massage chairs and offer meditation classes – people will be fixed of all stress and anxiety
If we give people incentives, they will be more involved and engaged in the wellness offering
2. Building Relationships or Connections:
You know what I have missed most in the last 14 months. Yes, I can not travel. Yes, I hate the masks. Yes, we cannot eat out and float at the mall, be stuck in crowds …but most of all, I miss the casual connections with people. The morning coffee with my Boss at Café Tesu. The Friday meetings at work with my colleauges. Inviting friends over for Xmas Lunch. Kite flying at Ghaziabad at our friends’ rooftop. Spending afternoons with my parents. Fostering human connections in the workplace is beneficial both on a human level and as a good business decision. A Gallup study reports, that if 60% of Employees had their best friend at work, the resulting bonds will influence a 12% increase in profits.
Sounds easy, but it is not. Connecting requires sacrifice, waking up from ourselves to thinking about others. It demands that I put my phone away and ‘be present’ in the moment. So I cannot stress enough the importance of connection.
So go for a social distanced coffee. Talk to your friend at work about anything but work. Invite your team member for a one on one – focus on them not work. Get away for a weekend with your family… even if it means just heading to Nehru Park or Hanging Gardens or Juhu Beach.
3. Contribution
More so than ever, we want to be connected to something larger and more meaningful at the workplace. I want to know that I am creating or contributing to a legacy that will remain behind me one day. How do we do that? By volunteering, pro-bono work, giving back in our neighbourhoods or maybe teaching that underprivileged child at your home. You can start small!
Last but not the least – is figuring how to make wellness or wellbeing part of the work we do? As a Manager / Leader do you look for options to
- Listen to your people
- Offer more autonomy
- Create options for flexibility
- Co-opt wellness in the day to day behaviours – shorter meetings, healthier snacks, regular time for lunch and dinners, detox time, digital disconnect after work
- Recraft jobs to suit varied constituents
- Open up to gig and part time workers
- Provide for a healthy work environment – access to water, walking space, ergonomic seating
Rehumanizing Wellness is truly ‘going back to the basics!
