Care and Push
I've found the debate about well-being and performance to be ironic.
It's not well-being OR performance. It's well-being AND performance. Unless software and machines are your entire workforce, it is actual humans that execute your business.
People perform. Companies make money because people perform in profitable ways. Big and small.
Last week I posted an article on this topic: Redefining Performance Culture. Two interesting examples around this have come up in the week since that post.
The first occurred when the President and CEO of MillerKnoll* got on a Zoom call to try and motivate the workforce. From all accounts, it did not go well. She made the mistake of 'chants of productivity without compassion' - Shift Three from the article. Based on the controversy that's followed, the employees on the receiving end of that 'work harder' message perhaps didn't find it effective. To say the least.
The second example runs in contrast. Walmart is launching a major mental health education and support effort for its employees as the U.S. grapples with a behavioral health crisis.** This hits directly at Shift Two - from technical to people leadership. Here's a company that understands how well-being improves performance.
Rested, focused employees perform better than those that are overworked. The science behind this fact is compelling. Love this post from @joshhammonds that points it out pretty clearly: Effects of Brain Breaks.
Sports teams understand this. And yet we fail to apply the same understanding of physiology and biology to our professional lives.
How is your company striking the balance?
*From <https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ceo-took-home-nearly-5m-191000871.html>
