Wellbeing culture set to change: a case example
To protect the writer’s sources, the sector in this case example has been anonymised.
The tides are turning, finally. Wellbeing within an anonymous sector is set to take centre stage at one city-centre business, having for years been paid what has been described as ‘pure lip service’ by an industry focused (by its own admission) on profit over people.
One leading Edinburgh practice is taking decisive action to turn the tide on poor mental health and wellbeing within its walls.
One CEO and COO have together courageously struck out to secure sustainable and lasting transformation to their leadership and people culture with an innovative leadership and culture development programme that is being described as “genuinely game-changing”.
A team of 10 senior leaders, including Board level executives are to invest in a transformational in-depth programme to get to the heart of people and organisational challenges being experienced. These include:
high turn-over of staff
substantial resignations
grievances
breakdowns in employee mental and emotional health
long-term sickness
costs from pay-outs.
Image © O.C.Tanner.
What’s at play?
Given that 69% of people say their manager has the greatest impact on their mental health, on par with the impact of their partner - and more than the impact of their doctor (51%) or therapist (41%) (Forbes) - the power and responsibility that managers and leaders have cannot be underestimated (1).
Practices in this sector, like many medium-sized professional services, have for some time found themselves in the grip of ‘accidental managers’: technical experts and subject specialists who find themselves in management positions without training, will or particular interest to lead teams effectively.
Undeniably, some gifted individuals display natural talent to nurture, train and develop people within their units along the way to profit - very often self-taught managers.
At the other end of the spectrum? Reports describe individual managers being ‘obsessed’ with profit to the exclusion of all else; dogged in their pursuit of financial gain for the company, they bulldoze over people and culture to get there. Evidently skilled money makers, whether these individuals should be near people practice without training and support for themselves is arguable.
With one of the central responsibilities of effective people leadership being to help employees feel well at work and thrive in their roles, ensuring ‘accidental’ managers are provided with the appropriate training to support them help others flourish is fundamental. Wellbeing directly impacts on engagement, motivation, performance and productivity - ultimately: wellbeing dictates business success.
How do people become ‘accidental managers’?
It’s understandable why it occurs. A 2023 survey of more than 4,500 workers and managers by the Chartered Management Institute, conducted by YouGov, found that 82% of those who enter management positions have not had any proper training, known as ‘accidental managers’.
In the study a quarter (26%) of senior managers and leaders and half (52%) of managers also claimed they have had no formal management or leadership training (1).
Often, in practices, people have either been there the longest or they’re the best at what they do, so ‘up they go’; that doesn’t mean they want or know how to manage people.
Why does it matter?
Because managing and leading people is a stand-alone skill and talent. One that takes empathy, hard skills and abilities, understanding, rigour, discipline, self-awareness and grit. There may be natural aptitude but no one is born a people manager, and it shows when it goes wrong.
Fortunately, you can learn to lead well, with effective training, mentoring and support.
What’s the culture of wellbeing in this sector now?
In some practices, the culture is strong and favourable to wellbeing. In other, more traditional, hierarchical and patriarchal institutions, a culture of wellbeing doesn’t come naturally; it’s often highly unstructured and ad hoc, with reports of ‘pay them off or push them down’ emerging. Some practices conduct re-branding exercises to move away from this, but the needle barely moves in reality, one source advised.
A traditional approach requires a traditional working model: employees are often expected to be present on-site Monday-Friday 8am-6pm or 9am-5pm - visible in the office with no exceptions and minimal flexibility.
It can be cut-throat: those brave enough to speak up report feeling ‘rinsed dry to make as much profit as possible’ with their personal wellbeing being sacrificed. Or a price tag being offered that can ‘buy the wellbeing gap’ for a while.
A profession not in wellbeing crisis - but in denial
This sector is described by insiders as being not in crisis, but in denial within the profession. Wellbeing is simply not talked about enough for it to be a crisis. Testament to that, insiders admit that a lid is being kept on it and that the issue ‘isn’t that big a deal because people just leave’. Sadly, the promising career of young professionals is being cut short as many feel unable to see it through, and instead leave. A corporate response embedded deeply in denial has been observed:
“you’re wrong”
“it’s not black and white”
“they couldn’t take it”
“it’s the same everywhere”
“get them out so that it can go back to normal”.
As a result, everyone within the profession suffers:
Profession: those brave enough to speak out are exited.
Individuals: concerns are supressed and repressed to breaking point.
What’s the solution?
For real change to happen there has to be acceptance and recognition first. And for there to be acceptance, the sector has to get comfortable enough in the first place to admit that there could be a problem.
The solution to any intransigent situation is to first create a culture where truth can be shared, and recognition and responsibility can be approached without recrimination and shame: there must be psychological safety for leaders first and foremost to being reflecting on and admitting that the issues are real.
Systemic change must be led from the top. And that’s what’s being entered into with this innovative project.
What’s the benefit?
This sector, like many, values profit, but one practice seeks to transform its relationship with profit from purely monolithic to polylithic: from profit alone, to people, wellbeing, improved internal culture AND profit.
Bringing this into better balance requires a contract that acknowledges the role that meaningful change has in tangible business success: the status quo isn’t always the most profitable. Whatever the benchmark of success - whether it’s profit or otherwise - the new input must clearly link to the required output.
Psychological safety does just that: the theory and evidence we already have asserts that: in businesses where there is greater psychological safety, there is observable improvements in inter-personal trust (2), job satisfaction, and stronger employee engagement, resulting in improved wellbeing, leading directly to greater business success (3).
How can psychological safety be linked to greater productivity and profit?
It would be naïve to think that a profit motive can be turned around overnight. It is a journey, like much to do with culture change, and a ‘good-enough’ place is required from which change and transformation can unfold.
As part of this programme we have agreed to be transparent and overt about the link between profit (the measure of success) and improving the practice’s culture. We’re going to call it what it is, because saying it’s not is ‘putting lipstick on a bulldog’ and only serves to continue the entrenched denial.
Key admittances have already been agreed:
Firstly, practices must spend money to make money.
If you want a different output, you first need a different input.
Psychological safety is key, and leads to engagement, wellbeing and, ultimately, stronger business success:
Minimising redundancies can save you money by reducing employee turnover, which in turn lowers the time and costs associated with recruitment, training, and onboarding.
Consistency in staffing fosters team performance, allowing groups to achieve higher levels of development and effectiveness.
Psychologically safe employees are more engaged with business goals. If maximising profit is your objective, empower your staff to speak up and share their ideas.
Change occurs more quickly when staff are engaged and connected to the business's purpose.
Change happens faster: More engaged staff who feel connected to the business purpose do better work.
Happy employees not only perform better but also work more efficiently because they genuinely care about their contributions.
Where will this programme be starting?
We’re starting with an away day to go deep into culture and honesty. No phones, off-site - away from the office.
From there, a full diagnostic will be conducted. Recommendations will follow, which once agreed will form a strategy and operational implementation plan. Thru-support for implementation is part of the package.
We’ll keep you posted!
Ready to transform your culture? Reach out today to discover how we can help!
Sources
The relationship between job satisfaction, job performance and employee engagement: An explorative study by Abdulwahab S. Bin Shmailan, in Issues in Business Management and Economics Vol.4 (1), pp. 1-8, January 2016. Accessed: 12/09/24.
Psychological Safety, Trust, and Learning in Organizations: A Group-level Lens by Amy Edmondson, in Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 2 (Jun., 1999), pp. 350-383. Accessed: 12/09/24.