03 Jan So what are you now going to do about workforce stress?
Throughout 2017 you heard and processed the facts, figures and business case for reducing workforce stress and supporting employee mental health, to increase productivity, reduce business risk and enhance employee wellbeing.
From my experience businesses now have four options:
1. Do nothing – Despite leadership fully understanding the opportunities and risks, there will unfortunately be other business priorities or particular challenges that some leaders believe will need to be addressed first, and therefore, the risks of doing nothing to people, the employer, corporate and investor brands and business performance will be accepted and these risks will have an impact.
2. Audit / Diagnosis – Those ready to address workforce stress will audit and diagnose the stress hierarchies across the workforce, and the reasons for existence, then take the appropriate action to reduce problematic stress, prevent additional stress developing and inform all future strategy and organisation change based on how it will impact on specific employee audiences in terms of productivity and wellbeing.
3. Strategy – Many leaders will ingrain their approach to workforce stress and mental wellbeing into their people and business strategies, so will engage with specialist mental wellbeing strategy consultants to drive out the ‘Why’, ‘What’ and ‘How’, ensuring alignment with the strategic direction and set timescales of the business plan.
4. Consultancy – Some leaders will want to take ongoing guidance from a trusted advisor to lay the foundations and reasoning for investment in workforce stress management and mental wellbeing. This will result in a detailed understanding of the high level opportunities and risks, bespoke to the organisation and an optimal recommendation for pursuing either an Audit / Diagnosis or Strategy approach.
2018 is the year for action on stress and mental wellbeing and APeopleBusiness is looking forward to building on its 2017 success, and supporting many more forward thinking organisations.
We are scheduling new StressFactor Diagnostic Projects for late February and Mental Wellbeing Strategy Workshops for early February. Trusted Advisor Consultancy is in the form of one to two days equivalent time investment per month, so if you are ready to start, we are too.
All the very best.
Colin.