Are you THRIVING? Really are you?
thriving
adjective
prosperous and growing; flourishing.
…“those who are engaged but not thriving have a 61% higher rate of burn out often or always” (Gallup Research)
I attended an excellent online seminar yesterday for Gallup Coaches on Wellbeing in the Workplace with Dr Jim Harter and Dr Jaclynn Robinson. It raised some great points of interest…some that I will share here.
Fundamentally you can see wellbeing in the workplace demonstrated by people THRIVING. Not just engaged but engaged and thriving. This was light bulb stuff for me as we/I talk a great deal about people engagement and I work with those who have a direct effect on people in the workplace. However, to view solid engagement as a sign that all is good with someone is not the full picture nor indeed is it even a large portion of the picture.
According to Gallup research “those who are engaged but not thriving have a 61% higher rate of burn out often or always” …hmmm read that again!
This explains what I am seeing after our COVID year. You busy high achievers are more at risk of burn out as you are often very engaged but not necessarily thriving. Many of you have put yourself on hold while you firefight and watch out for your workers. Remote work during Covid has highlighted this. I have seen so many people working hard, with long hours managing many new curved balls including unpleasant layoffs, dealing with drops in revenue and engaging those they lead via new modalities eg zoom and phone etc.
Many leaders and their teams have been fully engaged. However, it is now showing up that many leaders and managers have neglected their personal wellbeing due to having to crisis manage, adapt fast and keep the engines running. Adrenalin driven activity that comes at a cost if wellbeing has taken a back seat.
So what is THRIVING? There are 5 elements that measure the success of holistic wellbeing. These are career, social, financial, physical and community.
Organisations who support, encourage and discuss these 5 elements with their people are more likely to achieve a wellbeing culture that many are trying (and often struggling) to establish. Organisations can hugely impact the wellbeing of the people under their watch. Conversations and strategies to assist with these 5 elements will train and help people nurture themselves without guilt and thrive while they achieve.
You can still aim to knock the ball out of the park but you need to nurture and balance your 5 elements also.
I coach many on the brink of burn out and no doubt still will. It’s an area that I love working in as I see great change in those who start to prioritise themselves amongst the crazy busyness of their professional lives. I support them to explore and sustain practices that will keep them thriving. It’s not the easiest for the ambitious and takes a little time to incorporate into our “overachieving” habits. Especially as many of us have been conditioned to believe working hard and sacrificing is the way to get ahead and therefore have created a habit of these behaviours.
We are now learning that the 5 elements of wellbeing also need and require focus and time in our diaries… and the research is backing it up. It is worth noting that these elements may look different for all of us. We are not a one size fits all when it comes to looking after ourselves. How does it need to look for you?
The timing of this information is excellent as I am just about to release a 12-month programme. Thrive, kicking off March 1st. It has this philosophy and research at its core. I’m excited about it and I am excited to continue helping those that achieve to also thrive! 🖤