The following excerpt is from an interview with Mari Ryan, author of The Thriving Hive and the principal of Advancing Wellness. Click here to hear the full interview on the Returns On Wellbeing Institute’s Youtube Channel.
Mark Ryan is the principal of Advancing Wellness, a consultancy that helps companies create healthy, thriving workplaces by collecting and analyzing actionable data to create strategic employee wellbeing plans that work. She regularly speaks on topics related to employee productivity, wellbeing strategy, and employee and personal engagement. Mari’s recent book, The Thriving Hive, was the winner of the 2019 Axiom Business Book Award.
Jim: Many wellness programs are implemented without understanding what employees truly want or need. And most wellness programs do not address unsupportive workplace cultures. Talk about the benefits of a people-centric workplace.
Mari: When we think about a people-centric workplace, it’s an environment where employees can thrive. And when employees thrive, they do their best work.
In the long run, when employees feel they work in an environment where they’re cared for, contributing and recognized, organizations can better meet their business objectives.
Jim: Why aren’t more companies adopting initiatives and programs that deliver this kind of competitive advantage?
Mari: It requires a paradigm shift for many organizations to think about what it really means to care for their people. Some companies still function in the old command and control style which doesn’t communicate that employees are cared for and appreciated.
In larger organizations, it’s not prioritized. And I think that’s really what’s missing.
Jim: Many CEOs and business leaders do not see employee wellbeing as a strategic priority. Do you see that as a problem?
Mari: If they don’t see the employee wellbeing as strategic, they’re going to have trouble meeting business objectives. That’s an essential part of any strategic plan. Some of my clients now include employee wellbeing as a strategic goal, such as striving to be a best place to work and making sure their employees feel that way.
Jim: What role does workplace culture play in determining employee participation levels and the success of specific programs?
Mari: Organizations that do a good job and have high wellbeing program participation rates have made wellbeing and wellness just a part of how they do business. Culture is such an important element. It’s the norms and values, the behaviors, the rituals that take place in any organization. And as a result, culture can drive wellbeing initiatives, especially how people are treated and how leaders act as role models.
Jim: You emphasized a strategic approach to workplace wellbeing that involves whole-person wellbeing, where employees, not clients or customers, come first. Can you say more about what you mean and how you’ve seen this idea work in real-world companies?
Mari: You can’t achieve business objectives without your workforce. Employees are expected to help meet business objectives, to look after the customers. Bob Chapman, the CEO of Barry Wehmiller, is a classic example of this.
Jim: It’s common that companies rely on their own idea of what employees need rather than asking them. But it’s important to assess employee wellbeing before developing strategies and programs. Talk about the types of data you collect and how it helps you assess an organization’s current state and plan for strategic wellbeing initiatives?
Mari: We collect qualitative and quantitative data. We do a series of interviews with senior leaders. We conduct employee focus groups. Then we look at information from within that organization, such as healthcare claims and worker’s comp claims. We also look at the physical workplace and ask questions that help us better understand the culture.
We look closely at the workplace culture and when combined with the other data we can get a good snapshot and know where to modify programs or make policy changes. All of this helps pull together a strategic wellbeing plan.
Jim: What have you seen that reflects the true cost of high employee turnover?
Mari: Turnover is a huge issue, especially in a strong economy. When unemployment is really low, people start to change jobs because they feel that they have more opportunities.
There are a lot of costs associated with turnover, not only the cost of replacing lost employees but also the cost of having a job unfilled over time, and the pressure that puts on other team members who have to pick up the slack. And there’s disruption to the team, especially if the departing employee is a top performer.
This is one are where workplace wellbeing can have an impact. Because people are engaged and enjoying their work, and they feel cared for and appreciated, then hopefully they’re more inclined to stay in that role.
Jim: Your book, The Thriving Hive, is a parable that shows how leadership plays a central role in the success of any organization. What are the practical applications or key takeaways of that book for CEOs and other business leaders?
Mari: In writing this book, I really wanted to encourage people to think about how we create cultures and workplaces where people feel cared for. Bob Chapman does a great job of talking about this in his book, Everybody Matters, where they treat people like family.
Employers have a responsibility to send employees home feeling better than they came in the morning. And when people are thriving, the organization will thrive.
Jim: Sum up your basic rules of thumb for creating thriving productive workplaces.
Mari: The organization needs a clearly stated purpose. That can serve as a motivator for employees to feel they are part of something they can contribute to… something that can impact the larger world. Younger generations are pushing companies to think about how they can help employees feel more connected to the purpose of their organizations.
They want to feel that they’re doing meaningful work. And that’s really the key.
The other two pieces are values and culture. Values support the purpose. But values are the underlying way an organization operates. When it has values at its core, those become guiding principles for the entire organization. They underlie the culture, which comprises the norms, the behaviors, the rituals, the assumptions that exist within an organization.
All of those work to create an environment where people can feel like they belong, they feel like they’re cared for and recognized, and they are part of something bigger than themselves. And when those three pieces come together, that’s a thriving hive.
