The ticking time bomb


The workplace needs reinvention. All companies operate in increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. Demands are rising, while resources are increasingly spread thin. Organisations talk a good game about how they prioritise employee wellbeing; and ‘perks’ like yoga classes and meditation apps have become the norm. 

But the reality is that many people feel expendable and uncared for. Big bosses seem more interested in providing value for their shareholders than creating a positive work environment. Target-driven processes, excessive bureaucracy, and toxic management practices can simultaneously be a symptom and a cause of wellbeing issues. Meanwhile, a younger workforce is bringing new expectations for how they want to be managed and rewarded. And the spectre of AI is only adding to the anxiety that people feel; no longer valued, for how much longer needed? 

The pressure is particularly acute among leaders. They are valued for their ability to inspire and motivate, yet almost no consideration is given to them managing their own energy and welfare. What’s more, the higher performance they are asked to fuel in others is often unattainable with the resources they are given. 

Yet they are not the kind to give up easily. So they reach for superhuman powers, with no room to make mistakes, no space to breathe, and no boundary between life and work. Burnout is the predictable consequence. 

Against short termism  

It’s lovely to send managers on training courses. It’s easier than ever to deliver online coaching to leaders on any number of skills. They’re usually hungry for new techniques and eager to learn. But it sometimes amounts to little more than box ticking. How long does the impact last when they’re immediately thrown back into the bearpit of pressure? With no time to activate their learnings, or even recoup their energy, they move quickly back to survival mode. The sticking plaster soon peels off, and all that investment - of money and time - is lost. 

In recent times, there has been a fashion for empowering individuals to take responsibility to change themselves, to work on their own resilience and ultimately endure greater challenges. This is tantamount to passing the buck. It’s not fair, and what’s more, it’s rarely effective. 

The case for sustainable change

For meaningful change to stick, businesses must strip out what’s getting in the way. 

These foundational things need to happen:

  • The most senior people need to take a long, hard look at their culture; understand the link between behaviour, performance and growth; and create the conditions for psychological safety and sustained wellbeing.

  • Leaders need to be given genuine permission to prioritise their own wellbeing, so they can role model healthier behaviours and spot early warning signs of burnout in themselves and others.

  • Positive habits must be defined and nurtured (and extended beyond traditional workplace behaviours, to include nutrition, relationships, sleep, and exercise); and cemented into the company’s DNA with progress checks, accountability and rewards. 

Once these foundations are in place, and backed by those at the highest levels, training and coaching has a much better chance of sustained success. People are given the time and space to prioritise, practice, and perpetuate the successful formula. Winning behaviours become second nature. And with healthier habits, more breathing space, and enhanced mental fitness, leaders are better positioned to bring the right energy to their people to catalyse performance and growth at all levels of the business.

Gains - A manifesto for change

By Pauline Hughes, Founder and CEO, Gains