How to develop a culture of wellbeing

In 2020, wellbeing was the top-ranked trend of importance in the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends study. One year later, and 45% of executives report that the most important action they are taking to transform work is building an organisational culture that celebrates growth, adaptability and resilience.

What we are seeing is a dramatic shift as organisations move to fully integrate wellbeing into their DNA. Standalone resources, benefits and workshops are no longer enough as wellbeing and resilience become part of the design of work – and life – itself.

HR, L&D and OD play a fundamental role in shaping a wellbeing strategy, but to ensure success there must be wellbeing expertise running throughout the organisation. As you build your plan for wellbeing, consider each level.

1. The organisation

• Initiate working groups to integrate wellbeing into existing practices and ensure inclusion.
• Develop a team of Wellbeing Champions to drive engagement in wellbeing initiatives.
• Gain Executive sponsorship to influence decision-making at the top-level.

2. Teams

• Upskill leaders to role-model healthy high performance.
• Train managers to hold wellbeing conversations with confidence.
• Give teams the knowledge and freedom to develop their charter for wellbeing.

3. Individuals

• Address mental health stigma with Mental Health Awareness training.
• Build a team of Mental Health First Aiders to provide valuable support when things are tough.
• Upskill coaches to deliver high performance resilience coaching.

Developing wellbeing expertise throughout your organisation will put healthy high performance at the centre of your business. But remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Identify your top priority and build from there.