Well-being support, more than a trend in organisations

The multiple crises and chronic work overload have made “well-being” a top issue generally and especially in non-profit organisations. It is natural for NGOs to want to provide workplaces that promote rather than hinder well-being, but it is not always easy to do so.

A complex world undergoing a digital transformation

It is hardly surprising that promoting well-being is challenging. Many of the reasons for this can be found outside in society, in the ‘VUCA world’, in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. This, exacerbated by the digital transformation, which is unsettling for many. It is therefore all the more important to avoid additional and, above all, ‘unnecessary’ stress in the workplace. Not all NGOs manage to achieve this!

On the one hand, this is due to the so-called purpose paradox, i.e. conflicts over strategy, salary and resources that are not handled well, as well as widespread project egoism (i.e. working in solos) and too many changes. On the other hand, excessive demands due to too many tasks, too much change or too few well-prepared managers, can lead to dismissal, working to rule, disengagement or burnout.

In the Global Well-being Survey 2023 of 14,000 private sector employees, one in three respondents said their well-being was at an all-time low. Although more than two-thirds of respondents ranked their well-being as a top priority, only 12% said they believed their well-being was where it should be.

Well-being programmes have been set up in some places in response to the trend towards a growing sense of malaise in the workplace. Mindfulness courses, yoga programmes, online meditation sessions and self-care tips (such as going for a walk once a day) have proliferated. Such programmes are good and important, because committed employees are the capital of NGOs. Taking care of them is key. People who feel good, work good. That’s the simple formula.

Even Amazon is embracing well-being

Big tech companies have also realised this. Amazon, for example, has set up “Ama-Zen” boxes for its employees and Google has a mindfulness programme under the label “Be Your Best Self” [1]. This is more likely to be for short-term labour regeneration for profit purposes than for humanistic reasons, but it is also an indicator of the trend.

Whatever the case may be, in NGOs it can only be about creating a long-term working situation based on trust for the organisation and its employees if the common purpose is not only pursued but also — at least partially — achieved.

Well-intentioned well-being

As well-intentioned as these programmes are — at least in the case of NGOs — some scepticism is still warranted. After all, lunchtime yoga classes and free fruit at the coffee machine can mask the fact that (first and foremost) any structural causes need to be addressed. These might be challenges such as harassment by bureaucracy and hierarchy, superiors who are unable to listen, or that no open discussion can be held about the (permanent) tension between the ideal and the real.

Taboo for line managers to discuss their own insecurities

In my experience, it is still a widespread taboo for line managers to discuss their own insecurities and inadequacies. In addition, such well-intentioned well-being offers can feel like extra work or have an esoteric touch for many and sound like “feel ya, feel others”, whilst one works here because of other reasons. In short, they do not appeal to everyone in the same way and are also a reaction to problems and symptoms.

Symptom reduction measures such as mindfulness courses and ‘Employee Assistance Programmes’ (i.e. counselling and therapy for stressed employees) are, as said, important, no question [2]. In my opinion, it is even more important to take preventative action and investigate the underlying causes.

In the case of NGOs, there are two additional difficulties:

1. Highly active people, when they vehemently deal with social symptoms, often fall into over-commitment: intrinsically strongly motivated, they find their work — in a way rightly so — so important that they can become ruthless. To themselves and therefore to others.
2. The widespread “busyness”, i.e. being overworked, as the main evil: not having time to be considerate, to take other points of view into account and to be able to reflect. It seems as if some people derive meaning (their sense of importance) from the lack of time they display.

The cause of this evil is often a sense of urgency. Sure, there are good reasons to be driven and outraged, which of course exacerbates the well-being problem. I am not excluding myself here: It is precisely my own experiences that lead to the admonition not to follow the capitalist motto ‘higher, faster, further’ and the false understanding of efficiency associated with it. Instead, put quality before quantity.

Holistic approach needed

Mindfulness courses and apples are good things, but they only work on an individual level, which can convey the message: “Work on yourself and the problems will soon be solved” — just as one might assume tech companies do. This is too short-sighted. The educationalist and psychologist Tho Ha Vinh proposes a holistic approach that combines the structural and the individual: “If the mentality does not change, structural renewal alone will not bring about any real change”.

Conversely, if we focus only on the inner dimensions and on individual transformation without addressing the structural issues, we might overburden the people, who are held responsible for problems that may be systemic. For instance, if we want to lessen stress in the workplace, a good way to start is to have employees practice mindfulness. But we should not forget that the causes of stress might be related to objective situations that need to be addressed such as toxic management practices (…). From this, he derives a programme for “Happiness and Well-being” for organisations based on the Gross National Happiness Index [3].

So, what exactly? The first step is quite unoriginal: less is more. This has been said often; and yet the following applies: fewer activities and these more sustainable. Then clarify and simplify structures and decision-making processes and introduce simple ‘well-being ingredients’ into everyday working life. Above all, preventive measures are needed in terms of work culture: spaces for reflection, dialogue among colleagues and time for learning.

Small gestures can make a big difference to well-being

A lot can be done for well-being with little effort by adapting everyday routines such as the organisation of meetings and decision-making and adopting an open attitude towards colleagues — yes, quite old-fashioned: respect, politeness and friendliness. And, if possible: being genuinely interested. This attitude helps to connect and resonate — a ‘mental staple food’ of human beings: Each person looks after each other, asks how things are going, listens, uses small interventions to make meetings more human, more interactive — in other words, more enjoyable (here are a few ideas for this: “Healthy Ingredients for better Meetings”).

Listen attentively, be curious ask neutral questions

And if there are still bosses, they should primarily ask curious, neutral questions and listen attentively — even listen between the lines — as well as organise good decisions and allow time for reflection so that they are not flattened by urgency. And if there are no more bosses in a particular transaction, the same applies. Because self-organisation can be a stressor for many because it is (still) unfamiliar.

Measures organisations can take to help well-being

Based on studies, journalist Brigid Schulte also suggests three measures for companies that could also be helpful for organisations [4]:

• Dismantle the myth of busyness [5] and communicate regularly that 24/7 work is neither expected nor rewarded. For example, by noting at the end of an email that an immediate response is not expected.
• Block out non-work and reflection time in the calendar and schedule buffer time and breaks. Daily breaks are needed to recover, reflect and share ideas — see ‘The power of breaks’ [6].
• Make employees’ workloads (more) transparent and block off time for prioritised work for everyone to see.

According to the State of Workplace Burnout 2024 report, a hybrid working model should be added as a further measure: According to the study, employees who work a hybrid model, i.e. are in the office 2-3 days a week, report the highest levels of well-being and quality of work compared to those who work predominantly from home or in the office.

And the most important thing we can do is promote good relationships at work. They are the best way to reduce stress, as psychiatrist Robert Waldinger says: “If one has colleagues one likes, one is more pleased to go to work” [7].

So says positive psychology in its PERMA Model of Well-being [8]. And happiness researcher Arthur C. Brooks echoes this sentiment: “Only those who are happy can be successful. Not the other way round.” And for that “rely on interpersonal relationships that fulfil you. On family and friends, on spirituality too. And pursuing work that is meaningful and fun” [9].

In short: relating to one another and seeing the organisation as a living being and not (just) as a machine (see ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’: Put people first) is the key to well-being. It must not become just another “goal to be achieved” with burdensome constraints, but organisations must play an active role in enabling well-being at work. All it takes is a bit physical activity, mindfulness and relationship building.

Literature