3 tips to stimulate vitality in the workplace
How to stimulate awareness about vitality in the workplace? 3 tips: focus on the work environment, talk about it and teach managers how to deal with this topic. Because vital employees are happy to go the extra mile for your organization.
First, here's what vitality really is?
Being vital means feeling good about yourself, both physically and mentally. When you feel good, you are bursting with energy and are better able to cope with the everyday ups and downs. Stress due to approaching deadlines? Do you regularly deal with difficult customers? What to do with that overcrowded mailbox? If you run into these kinds of situations, showing up for work vitally is extra important. And that actually means everything: getting a good night's sleep, getting enough exercise, eating healthy, dealing with stress and having fun social interactions with others. At home and at work.
And that is precisely why vitality is top of mind for many L&D people and HR professionals. Because employees who feel good are less likely to be ill, happier and more productive. But how can you, as an employer, influence such a personal matter?
Awareness: everyone is “comfortable in their own skin”
It is essential to raise awareness about vitality. But how do you go about that in a practical way? In addition to a fruit bowl at the coffee machine, “take the trap stickers” on elevator doors and sponsored water bottles, also invest in a program about vitality. Let employees discover how vital they are and what they can do to become more vital at their own pace and moment.
Vital employees in 3 steps:
#1 Focus your first in the work environment
Be the first to tackle the work environment so that every employee comes to work vitally and feels vital while working. This isn't about simply telling employees to get enough sleep, eat fruit, or exercise more. It's about making them aware of their performance compared to the norm. By providing insight into their performance, you motivate people to invest more energy in their vitality.
And have you ever thought about activities that are easy to set up? For example, introduce the idea of going for a round every Tuesday before lunch, just like us. running with colleagues. Or maybe you can make a deal with the local gym to play squash or paddle tennis with your team once a week.
#2 Praat about it
By discussing vitality, employees will feel heard sooner. As a result, they are more likely to ask for help if something is not going well. This way, you can pick up problems earlier and provide the right help.
Give your employees the ownership to work with vitality in a safe online training environment and encourage open conversations about this. And to keep the topic top-of-mind, use playful elements like a simulation game. That only improves the atmosphere at work!
#3: Help managers create vital teams
Let managers begin each day with a daily check-in with their team. Because managers are usually the first point of contact when someone is not feeling well. Help your managers deal with this by asking employees a quick question to gauge how they are doing. This way, the manager stays up to date with what's going on. This helps to identify possible stressors and it becomes a habit to ask about their state of mind. Before you know it, you'll be building a bridge to vitality - all during a simple check-in. No hassle, just a normal routine.
In addition: a good example to follow. So vital managers create vital teams. ;-)
