Exactly a year ago today, 25 leaders met up in a room overlooking Sydney harbour to talk about what it means for their workplaces to thrive.
They discussed what ‘thriving’ looks like, why it’s so important, and what it’ll take to make the transition to a ‘thriving’ team or workplace.
This very meeting was what kicked off The Thriving Workplace Movement. It was the beginning of a massive surge of energy to empower whole teams and entire organisations to be the best they can be!
One year on and The Thriving Workplace Movement has grown from strength to strength. There are almost 1000 followers (that we know about) and leaders from as far away as the UK and USA have been talking about how important this movement is.
We have been absolutely blown away by the response to our call out that workplaces are more caring, more human, higher energy and more productive. And we know to continue to build momentum for the movement, how important it is to not leave behind the energy in the room that day on Sydney harbour. To never forget WHY we do what we do.
So as we prepare to launch the agenda and experience for the second Thriving Workplace event, we thought we need to reflect on WHY leaders around the globe are making the commitment to build thriving teams and workplaces!
Money Talks – The Cold Hard Facts
Data is king. Business leaders rely on data to make decisions every day at work. The data about worker wellbeing, engagement and their linkage to productivity and profit are unequivocally accepted in academic circles. For many leaders, it’s stats like those below that spur them into action!
Most workers are disengaged. And it’s costing you money!
1. Globally, only 13% of employees are engaged in their work (source) and disengagement costs Australian business around $54.8 billion a year due to low performance, high absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover (source)
2. Engaged workers are more productive and more profitable.
Gallup found that ctively engaged people are 21% more productive and 22% more profitable than their disengaged peers (source)
3. Poor management is the greatest barrier to productivity
8% of employees say poor management is the biggest thing negatively affecting their productivity at work (source)
4. Stress and mental health issues are a big problem in Australia. 1 out of 5 Australians experience a mental health issue in any one year (source)
5. Stress has a major impact on the performance of your people
57% of employees who said they were very stressed at work felt less productive and disengaged, while only 10% of low-stress employees reported feeling this way (source)
It’s a Calling. It’s Our Purpose!
For many leaders, there’s a strong vocational, ethical or instinctual need to help people on their team to perform at their best – and to be happy and healthy! Over the past year, we’ve asked many leaders what it is that makes them committed to enabling their team members to thrive. Here’s what some of them had to say:
“We need to challenge the status quo and contribute to something larger than self”
“I want to build an organisation that has a positive impact on the lives of all it encounters”
“I love innovating and thinking creatively about what I can do to better myself and those I work with and influence”
“Because we can! We have an opportunity to help people be better, do better and feel better. And because we can, we should”
What’s YOUR Why?
Are you committed to empowering your team to thrive? Do you want to make a positive difference in your workplace?
We’d love to know what it is that motivates YOU?
Is it to improve the productivity of your team? Reduce the number of absenses? Cut the cost of your workers comp claims? Improve your retention? Increase profits? Improve customer service?
Is it because you believe you have a responsibility to treat your peers like humans, rather than assets? To improve the lives of the people that work for and with you?