Well Being and Well Doing
Employee engagement is a key success factor for every company. Engaged employees tend to be more creative, generating new ideas and approaches which are critical for helping an organization grow, adapt, and evolve. Now more than ever, leaders must leverage well-being, an essential component of employee engagement and productivity, if they are serious about driving their business forward.
The bottom line
Research from the Integrated Benefits Institute shows that lost productivity due to illness cost employers $575 billion last year. The research further showed that for every dollar spent on health care benefits, another $0.61 is spent on illness-related absence, disability, and reduced work output. According to Gallup research, the disengaged worker may be costing you as much as $2,246 per year. All of this has a direct impact of your organization’s bottom line.
Engaging employees for innovation
Turning around unproductive and disengaged employees doesn’t happen overnight. It takes continued effort to help connect them to the purpose of the organization and to understand their role in fulfilling that purpose. Creating opportunities for employees to be part of innovation projects can light the spark they need to become engaged.
In a recent conversation with author and thought leader, Bryan Mattimore, we discussed how an organization can create a safe environment that fosters a culture of innovation, creativity, and engagement. According to Mattimore, “There is something that I call a pocket of passion where innovation starts to happen in the workplace. The energy that comes from these pockets is contagious and the rest of the organization tends to get really interested in what’s happening. This becomes self-reinforcing as more people want to become part of it because it’s fun and it’s great and it’s wonderful.”
Well-being breeds well-doing
Mattimore has been guiding corporate teams to innovate for over 30 years. I asked if he saw a connection between creating cultures of innovation and well-being? Mattimore explained, “This gets back to the human spirit. An organization that is not creating an environment where employees can reach their full potential is not good. We do creativity workshops and I see the light go on in people when they rediscover their inherent creativity.” He continued, “I think it starts with leadership encouraging people to share ideas about new ways to do things. When that happens, people have the wonderful experience of making new connections to well-being and what I like to call “well-doing.”
Finding the spark
As leaders, your job is to create an environment where employees can be innovative. When employees are given the opportunity to be part of initiatives that move organizations forward, they feel more engaged, motivated, and personally fulfilled. Their well-being will be enhanced, and their well-doing will also.
