Læsetid 3 min
“Uh, we don’t really want to say that out loud!“
– we often hear company owners, HR directors or working environment representatives say when we ask if we should tell the outside world about their effective well-being work and increase in employee satisfaction after using Woba.
And here, of course, it’s not the great results that they don’t want to share.
No, these are the original risk areas that are found at the starting point for their completed surveys – i.e. the problems that come to light via Woba’s well-being platform.
The reasons for this can be many.
But our experience tells us that it basically deals with vulnerability and “brand image”.
We want to be positioned as perfect and infallible
It is in our upbringing that we must protect our personal image.
And let me just reach my hand full of prejudice right into the stereotype pool when I say that little girls are told to ‘be a nice little girl’, while boys are told to ‘be strong and never show emotion’…
Wow. It was just before it physically hurt me to write those lines. It is a relic of the past and very caricatured. I know. But nevertheless, there is a latent conviction in all of us that we must appear perfect in the eyes of others.
This is also the case for companies in particular.
Brand Awareness is placed high on the agenda, and as a business owner or director you want to prioritize getting the brand exposed – and thereby increase awareness, customer group and revenue.
It is also a good starting point.
But unfortunately, most companies choose to only show all successes and victories.
And that is a shame. Because it leaves no room for nuances and authenticity.
Well-being measurements create insight – and bring everything to light
When it comes to prioritizing well-being and the working environment, the key word is ‘Insight’.
And that’s exactly the whole point of it. To gain insight into employee satisfaction, problems and risk areas.
Why?
Because you can’t act on something you know nothing about. It’s that simple.
And quite frankly – insight and knowledge are not much better than sticking your head in the ground. Because believe me. Sticking your head in the ground does not make the problems go away. On the contrary.
So the first step towards better well-being, a healthier working environment and fewer resignations is insight.
And you get that with a digital well-being platform such as Woba.io.
And then what from there?
So, now you know…
Now you have the insight – and know exactly which focus areas to work on.
And now concrete action measures must be planned and implemented.
From there follows conscious and open work within the framework of the prepared action measures. And not least a continuous evaluation of the effect – because are you on the right track or do you need to adjust the action measures?
As you know, the answer is obtained via power measurements. A completely indispensable tool in well-being work.
Because what is the point of an employee survey and thorough work with action plans if you do not have the opportunity to measure the effect of the entire well-being work?
It’s not worth much.
Therefore, the power measurements are essential.
Make sure you choose a well-being platform where impact measurements are available and easy to implement – digitally, dynamically and quickly.
Well-being is about proactivity and action – not perfection
Awareness is the first step in well-being work.
You must be aware of where the areas for improvement are, and you will therefore only become so by creating the right, safe environment for the employees.
And no – of course, at first glance, it is not exactly fantastic to learn that someone is not happy, someone is offended or that someone feels stressed.
Of course not!
But… Is it better to ‘play ostrich’ and pretend nothing happened?
Absolutely not.
The key here is to really focus on all the clarity you get via the well-being measurements – and not least the enormous head start it gives you in the well-being work.
Because the problems are there – no company can see itself exempt from this, since all forums with people, diversity and hierarchies will invariably give rise to challenges, conflicts or dissatisfaction.
Malene Madsen, CEO of Woba says:
“Technology has made it possible for problems that were previously not visible to suddenly become visible.
And the reason why many find it so difficult to talk about it out loud is that the problems that come to light are often quite serious.
Here we are talking about bullying, sexual abuse, stress, burnout etc.
But I want to strike a huge blow that it is pure utopia to believe that problems do not exist in any work environment where there is a hierarchy of power.
And an even bigger blow to the fact that the more serious the problems, the greater the need for openness and insight.”
Picture: Malene Madsen, CEO, Woba.
So, why not face the realities, accept and recognize that there are areas of risk and problems to tackle.
And focus on the fact that you actually DO SOMETHING for the well-being and the employees.
Because well-being is not about sticking your beak deep in the sand and appearing perfect.
Well-being is primarily about insight, recognition and proactive action – and no, your company does not differentiate itself from all the others by experiencing problem areas. But it can differentiate itself enormously by actually standing by them – normalizing the taboo and articulating them.
You will be amazed at how much this openness, authenticity and honesty strengthens your brand. Which in turn leads to the all-important credibility.
And credibility must, all else being equal, be preferred to an unrealistic (and quite unattainable) perfection.
