Anthea Indira Ong’s Post

BE WELL Awards at the WorkWell Leaders Awards 2024 - Wellbeing CEO Award Last week’s WorkWell Leaders Awards & Gala Dinner was filled with jubilation and applause as 400 CEOs, organisational heads and their teams gathered to recognise best practices in workplace wellbeing and leadership. The next few posts will spotlight winners and shortlistees across all award categories, beginning with the Wellbeing CEO Award. This award is for the CEO (or equivalent) who has made the biggest impact on their organisation by using their own wellbeing journey to enhance understanding and acceptance in addition to committing to executive sponsorship for workplace wellbeing in vision, leadership actions and investment. In this category, the judges looked for this individual who embodies the 4Cs, commits to personal wellbeing, is a visible champion who communicates regularly to the organisation about wellbeing as a priority, integrates wellbeing into regular meetings with leadership teams and with the Board and key stakeholders. This year’s winner is Dr Prem Kumar Nair, Group Chief Executive Officer of IHH Healthcare. Dr Prem stood out to the judging panel as a leader who integrates the principle of “every employee matters” through hardwiring a robust values-based sustainability strategy to drive decision making throughout the organisation. His comprehensive strategy is coupled with authentic and personal engagement on wellbeing across all levels. Heartiest congratulations to Dr Prem! Special thanks to Sze Keed Wong, CEO of Champion Partner AIA for presenting this award. The judging panel also identified two other outstanding shortlistees for the Wellbeing CEO Award: Kwang Cheak Tan, Former Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Integrated Care (Singapore): Lives and breathes normalising wellbeing at work through personal role modeling, in conjunction with establishing a formal wellbeing framework to drive efforts that touch employees throughout the organisation with shared purpose Jit Nagpal, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Sciente International P/L: Champions workplace wellbeing by interlacing organisational values with behaviours that create a culture of support and belonging, backed by an array of formal and informal policies that bring purpose to life With a 50% increase in total nominations received, the WorkWell Leaders Awards are steadily defining a national standard for employee wellbeing. Winner or not, everyone in this community is integral to shifting the proverbial needle. This is just the beginning! #WWLAwards2024 #mentalhealth #bewellleadwell Anthea Indira Ong Kelvin Ho Kok Weng SAM Khai Yang Koh Stephane de Montlivault Peta Latimer Chartered FCIPD Joey Chung Bob Grove

Yesterday's Leaders Lounge LLC was another resounding success! Shomik Banerjee always brings together brilliant leaders from the world’s top organizations for a full day of high-impact presentations, conversations, networking, and activity.   I had the distinct pleasure of gathering a portion of the group in the form of a “Think Tank” to discuss the meaty topic: “Shaping Career Development with Wellbeing”.   While we just scratched the surface in our 50 minutes together, we chose to focus on, “What exactly IS wellbeing at work, and what is the intersection of wellbeing and career development?” Pleased to share some highlights from our conversation:   - Wellbeing means different things to each of us. It is highly personal, and not something that can be addressed by an organization with a one-size-fits-all approach. - There is a clear generational divide. A more “vintage” way of thinking sounds like, "Development isn’t supposed to be easy, you have to pay your dues, and only you are responsible for your wellbeing." And yet, according to a recent Deloitte study, “ Sixty percent of employees, 64% of managers, and 75% of the C-suite are seriously considering quitting for a job that would better support their well-being.”   ...so, the conversation continued:   - Employees who feel taken care of, that the company values them beyond their work product but about them as humans, want to advance, do better, and continue developing. - Organizations must ensure employees a sense of agency-- each person’s aspirations and development are unique to them, and leadership needs to take accountability to allow the space and path for growth. Most importantly, this needs to be role-modeled at the very top. Organizations can talk about valuing employee wellbeing and career development, but if we do not see it in action by those who set the tone, it doesn't work (loved this, Jolie Chehadeh!) As Donna Verdi FCIPD, FLPI said, it’s about recognizing, role modeling, and reinforcing. Julianne Helinek discussed the concept of “business athletes”.  Professional athletes don’t play every single game—their rest and recovery are protected. And yet, we don’t treat our high performers the same way. Building business athletes is about reframing what wellbeing means— employees work hard and exert great effort, and the organization is thoughtful about their energy, and how they’re managed and developed. Organizations need to be adamant about employees’ rest and recuperation time (thank you for sharing this!) Finally, coaching is an incredible tool that demonstrates organizations’ investment in their people, provides the confidential 1:1 space to discuss what’s most meaningful and beneficial to them personally, creates lasting behavior change, and has a ripple effect on the entire organization. Tell me, what would you add to the conversation? 

🌟 Unlocking Employee Wellbeing: A Workplace Imperative 🌟 Investing in employee well-being isn’t just altruistic; it’s smart economics. Research from McKinsey & Company suggests that improving well-being could add $3.7 trillion to $11.7 trillion to the global economy. Healthy employees are more productive, innovative, and resilient.   Our work environment significantly impacts our health. Positive workplace factors—such as self-efficacy, adaptability, and belonging—are linked to good health. Conversely, toxic workplaces can lead to poor health outcomes.   The McKinsey research has identified 23 drivers of health, and focused in on 6 key areas for employers to focus on: 🔑 Social Interaction: Encouraging team bonding and collaborative spaces. A sense of belonging fosters well-being. 🔑 Mindsets and Beliefs: Promoting growth mindsets, resilience, and positive self-perception. After all, our thoughts shape our reality. 🔑 Productive Activity: Aligning tasks with individual strengths and purpose. Meaningful work drives engagement 🔑 Stress Management: Implementing stress-reduction in initiatives, mindfulness sessions, and flexible work arrangements. A calm mind fuels productivity. 🔑 Economic Security: Offering financial literacy workshops and benefits that alleviate financial stress. Financial wellness matters 🔑 Quality Sleep: Prioritising sleep quality and quantity. Well-rested employees are more focused and creative.   “To capture the economic benefits of good health fully, employers need to move from a sole focus of protecting against incidental risk and illness to helping employees achieve more optimal health” As leaders, we all have a responsibility to champion employee well-being. 🎯 Creating psychologically safe environments to encourage conversation and idea sharing is critical! And we can set the tone from the top in terms of work life balance, boundaries and encouraging flexibility in work arrangements. ❓ I’d love to hear ideas from you or your workplaces regarding employee wellbeing. What successes have you seen? Where do you think we can do better as a leadership community? Please post your ideas and comments below!   I will post the link to the McKinsey article in the comments below ⬇️   ---------------------------- Wayne Robertson - Organisational Effectiveness Leader   I talk about #leadership, #futureofwork, #distributedteams, #lifelonglearning, and #operationalexcellence 🤝 Connect with me 🔔 Ring the bell to follow my posts  

LEAD WELL Awards at the WorkWell Leaders Awards 2024 – Wellbeing Innovation Award Last week’s WorkWell Leaders Awards & Gala Dinner was filled with jubilation and applause as 400 CEOs, organisational heads and their teams gathered to recognise best practices in workplace wellbeing and leadership. This series of posts will spotlight winners and shortlistees across all award categories. Up next is the Wellbeing Innovation Award. This award recognises an organisation that has developed a unique idea or programme to address wellbeing and mental health challenges for employees. In this category, the judges looked for why and how the programme was developed, and how it was communicated and implemented and measured. This year’s winner is PSA Singapore, who stood out to judges with its first-of-its-kind use of data to safeguard the wellbeing of migrant workers, enabling the provision of access to support at the right time in the right places. Special thanks to Stephane de Montlivault, APAC President of Leading Partner Otis Elevator Co. International Asia Pacific for presenting this Award. The judging panel identified two other exceptional shortlistees for the Wellbeing Innovation Award: DBS Bank: Uplifting employee wellbeing through the creation of proprietary digital iHealthWallet to codify proactive and preventative wellbeing support National University of Singapore: (Kind)mind campaign to drive mental health destigmatisation and increase awareness of resources and support including gamification to drive engagement  With a 50% increase in total nominations received, the WorkWell Leaders Awards are steadily defining a national standard for employee wellbeing. Winner or not, everyone in this community is integral to shifting the proverbial needle. This is just the beginning! #WWLAwards2024 #mentalhealth #bewellleadwell Anthea Indira Ong Kelvin Ho Kok Weng SAM Khai Yang Koh Peta Latimer Chartered FCIPD Kwang Cheak Tan Joey Chung Bob Grove

✨ Insights from The Leadership & Happiness Symposium ✨ During the symposium , Dr. Martin Seligman shared groundbreaking research showing that workplace wellbeing drives profitability! The study involved a large number of companies and employees. Key findings revealed that job satisfaction, happiness at work, sense of purpose, and stress levels can predict increases in profitability and stock prices. As a certified Happiness Trainer and Positive Psychology Coach, I can help organizations harness this powerful lever. Let’s make wellbeing a priority and boost your bottom line! https://lnkd.in/eRGuzCkX #Leadership #Happiness #WorkplaceWellbeing #Profitability #EmployeeEngagement

Sustaining workforce wellness is vital for business leaders to ensure a productive and engaged team. Leaders should implement comprehensive wellness programs that address physical, mental, and emotional health. Regularly assessing and adapting these programs can help mitigate burnout and promote long-term employee well-being. A supportive and healthy work environment ultimately drives business success and employee satisfaction. https://lnkd.in/gQRZwrDu

More press about employers realising wellbeing initiatives don't work. I agree with Deloitte 's wellbeing survey '22 who concludes that the impact on wellbeing comes down to: - leadership behaviour - job design - ways of working. (And #purpose of course). Wellbeing at work is about our day-to-day reality and experiences which means the COO needs to work closely with CPO for the wellbeing and people strategies. Gap has managed to show that by giving store workers predictable shifts with the freedom to swap shifts without manager approval. The result: increased sales. What does this tell us? Certainty, flexibility and autonomy matters. Where else could you apply these human needs within operational decisions? And, if you're doing the opposite, how happy do you think your employees are? 3 tips for supporting wellbeing and increasing engagement: - Be brave, drop the wellbeing nik nac benefits and initiatives and work out how you can improve ways of working - Listen to your people, crowdsource ideas to improve the day to day. Build leadership 'well' behaviours into leaders' performance reviews. (Set them up for success rather than for failure). -Test your interventions and don't assume scaling will work. Align your business and people measures over time. What factors do you think most contributes to wellbeing at work? #Wellbeingatwork #MentalHealthAwareness

Does the fate of workplace wellbeing hinge on the middle? We often think that workplace wellness starts at the top, with bold initiatives and visionary leaders. But what if the true driving force is actually in the middle? Middle managers. They are the ones who bridge the gap between organizational goals, and real, everyday experiences of the team. They have the power to turn wellbeing policies into everyday practices. In my new blog post, I explore why middle managers are the key to creating meaningful wellbeing cultures, and how we can support them to succeed. I'd love to hear your thoughts: How are you seeing middle managers shape the wellbeing of your company? https://lnkd.in/gB895Ns3

Navigating objections to investing in workplace wellbeing. A guide for HR leaders. Even with a growing body of research showing the benefits of workplace wellbeing, it’s can still be a tough sell when it comes to securing budget and buy in from senior leaders. It's common to encounter objections such as: - It's too expensive - There's not proof it works - It's not critical to our current business goals - Implementation would be too complex and disruptive - What's the ROI? Well, I'll I've been getting my blog on; identifying 7 common objections and how to over come them. Let me know what you think, and if there are any other common objections we should add to the list? https://lnkd.in/e_bp9WPy #wellbeing #workplacewellbeing #psychologyworks

🚨 Another survey, another headline blaming wellbeing programs, another missed opportunity to address the real problem. We're asking the wrong questions about workplace wellbeing. The issue isn't your EAP or wellbeing resources. You can't out-meditate a toxic environment any more than you can out-exercise a bad diet. 👀 What's hiding in plain sight? Wellbeing Intelligence. We'd never hire leaders without financial or operational skills - that would impact the bottom line. Yet we consistently overlook the most crucial leadership capability of all: The intelligence to create systems where people can thrive. 🌱 True transformation requires: • Wellbeing intelligence as a core leadership skill • Identifying and eliminating workplace barriers • Addressing root causes, not just symptoms • Building cultures that enable vs deplete Stop blaming programs. Wellbeing is more than a checkbox. ✨ Wellness apps play a role, but transformative change starts with leadership that embraces what it means to be wellbeing intelligent. #WellbeingIntelligence #LeadershipTransformation #SystemicChange #MentalHealth #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing