How do you balance staff wellbeing against operational pressures?
The million dollar question right now! Work is relentless, especially in health care and all the while we are told to look after our staff and make sure they don’t burn out. Too late! Or is it?
Can we just take a step back and recognise that our staff are just people. People want to be heard, respected and above all else feel valued. What that means for organisations is there is no one size fits all here. Putting on a wellness event is just not going to cut it. It starts with the organisation and the managers they employ.
Embed compassionate, strong leaders and you will create a workforce that feels supported. Invest in real training such as learning how to actively listen and you will create a workforce that feels heard. Advocate wellness and acknowledge hard work and you will create a workforce that feels valued.
Organisations must start seeing their business as the people that turn the wheels. Only then can we start to really balance staff health and wellbeing against operational pressures.
This is just the start of workplace wellbeing. There is so much more to do. When you truly hear what your staff are saying then you must take action. ”We are understaffed” ”Our equipment doesn’t meet our requirements” ”I’m being asked to work late on a regular basis”. Are we really prepared to let these things go unoticed?
The organisations that are getting wellbeing right are the ones taking preventative measures rather than having to fix the things that have long been broken. I know you don’t want to hear it but happy, productive staff costs money. If you cut corners then expect to see a high staff turnover, high sickness rates and a negative workplace culture.
Treat your staff with respect, care and pride and maybe you have a shot at getting the wellbeing element right!
