Bonus Episode: Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna!

For the first time on The Work Well Podcast, Brian is not the one asking the questions today. We are excited to feature our recent conversation on the Alive and Kicking Podcast with host Clare McKenna. 

In her podcast, Clare looks at ‘health’ in the widest sense of the word, from mindfulness to skin problems, from personal health journeys to tips for better exercise, Clare tries to bring you a dose of happy and healthy living every single week. This conversation was part of a special Workplace Wellbeing episode.

I hope you enjoy our chat with Clare McKenna.

A little bit of history…

Brian kicks off by telling Clare about his beginnings in the wellbeing space. After 10 years in the corporate world, Brian found a passion for health and wellbeing when he faced the challenge of managing his own work-life balance. 

"So, I was doing my own bits and pieces. I was re-educating myself at night. I was into physical wellbeing. At the time, I became a gym instructor and personal trainer and did a Sports Nutrition Diploma as well, and I started introducing these kinds of ideas into my own workplace." Brian started by introducing walking and running groups and lunch and learn style activities to his workplace. This was how Brian first dipped his toe in the water of workplace health promotion.

Brian also dedicated his time to studying and learning from organisations that had been doing this for years. Organisations like WELCOA (The Wellness Council of America) gave Brian a deeper perspective on his approach to workplace wellbeing. He started a blog to share his thoughts and research and this blog became the foundation for Workplace Wellbeing Ireland, The Work Well Institute and of course this podcast!

What is workplace wellbeing in the words of Brian Crooke? 

Brian defines workplace wellbeing as "any workplace health promotion activity or organisational policy designed to support healthy behavior in the workplace and to improve health outcomes".

Anything from a step challenge to a parental leave policy could be considered a workplace wellbeing intervention.

Brian stresses that organisations don't need to have large budgets to offer effective wellbeing programmes. Time is more important than money in most cases and the will of employees and employers to dedicate part of their time to this is the most valuable resource when it comes to improving workplace wellbeing.

Workplace wellbeing as a two-way street

For many, the onus is on the employer when it comes to workplace wellbeing however cooperation between workers and managers is key as it's a mutually beneficial endeavour. Happier and healthier employees tend to stay longer with their employer and they are more productive, which of course means an improved bottom line. In other words, promoting a healthy workplace is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.

In this regard, Brian comments: "The World Health Organization, their definition of a healthy workplace is the collaboration between employees and employers on a continuum. It’s a continuous improvement process to develop a sustainable and healthy workplace."

The real challenge comes when you need to implement policies that are inclusive for all communities in your organisation. Here we review the meaning of wellbeing in the full sense of the word. Some people might not be able or want to commit to physical wellbeing programmes, but perhaps some psychological or social wellbeing initiatives would be supportive. Ultimately it depends on the person.

Brian recommends that the first approach to bringing workplace wellbeing to the table is that it shouldn’t be owned by one person or team in a silo. Instead it should encompass the needs and wants of the people in the organisation and work towards creating a "shared ownership for wellbeing across the organisation."

How to implement workplace wellbeing in a hybrid world?

In the last couple of years, with the proliferation of remote and hybrid work, workplace wellbeing practices have had to adapt to changing needs. Brian says to this: “Yeah. It's another challenge, but if you follow the eight-step framework that I promote, the very first three steps are all people-based.”

These first three steps are: 1) growing committed and aligned leadership, 2) creating a network of wellbeing champions that are spread throughout the organisation, and 3) gathering meaningful data, so listening to the needs and wants of your people.

Having a people-centered strategy helps overcome some of the challenges that come with hybrid and remote work models because, in the end, the only constant element, and the one we should care about the most in the workplace, is our people.

If you liked this episode, and you'd like to listen to more of Alive and Kicking, you can find them on Newstalk.com or send them an email at aliveandkicking@newstalk.com. You can also follow Clare via Twitter and Instagram. 

About Your Host

Brian Crooke is a wellbeing educator, speaker and adviser, empowering organisations to promote and sustain wellbeing within their workplaces.

He is the founder of The Work Well Institute and the Work Well Community and is Course Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin. He is the host of The Work Well Podcast.

If you’re looking to bring sustainable wellbeing to your workplace then check out The Work Well Institute’s flagship programme, Developing a Workplace Wellness Programme that Lasts.

In his spare time, Brian is bringing free resistance training to every county and community in Ireland through his parkHIIT social enterprise.

If you have any suggestions for future topics you'd like to hear on the show, email Brian directly, brian@workwellpodcast.com