Have you heard about those guest speakers and facilitators who go on and on about how wonderful they are? And then tell you how they ‘discovered’ the answer and now you can have it too (at a huge cost)?
Well, that’s not Cris. He believes that kind of talk disempowers people. And we’re here to excite and incentivise your people. He also has a healthy respect that everyone’s path is unique. As such, you should “walk your own walk”.
What does Cris mean by this? He’s had struggles (and still does). And he’s made a few mistakes. In fact, he believes in making mistakes every day, to learn and grow. But Cris also believes in learning from others. His journey has taught him some valuable shortcuts. Shortcuts that can help you (and others) avoid some of the pitfalls he’s experienced.
Cris has shared a stage with the likes of the Dalai Lama, Brené Brown and others. Their inspiration shaped the successful wellbeing practises that Cris now brings to workplaces.
One of the major issues that people have once they decide to have a wellbeing program in the organisation is to upsell and get it approved either by the CEO, the board or the executive team.
“Cris you’ve had some experience at this, can you give us some examples of issues about people creating a business case to sell to these people?”
The big thing here is to not make the case generic, that is make your business case specific to your organisation.
What are the issues that are going on in your organisation that a Wellbeing program will resolve?
One organisation that I have worked with had a very high standard of quality, they were making health care products. The issue that their wellbeing program helped resolve was better quality work.
In another organisation it was sick days. People were taking a lot of sick days. The issue we were solving there was around less sick days.
At yet another there were a lot of complaints about the culture of the place. That wellbeing program was aimed at creating a positive workplace – that was how they made their business case.
The four (4) generic elements of your business case as we have said elsewhere are: traction, retention, low absenteeism and people being more present and doing the work. These are the big ones.
In your organisation, make it specific, show what it will return your organisation and remember you should be getting about 4:1 return for your company.
Whatever the generic reasons for introducing a wellbeing program – make sure you find specific examples of your workplace. And in the end, it has got to be about performance and about productivity. Get in touch if you need a hand.
The second week of October is Mental Health Week. Mental health is defined in many ways, and mental illnesses are on the increase in our modern society. Scientists are continually looking for cures. But the time, money, and effort spent proportionally on prevention is miniscule in comparison.
Depression is more than just a low mood – it’s a serious illness. It is one of the most common of all mental health problems; and one in five people experience depression at some stage of their lives.
While we all feel sad, moody or low from time to time, some people experience these feelings intensely, for long periods of time, and often without reason. People with depression find it hard to function every day and may be reluctant to participate in activities they once enjoyed.
Here are 5 tips to help you improve your Mental Health:
1. Exercise physically regularly. Ensure that your heart rate works at 70 to 80%, for thirty minutes, at least three times a week. You can buy a heart rate monitor for less than $100
2. Play mind games that give your brain mental challenges such as Scrabble, Sudoku, and crosswords. Quizzes are also good.
3. Keep your blood pressure levels in check. Ensure most importantly that they don’t go too high for too long. A blood pressure monitor is reasonably priced and available.
4. Take regular breaks. Stop working your mind too hard for too long. It enjoys a rest. This can come in the way of meditation sessions, brisk walks, and of course a good night’s sleep.
5. Develop social relationships. Believe it or not this is one of the things recommended to prevent dementia. For more information on this, read the book Maintain Your Brain.