Health is in everyone’s interest. Health
is what we thrive for and seek. Many people do a lot to maintain
their health.
But what about our workplace? Most of us spend many hours each day
in the workplace. Just as our body might be sick and cry out for
greater care, our workplace may also be sick or need more attention
in certain areas. Sometimes we listen and respond to the cry, and
sometimes we do not. The purpose of viewing our work environments
through the aspect of health, however, is to help us hear the call.
Extending the metaphor, let’s compare tension of a calf muscle in
the human leg to a tense atmosphere between two colleagues working
next to each other in a company. The calf muscle is directly related
to the muscles around it, so it is no surprise that the knee soon
begins to hurt. Later the person complains about discomfort in the
whole body. Similarly when two colleagues in a company are
constantly quarreling, orders don’t get passed on correctly. The
complaints department then has to spend time processing the feedback
and will possibly suffer from lost clients. Isn’t that unhealthy?
Think of a similar example in your own working environment.
When our gallbladder function is ‘stuck’, our liver will be affected
in its fluid production; this may then have consequences on our
blood count and possibly reduce immunology. Transpose this
perspective to a high quota of employee loss in one part of an
organization. Right before a crucial task (such as the finalization
of a budget), the situation might appear ‘stuck’ and employees are
forced to work longer hours to finish the remaining jobs. Despite
all effort the budget’s completion is late, and may later be
scrutinized by the IRS. Couldn’t we describe this as an
organizational disease?
When a human body suffers from sickness, more than one factor may be
the cause and more than one treatment may be the answer. For
example, your leg has an injury because someone drove into it on
their bike. You could blame the person for the accident, or you
could look at how you might have paid better attention. You could
put ice on the swelling or apply ointment and band aids. Or, you may
need to see a doctor, get an x-ray and seek his advice.
Let’s connect the body’s health to the health of an organization.
Having worked with organizations as a trainer and coach for many
years, I have made some observations based on experience.
For example, tensions and difficulties at the reception area of a
massage clinic were blamed on too little space and too many
cubicles. External circumstances certainly do have an impact on
situations. Yet, a more accurate source of this particular malady
was found in communication difficulties. Firstly, a receptionist’s
inability to clearly identify her limitations functioned like an
emotional warp. Secondly, most employees failed to speak in
solution-oriented ways. This would require practice. With
specialized training focusing on emotional intelligence and
accountability, the situation shifted dramatically into a more
amicable and productive working atmosphere.
I worked with a company where employees complained about
insurmountable workloads and too much pressure with no support from
the higher-ups. When analyzing the situation through
solution-oriented lenses, I found the origin of the problem in the
manager’s difficulty in creating positive personal relationships. I
identified a huge gap of information flow as a result of the missing
rapport.
Professional skill training in authentic interactions transformed
both the employees’ and managers’ experiences completely. The newly
formed understandings and relationships that resulted empowered
efficiency and delegation, which resulted in getting the work done
in a timely manner. More importantly: The managers and employees
reported now looking forward to coming to work every morning!
Our society is now facing many challenges. It is critical,
especially in such a time, to motivate both managers and employees.
It is more important than ever to build relationships that
successfully address different beliefs and religions, and to
transform any controversy into positive solutions.
Creating healthy organizations and work environments has become
crucial. Consider introducing health into your organization or
working place. How to begin? You might help to enhance your
canteen’s menu with healthy choices influences; offer an in-house
gym so managers and employees might improve their fitness over
lunch; create a meditation room to unwind or have quiet time. For
smaller business environments, why not visit a health food store or
gym together at lunch time or after work?
When we care for our body, our body responds with health and
happiness. So too, an employee experiencing his or her employer’s
attention to health and wellness will feel very differently about
the workplace. Employees who sense their employer’s care for
enhanced education and skill levels will value their workplace with
greater respect and commitment. Similarly, when managers and
employees are given opportunities to learn skills of leadership,
accountability, customer service and, possibly, stress reduction,
they will feel supported, not only in their general education but in
their personal lives as well. They will experience higher job
satisfaction and their commitment to their company will rise.
When you support your employees’ health on all levels, they will
perform better and so influence the productivity of the company.
Just like the healing of one part of the body contributes to the
health of the whole person and vice versa, the quality of well-being
in a workplace directly relates to the health of all individuals
working there. And their health is directly linked to the health of
the organization. Don’t wait for illness to arise until it is too
late! Reflect as soon as you can on what will help bring greater
well-being in your working environment — and then, take action!
Arpana Greenwood offers
certification trainings in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and
corporate in-house trainings. Contact: 907-258-2608, 1-888-846-4251,
www.conscioussolutions.com, or
arpana@conscioussolutions.com.
