I highly value the benefits of a positive workplace atmosphere. I look back to when I started my career in Human Resources, in early 2000, and realize that most companies didn’t focus on employee wellness, much less quality of life programs.
Topics that are present in everyday life today, such as diversity and inclusion, psychological safety and concepts of high performance teams, were not as present in the conversations.
I remember very well an episode from that time that marked me, when a professional publicly exposed a deficiency in his leadership style. This was an exposure of his vulnerability — and the fallout and comments about that exposure shocked me. Vulnerability used to be seen as a sign of weakness, but I see that starting to change. I see a promising future in psychological safety research in companies.
In part, I believe this movement progressed with the pandemic, when personal and professional life blended in many ways. We began to look more closely at other aspects of our colleagues who are also mothers, fathers, children, pet owners, artists, athletes, etc.
I confess that, like many people, I experienced difficult times during that period. The action plan to improve my mental health was to incorporate healthier habits into my daily life, such as exercise, in addition to keeping a schedule. I also experienced the vulnerability of exposing situations for adjustments — and opening dialogues with colleagues was essential to seeking a better quality of life.
All this movement exposes our vulnerability to the corporate world – and vulnerability has become a sign of courage and commitment to development, a clear indicator of different levels of maturity
I have seen many cases of professionals who have focused on results, even managed to exceed the targets, but have forgotten to maintain the right balance.
For me, this is a road of no return. Vulnerability enables authenticity and well-being. I have noticed, in the teams I work in, that the correlation between well-being and performance has intensified. I have seen many cases of professionals who have focused on results, even managed to exceed the targets, but have forgotten to maintain the right balance. And this is not sustainable in the long term. Sooner or later, it ends up affecting the results.
The fact is that the corporate eye will be increasingly attentive to holistic programs of wellness, quality of life and psychological safety. Not just from a business perspective, with a focus on productivity and engagement, but with a more humane, empathetic and people-centric approach in mind, which should be at the heart of company operations and organizational culture.
So, whether you’re a team leader or not, always have this topic on your radar and aim to achieve a work-life balance that works. Also do your part, supporting those around you to achieve what works for them. In this way, it is possible to maximize connections and inclusion, allowing people to bring the best versions of themselves to the workplace.
