Literature of Leadership - Wellbeing at work

WELLBEING AT WORK. How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams. Jim Clifton and Jim Harter. (2021, Print Edition)

In the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the ability to lead and inspire employees—and build organizational resilience—has never been more urgent. Gallup, a global analytics and consulting firm that focuses on employee talent and strengths-based development, recommends that every organization should focus on creating a workplace culture that places employee wellbeing and engagement at its core. As the title suggests, Wellbeing at Work focuses on how to improve the state of employee wellbeing in the workplace as the catalyst for cultivating a thriving organization.

Since 2005, Gallup has been monitoring and reporting global analytics on factors linked to a thriving life through its World Poll Global Survey conducted in more than 160 countries. From Gallup’s research, five interdependent elements that affect a person’s wellbeing have been identified, as well as a standard metric for its measurement—“Gallup Net Thriving” (GNT). Drawing from their research, this book provides an actionable toolkit for leaders on how to create a thriving and resilient workplace culture.

The book is organized into five (5) parts. Part 1 provides an overview of Gallup’s research that led to the derivation of the five essential elements of wellbeing—career, social, financial, physical and community—in that order. Notably, Career wellbeing is first, because having a good job with engaging work have been found to be the foundations of a thriving life.

Part 2 describes the workplace opportunities associated with each of the five essential elements, including leadership strategies for building a “net thriving” culture. In Part 3, the four greatest risks to a “net thriving” culture are explored, as well as ways to avoid them. Part 4 focuses on employee engagement which, as might be expected, is essential for career wellbeing. Finally, Part 5 emphasizes how a combined focus on employee strengths and wellbeing is the fastest way forward in building a net thriving culture.

Appendices comprise half of the 325-page book and include a treasure trove of research and leadership resources such as strengths-based insights and discussion guides for managers. It should be noted that the content of this book focuses primarily on the wellbeing of employees as team members, and not on “work teams”, as suggested by the book subtitle. Definitely a book for the times!

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