By Cheryl Benadie, CEO, Whole Person Academy
Before COVID-19, 85% of the global workforce was disengaged in their jobs, proving that what we felt in the workplace was pressure to perform instead of enjoying the pleasure of accomplishment.
We now accept that the previous system was broken, resulting in a feeling of disconnection. The good news is that we still have the power to rewrite the script and make things whole again. Embracing wholeness at work requires a shift from the disjointed, once a year wellness day that barely touches the surface of employee needs.
Relationships, career, finances – we call it the wholeness triad – it is all interlinked in the way that people show up in the world of work. Who people are in their personal lives mirror the way they interact in their professional relationships. The way people manage their personal finances has a direct effect on the levels of financial stress they experience, which ultimately impacts their work performance.
There is no escaping this: who we are shows up in the workplace and with the blurring of personal and professional lives due to enforced remote work, we are at a pivotal time in history to make intentional shifts that will ultimately impact the longevity of our organisations.
What will it take to cultivate wholesome work in your organisaton?
1. Courageous leadership: This is a time for a rise in servant leadership – senior executives who approach their leadership roles as a responsibility to serve, not a title to abuse. Cultivating wholeness at work, which involves the process of integrating personal and professional lives so that there is a growing congruence, requires servant leadership.
Employees are flailing. A recent TransUnion study revealed that nearly 8 out of 10 (78%) South Africans are struggling financially due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Helping employees to deal with this financial stress will demonstrate an inclination to support the whole person in the workplace and will go a long way in enhancing engagement in current roles.