A gift from our founders Troy Mansell and Adrian Medhurst
Traditionally, this time of year is a time for giving. Please don't forget to give to yourself when this phrase floats into your head.
How workplaces can get better insight into the human experience
Given the challenging and turbulent times we have been experiencing, it has become increasingly important to regularly check in on how people are going. This means we must seek to understand the diverse experiences people are having. This is really important for creating a mindset of inclusion and respect for diversity. Leaders need the insight to open dialogue, extend guidance and support their teams’ individual needs.
The mind-body benefits of yoga
Yoga is incredibly beneficial for our wellbeing and performance. This has been known for thousands of years by many. Building on traditional knowledge and wisdom we now have an incredible (and growing) amount of scientific evidence in support of the beneficial effects of yoga for our wellbeing and performance.
3 practical approaches to employee wellbeing leadership
Leaders care about employee wellbeing. It's now time to put it into action!
Fresh air, movement and keeping life simple
"The days are long but the years are short", as the phrase goes...you hear this frequently as a new mum and it so fittingly describes 2020.
The first few months seemed to gain pace quickly and then all of the sudden we were thrust into the complete unknown of working from home, juggling kids, homeschooling, endless cleaning and more, as the world transformed into one as we've never seen before.
Creating connectedness through community, nature and breath
When I moved to the Northern Beaches of Sydney a little over a year ago, I stumbled across an organisation called [Making Meditation Mainstream][1] – founded by Jason Partington in response to escalating suicide rates and mental health challenges experienced in our communities. Having always been a big ambassador for mental health - I felt really drawn to their purpose and was really looking for a way to connect with my new community but also have more purpose in my own life.
How channelling Sir David Attenborough can improve your day
Our negatively biased self-talk can mean our life is narrated with much drama, danger and disappointment. It can cloud our day and mean we miss or overlook and miss the opportunity to capitalise on the good stuff. It can undermine our ability to engage with and demonstrate our best performances on tasks. It can lead to poorer experiences in relationships. I could go on about the negativity bias and challenges of negative self-talk, but I'm sure your self-talk is chiming in with commentary that is in agreement with these introductory points. So, I'll move onto a useful metaphor and some simple steps we can take to strike more balance.
Leading wellbeing through COVID-19
We understand that workplaces, leaders and employees are under a great deal of stress and feeling very uncertain about what immediate steps to take as we face COVID-19 and the associated health, employment, and economical adjustments.
People are scared for their immediate health and safety. People are anxious about the future. People are confused about what choices to make and what actions to take. Leaders are people, too.
This post is not to strike fear or amplify drama. It is to help leaders choose where to focus attention and effort. Leaders have the opportunity to navigate current complexities and come out the other side having exercised strong leadership, and having strengthened organisational resilience.
Balancing wellbeing and performance - Potential Psychology Podcast: Dr Adrian Medhurst chats with Ellen Jackson.
There is often such a push to meet the demands of a 'busy' life and the challenges of a job or workplace that people neglect to invest sufficiently and consistently in their wellbeing.
Although people can know the importance of wellbeing, this knowledge just isn't enough. Their action drops. They form 'bad' habits. Routines that once built and sustained wellbeing get replaced as every spare moment is used to squeeze out some more performance or tick off more 'to-do list' items.
The crux of human resource development
What are the implications if 20% of your key performers are burning out and becoming depleted and disengaged?
Do you think it is more valuable to develop your high-performers by 5-10%, or invest in the middle 60% of your workforce?
If employees with greater wellbeing are more productive, are wellbeing interventions and practices 'nice to have' or essential?
'The Crux of Human Resource Development' is linked with the above questions.
Finding our inner stillness
A portrait exhibited in the Archibald exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW recently inspired me. The work is titled ‘The inner stillness of Eileen Kramer’ by Andrew Lloyd Greensmith.
Eileen Kramer is 102 years old and as the description of the painting pointed out, “she personifies the key to longevity and a full, rich life.” She is currently the worlds oldest working dancer/choreographer as well as a poet, artist and costume designer. She has been travelling the world living in places such as India, Paris, London and New York and recently returned to Australia, aged 99.
Overthinking and the value of stillness, stability & sensitivity
Does more practice thinking = better thinking? Or, is it not that simple. Does it depend on one thing or another? Is there a law of diminishing return? And, are there alternatives to 'more thinking' that can lead to great levels of insight, learning, understanding, growth, and progress? I think there are...
How we help employees to Live Well and Have Impact!
Two people with one purpose were magically brought together on a cold winter’s morning in Melbourne’s Flinders Lane. Benny Button’s co-founders, Dr Adrian Medhurst and Troy Mansell were in their own unique worlds' beginning another day exploring how they could have a positive impact on people’s lives. However one particular issue was bothering them...