When we summon the courage to speak up, particularly about the things that truly matter, we take a stand—not just for ourselves, but for others as well. In doing so, we help build a culture where openness, transparency, and courage can flourish, creating an environment where growth and trust are nurtured.
Organisational change and restructuring are inevitable in today’s dynamic business environment. Whether driven by shifts in market conditions, technological advancements, or strategic realignments, such changes can lead to significant disruptions within an organisation. However, these periods of upheaval also present an opportunity for leaders to reinforce their commitment to sustainable wellbeing and performance. By focusing on the wellbeing of their employees during times of change, leaders can mitigate the negative impacts of uncertainty, maintain productivity, and foster a resilient organisational culture.
In today’s rapidly evolving work environment, the intersection of sustainable wellbeing and performance has never been more critical. As leaders navigate the complexities of organisational change, mounting workloads, and the pressures of managing resources, prioritising both personal and team wellbeing is essential. At Benny Button, we understand that wellbeing and performance are not just interconnected—they are symbiotic. Our data consistently shows that employees with high levels of wellbeing are more engaged, motivated, and capable of sustained high performance. Conversely, neglecting wellbeing leads to burnout, disengagement, and a significant decline in organisational effectiveness.
That's why we're committed to helping organisations embed sustainable wellbeing and performance into their core strategies, ensuring that every employee can thrive in a healthy, supportive, and productive work environment.
When overwhelmed with work, the risk of burnout looms, marked by early signs such as fatigue and a lack of engagement. Despite the importance of the work, recognising a dip in performance signals a need for rest. This blog advocates for courage in expressing personal needs, offering a five-step process to communicate effectively with leaders.
In the dynamic landscape of the modern world, our stress activation and restoration patterns are undergoing a shift. Factors like escalating work and life demands, heightened uncertainties, and blurred lines between professional and personal spheres contribute to this evolving scenario. In this latest article, we delve into the intricacies of our 'activation zones' and decipher the optimal time needed in the restoration zones to effectively counterbalance stress.
So how is this possible? Prior to working at Benny Button, as a senior leader at General Mills, I would find myself in meetings for most of the day and when not at work, busy looking after my family. So I needed to find a way to integrate movement into my day, rather than thinking about it as an add on. I needed a practical approach that included my teammates and my family.
"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.
In these challenging times, I find I’m constantly coming back to Kurt Vonnegut's quote: “We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.”
My startup journey - launching the world’s first 100% natural vitamin tea - has not always been graceful, and many times I have learned the detailed meaning of growing wings on the way down. But it has been an incredible adventure trying to prove that innovation based in ethical business is a winning combination, and it still keeps me going through the late nights and uncertain circumstances during Covid-19.
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.
I have spent most of the time in the last 25 years of my working life within the realms of social enterprise and non-profit sectors. I’ll often say that I am surrounded by extraordinary people doing extraordinary things and always within the lens of extraordinary circumstances. The sum of all these parts allows for an alignment of social purpose and with it the joy of having impact.
While there is still a lot we don’t know about the immune system, we do know that up to seventy percent of our immune cells are located along the gastrointestinal tract and our gut bacteria play an essential role in supporting a strong immune system. Eating a broad range of foods, particularly plants, will help to strengthen your gut bacteria.
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.
I think a lot. I contemplate how I live. I look at the different tasks I engage in and consider what they require of me versus what I demonstrate. I think about my relationships and interactions. I think about my habits, routines, and tendencies. I reflect on what I believe I can do better in different parts of my life - i.e. the personal, professional, and social domains. Taking all this into account, I try to estimate the percentage of my day my behaviour fits in each of the quadrants. It's a rough assessment, but It shows me where I will benefit from mindfulness practice and mindful action. It allows me to monitor times of progress towards mastery, and times that I slip. I hope you find it useful.
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.
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.
Most of us are coming out of what has hopefully been a restful and replenishing holiday season. But now it’s back to work and the resumption of the ‘norm’ where our modern lives and workplaces are busier than ever.
Before we know it demanding workloads and numerous responsibilities will be filling our calendars and to-do lists to the brink of bursting. The constant flow of information, email, and media competing for our attention at all hours of the day resumes. It’s not hard to see that we can become so busy being busy that we lose sight of what is most important to us, or even lose our sense of self and connection with others.
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.
Two litres of water before 2pm each day can help optimise hydration, boosting performance and productivity at work. It makes good sense, especially when over fifty percent of our body weight is made-up of water. Forgetting to drink water, air-conditioning and heat early in the day can cause dehydration which can lead to lethargy and tiredness and result in an unplanned trip to the coffee shop or vending machine in the afternoon!
Our brains are hungry. From one moment to the next, our appetite for thinking can be insatiable. It seems as if our mind is always on the lookout for something to consume and chew on. But we can’t so much blame our mind. After all, our past has primed us to scan our environment for relevant cues and information we can use to get ahead and survive. But that was at times when our environment was far simpler than it is today. These days, there is an abundance of stimulus all around us or available to use on-demand, in any moment of the day or night.
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.
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...
Whether it's overpowering the 3pm slump, or mixing with a few drinks to make the party last longer, energy drinks are bound to have been a feature for all of us at some point – whether occasionally or on a regular/daily basis. We all know there are many healthier options to improve our energy, but there are times when a quick fix seems the only answer. Hopefully, after you read on, you will think twice about your afternoon pick-me-up habit...
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...
The future of human nutrition just upped the ante with a brand new superfood now in the final stages of legislation. Hemp in it’s various forms from seeds, to oils and powdered proteins are currently consumed in every country outside of Australia and New Zealand. We are now officially joining the party down under.
But, don’t get the wrong idea; it’s not that kind of party.
