Shaping workplace culture from the top-down
From the rise of remote and hybrid work and the push for flexibility in work schedules to trending buzzwords like ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘acting your wage,’ there’s been a clear shift in workplace culture that’s brought employee well-being to the forefront.
And as a health and well-being organization focused on guiding and empowering healthier lives for everyone, we know better than most the positive impact that prioritizing mental health can have on an individual and a workplace. Integrating healthy workplace habits into company culture—from the top-down—can vastly improve workplace satisfaction, productivity and well-being.
Hear from some of our senior leaders on how they prioritize their own well-being and model healthy habits for their colleagues.
Taking care of yourself
“Our mental health shapes how we see the world, process events and ultimately defines the quality of our life and happiness,” says Dr. Glenn Pomerantz, Point32Health’s chief medical officer. Poor mental health can significantly exacerbate physical health problems, and good mental health has a positive effect on physical health.
But with looming deadlines and big projects constantly circulating in the workplace, how do you maintain your well-being?
Pete Church, our chief people officer, states, “As a health care organization, we believe that taking care of ourselves, both mentally and physically, allows us to take better care of our members and the communities we serve. We have curated a wide range of benefits and tools to nurture and support the health, well-being and diverse needs of all colleagues.”
But as Kristin Lewis, our chief public and community affairs officer, notes, taking care of yourself may look different for each person. “For me that means prioritizing exercise and spending time with my family, but that might not be the same for everyone.” Figuring out how to best take care of yourself is a useful tool to have when your personal or professional life gets stressful.
Learning to manage the stress
Scott Walker, our chief financial officer, sees mitigating stress as the key to workplace well-being. “Anxiety and stress are a real part of everyone’s life, so it’s not about avoiding stress but identifying ways to manage or eliminate triggering items as much as possible.” He goes on to share that making clear distinctions between what you can and cannot control has been a regular practice for him as he’s gotten older to maintain balance and perspective.
“We want to help our colleagues build resilience, which is something that can be learned and can reduce stress,” Pete mentions. “We offer benefits to help our colleagues learn this skill so that they can handle stress both at the workplace and outside of work.”
And as Dr. Pomerantz alluded to, there’s a direct correlation between stress and mental health. “Being able to control your reaction to stress can positively affect your well-being, especially at work,” he shares.
Maintaining a work-life balance
“There are going to be times when one is more demanding than the other—and that’s ok,” says Kristin. In the workplace, she suggests leaning on one another for solutions. “How do we come up with ways to work smarter and more efficiently? That’s on all of us.” Those directly doing a job often have great suggestions on how something can be done better so making space for all voices to be heard is important.
It’s also beneficial to have the right resources in place to combat the stress that comes from a heavy workload or busy schedule. One resource available to Point32Health colleagues is meQuilibrium, a well-being digital companion, which has activities designed to build resilience. “MeQ is a data-driven approach that is helping our colleagues stay open and flexible in their thinking, advance towards goals with less resistance and create stronger connections to the work they do every day,” shares Pete.
For Scott, prioritizing healthy habits is what fuels him to take on the workday. “I stay grounded by getting eight hours of sleep a night, not drinking alcohol and finding time to be alone.” He also tackles his biggest challenges first thing when his energy is best and refuels outside of work with activities that “fill his cup,” like cooking and spending time with his family.
Creating a positive work environment
When leaders do their part to set positive examples and support behaviors that align with a healthy workplace culture, it creates a ripple effect that impacts all colleagues to do the same. Because, at the end of the day, workplace wellness is a company-wide effort, and each colleague plays an important part.
To learn more about the common guiding principles that shape our culture and community at Point32Health: