Situación Actual de las Empresas y los EmprendedoresSituación Actual de las Empresas y los Emprendedores

Stories from the Hearth

Hearth Summit BOGOTÁ Session Featuring:

Juan Pablo López Gross

Innovation Senior Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank BID Lab
🌍 Washington, D.C., USA

Romina Mendoza

Senior Specialist, McKinsey and Co.
🌍 San José, Costa Rica

Ricardo Paz

People and Culture Elder, The Wellbeing Project
🌍 Bogotá, Colombia

In Bogotá, Juan Pablo López Gross from the Interamerican Development Bank Lab (BID Lab) presented the findings of new research conducted with The Wellbeing Project on the mental health of high-impact social entrepreneurs in Latin America, ultimately sharing the business case for wellbeing: if the entrepreneurs are doing well, the ventures will do better. Ricardo Paz from The Wellbeing Project provided additional insights from research from the social sector on how organizational wellbeing inspires welldoing. Romina Mendoza shared analysis on organizational wellbeing, employee work-life balance, and mental health from McKinsey & Co’s global study. Watch the session (in Spanish).

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Cómo el Bienestar Organizacional Inspira el Desempeño: Lecciones del Sector de Cambio Social Cómo el Bienestar Organizacional Inspira el Desempeño: Lecciones del Sector de Cambio Social

Stories from the Hearth

Publicación invitada de:

Ricardo Paz

People & Culture Elder, The Wellbeing Project
🌍 Bogotá, Colombia

Lectura rápida

  • The Wellbeing Project, junto con ocho organizaciones de todo el mundo, el Instituto Tavistock y el Center for Healthy Minds estuvieron cinco años investigando el valor del bienestar organizacional y cómo fomentarlo.

  • Aprendieron que cualquier organización, pública o privada, puede beneficiarse de promover el bienestar organizacional: mejora el desempeño de los empleados, lo que se traduce en un mejor desempeño organizacional.

  • Además, todos estuvieron de acuerdo en que era menos costoso invertir en el bienestar organizacional que no hacerlo.

  • Cultivar el bienestar organizacional es un proceso continuo, dinámico y de largo plazo, pero el valor agregado para los empleados, su organización y su comunidad vale la pena.

Ricardo (izquierda) habla en Hearth Summit Bogotá, compartiendo los hallazgos del Programa Exploratorio Organizacional (OEP) de The Wellbeing Project.

En mayo, tuve el placer de presentar en el Hearth Summit Bogotá, que se centró en el bienestar y los negocios sostenibles. En este evento, la sostenibilidad se exploró de tres maneras: 

Trabajo sostenible: centrado en el bienestar de los empleados y el balance vida-trabajo

Negocio sostenible: centrado en la producción y el consumo sostenibles dentro de las empresas

Ecosistemas sostenibles: centrándose en cómo las empresas pueden tener impactos sociales y medioambientales positivos

La audiencia estaba formada por cientos de líderes del sector empresarial: directores ejecutivos, gerentes, expertos y otros se unieron en el Hearth Summit para tomar medidas colectivas y cambiar la cultura corporativa hacia una de bienestar y desempeño.

Me sentí agradecido de compartir los aprendizajes del sector social sobre cómo al promover el bienestar dentro de las organizaciones se conduce a un mayor desempeño.

No soy el único que piensa en la importancia del bienestar de los empleados: la Organización Mundial de la Salud ha clasificado el burnout como un problema de salud ocupacional dada la magnitud de casos presentados. Múltiples estudios en todo el mundo muestran un aumento del burnout en organizaciones de todo tipo. Gallup ha estimado las pérdidas globales por ausentismo, rotación y agotamiento en 322.000 millones de dólares. ¡Mil millones!

La situación es clara: las organizaciones deben centrar su atención en el bienestar de sus empleados. Pero ¿cómo pueden hacer esto?

En el Hearth Summit Bogotá, compartí los aprendizajes de un Programa Exploratorio Organizacional (OEP, por sus siglas en inglés) de cinco años que The Wellbeing Project cocreó con ocho organizaciones de todo el mundo: de Brasil, Canadá, China, Egipto, Mozambique, Pakistán, Senegal y Estados Unidos.

Con el Instituto Tavistock de Relaciones Humanas y el Centro para Mentes Saludables proporcionando apoyo en investigación y metodología, buscamos trabajar con estas ocho organizaciones para desarrollar un marco efectivo para apoyar el bienestar organizacional de manera participativa, basado en evidencia empírica.

Los aprendizajes de estas ocho organizaciones sociales pueden ser útiles para organizaciones de otros sectores, tanto públicos como privados, ya que comparten un mensaje común: el bienestar de los empleados de cualquier organización lleva a un mejor desempeño y, por lo tanto, a un mejor desempeño de las organizaciones y del ecosistema que las rodea. En resumen: el bienestar inspira el desempeño.

Pero ¿cómo pueden las organizaciones crear una cultura de bienestar? Compartí tres aprendizajes clave de OEP con agentes de cambio en Bogotá:

1. Crea tu propia definición y visión de bienestar.

La definición de bienestar organizacional puede ser muy diferente para una organización que para otra, así como a nivel individual. Por esta razón, es relevante hacer una definición de manera participativa con todos o la mayoría de los involucrados. Esto significa que será un proceso lento, de largo plazo, con una visión estratégica, de acuerdo con los retos, objetivos y entorno de cada organización.

2. Dar pequeños pasos, llegarás lejos.

De esta forma, es necesario centrarse en unas primeras y pequeñas acciones para avanzar poco a poco en un plan de trabajo que evidencie avances y refuerce la evolución de la organización. La idea es que, a la hora de tomar decisiones estratégicas, se tengan en cuenta las necesidades de las personas involucradas en todos los niveles de la organización.

3. Encuentra el “camino del medio”.

A veces, una organización se centra únicamente en lograr su misión y objetivos. En el otro extremo, existe la posibilidad de estar demasiado centrado en el bienestar de las personas. Las organizaciones que están muy enfocadas en su misión a menudo tienen una alta rotación de personal, bajos niveles de compromiso, hipersensibilidad a la desadaptación organizacional y una alta frecuencia de casos con burnout. En el otro extremo, en aquellos demasiado enfocados en el bienestar de las personas, hay dificultad para lograr la misión de la organización, las necesidades individuales están constantemente insatisfechas, sus responsabilidades no están claras y su energía se consume en tareas innecesarias.

Una tercera vía, una vía intermedia, se compone de un entorno en el que las personas están inspiradas por la misión y la estructura de la organización, se identifican claramente sus habilidades y competencias individuales, se tienen claras las responsabilidades de sus funciones y se les reconoce por sus contribuciones profesionales.

La conclusión

A través de la investigación de OEP, aprendimos que generar la capacidad de bienestar organizacional es un proceso de gestión del cambio de cuatro pasos:

Definición de objetivos,

Cocreándolos con todos los miembros,

Implementación, y

Aprendizaje constante.

Es un proceso lento, sin soluciones rápidas ni un enfoque lineal. Lo más importante es la dirección de los cambios más que los resultados inmediatos. Es importante que los líderes den el ejemplo también, y vimos tres factores fundamentales en la generación de esta capacidad de bienestar organizacional: Liderazgo, Comunicación y Mentalidad de Crecimiento.

¿Y la última pieza del rompecabezas? Estas ocho organizaciones sociales descubrieron que desarrollar su capacidad de bienestar organizacional era menos costoso que no hacerlo. 

Como dijo uno de los participantes del Programa de Desarrollo Interior de The Wellbeing Project: “Si no tienes bienestar en tu personal, ¿cómo puedes proporcionar bienestar en tu comunidad? Nadie puede dar lo que no tiene”.

Lo mismo ocurre con su organización. Ya sea que trabajes en una organización sin fines de lucro, una empresa o cualquier otro tipo de organización, el mensaje puede ser el mismo:

El bienestar inspira el desempeño: si estamos bien, lo haremos mejor.

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How Organizational Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing: Lessons From the Social Change Sector How Organizational Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing: Lessons From the Social Change Sector

Stories from the Hearth

Guest post by:

Ricardo Paz

People & Culture Elder, The Wellbeing Project
🌍 Bogotá, Colombia

Quick Reads

  • The Wellbeing Project, along with eight organizations from around the world, the Tavistock Institute, and the Center for Healthy Minds spent five years researching the value of organizational wellbeing and how to foster it.
  • They learned that any organization, public or private, can benefit from promoting organizational wellbeing: it improves employee performance, which translates into improved organizational performance.
  • They also all agreed the approach was cost-beneficial: it was less expensive to invest in organizational wellbeing than otherwise.
  • Cultivating organizational wellbeing is an ongoing, dynamic, and long-term process — but the value added for employees, your organization, and your community are worth it.

Ricardo (left) speaks at Hearth Summit Bogotá, sharing findings from The Wellbeing Project’s Organizational Exploratory Program (OEP).

In May, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Hearth Summit Bogotá, which focused on wellbeing and sustainable business. At this summit, sustainability was explored in three ways: 

Sustainable work: focusing on employee wellbeing and work-life balance

Sustainable business: focusing on sustainable production and consumption within businesses

Sustainable ecosystems: focusing on how businesses can have positive social and environmental impacts

The audience was filled with hundreds of leaders from the business sector: CEOs, managers, experts, and others joined together at the Hearth to take collective action and shift corporate culture towards one of wellbeing and welldoing.

I was grateful to share learnings from the social sector about how promoting wellbeing within organizations leads to greater welldoing.

I’m not the only one thinking about the importance of employee wellbeing: the World Health Organization has classified Extreme Burnout as an occupational health problem given the magnitude of cases presented. Multiple studies around the world show an increase in extreme burnout in organizations of all kinds. Gallup has estimated global losses from absenteeism, turnover, and burnout at $322 billion. Billion!

The situation is clear: organizations must turn their attention to the wellbeing of their employees. But how can they do this?

At Hearth Summit Bogotá, I shared learnings from a five-year Organizational Exploratory Program (OEP) that The Wellbeing Project co-created with eight organizations from around the world – from Brazil, Canada, China, Eygpt, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, and the United States.

With the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and the Center for Healthy Minds providing research and methodology support, we sought to work with these eight organizations to develop an effective framework to support organizational wellbeing in a participatory way, based on empirical evidence.

The learnings from these eight social organizations can be useful for organizations in other sectors, both public and private, as they share a common message: the wellbeing of the employees of any organization leads to their improved performance and, therefore, the improved performance of the organizations and the ecosystem that surrounds them. In short: wellbeing inspires welldoing.

But how can organizations create a culture of wellbeing? I shared three key learnings from OEP with changemakers in Bogota:

1. Create your own definition and vision of wellbeing.

Defining organizational wellbeing can be very different for one organization than for another, as well as at the individual level. For this reason, it is relevant to make a definition in a participatory way with all or most of those involved. This means it will be a slow, long-term process, with a long-term strategic vision, according to the challenges, objectives and environment of each organization.

2. Take small steps – they go far.

In this way, it is necessary to focus on a few first and small actions to advance little by little in a work plan that evidences progress and reinforces the evolution of the organization. The idea is that, when making strategic decisions, the needs of the people involved at all levels in the organization are considered.

3. Find the “middle way”.

Sometimes, an organization is focused solely on achieving its mission and goals. At the other extreme, there is the possibility of being too focused on people’s well-being. Organizations that are very focused on their mission often have high staff turnover, low levels of commitment, hypersensitivity to organizational maladjustment, and a high frequency of cases with extreme burnout. At the other extreme, in those too focused on people’s wellbeing, there is difficulty in achieving the organization’s mission, individual needs are constantly unsatisfied, their responsibilities are unclear and their energy is consumed in unnecessary tasks.

A third way, a middle way, is made up of an environment where people are guided by the mission and structure of the organization, their individual skills and competencies are clearly identified, the responsibilities of their roles are clear, and they are recognized for their professional contributions.

The Bottom Line

Through the OEP research, we learned that generating organizational wellbeing capacity is a four-step change management process: 

Defining objectives,

Co-creating them with all members,

Implementing, and

And constantly learning.

It is a slow process, without quick solutions or a linear approach. What is most important is the direction of changes rather than the immediate results. Leadership by example is also important, and we saw three fundamental factors in generating organizational wellbeing capacity: Leadership, Communication and Growth Mindset. 

And the final piece of the puzzle? These eight social organizations found that developing their wellbeing capacity was less expensive than not doing so. 

As one of the participants of The Wellbeing Project’s Inner Development Program said, “If you don’t have wellbeing in your staff, how can you provide wellbeing in your community? No one can give what they don’t have.”

The same is true for your organization. Whether you work in a non-profit, a business, or any other type of organization, the message can be the same:

Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing: if we are well, we’ll do it better.

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Wellbeing Rituals To Support Your Mental Health Wellbeing Rituals To Support Your Mental Health

Post By

The Wellbeing Project Team

Welcome to a world where mental health takes center stage, and every step forward is a cherished milestone on our wellbeing journey. As we commemorate Mental Health Action Day 2023, join us on a heartfelt exploration of our team’s daily rituals—a tapestry of unique paths that nurture our minds, bodies, and spirits. Witness the transformative power of self-care, inspiring you to embark on your own wellbeing journey towards resilience, purpose, and lasting joy:

Walking in nature, writing, reading books, inspiring quotes or poems, spending time with friends or family, and laughing!

I value knowing that I’m part of something bigger than myself, whether it be my purpose in life, the world that surrounds me, or part of a community like my friends or family.

Alejandra Garza, Networks Advancement Manager

Connecting with nature.

Nature grounds me and reminds me that we are all interconnected . As I reflect on the beauty of the natural world I feel a sense of awe which allows me to understand that I am part of a bigger ecosystem and everything is they way it’s supposed to be. Only then I am able to let go, to surrender.

Silvana Cisneros, Networks Lead

Activities that help me enter the flow state include listening to music, riding my motorcycle, going for a nature walk, chopping vegetables or cooking, pruning shrubs, enjoying a private moment with my comfort food, birdwatching and sitting out in the balcony looking at falling leaves. Additionally, conversations with friends and family in my innermost circle also play a significant role in helping me stay centered.

Engaging in flow-state activities allows me to focus on something other than the pressing problem, which frees my mind to concentrate on finding solutions in the background. This helps me mentally unwind and serves as a reminder that there is so much more to life than just the current situation I’m in. Conversations with my friends and family help me to think more clearly about dominant thoughts as they challenge me with provocative questions and different perspectives.

– Anubha Agarwal, Research & Learning Manager

Sleep well, eat healthy, manage money wisely, have meaningful relationships and be mindful as much as possible of every moment I am alive.

It helps me to tave a positive and optimistic attitude.

– Ricardo Paz, People & Culture Elder

Baking.

Baking allows me to focus my attention on the present moment. The process of measuring ingredients, following a recipe, and mixing them together requires concentration and mindfulness. It also engages multiple senses, including sight, smell, taste, and touch. The process of working with ingredients, observing the transformation in the oven, and savoring the final product can provide a sensory experience that is both pleasurable and stimulating.

Besides, I think baking is a form of creative expression that allows me to experiment with flavors, textures, and decorations. It provides a space to showcase my imagination and personal style. The act of creating something delicious and visually appealing can definitely boost my mood and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Finally enjoying homemade treats help me to evoke positive memories, evoke nostalgia, and provide a sense of emotional comfort.

– Fernanda Martínez, Networks Manager

For me it is important to recover energy: time for fun and sharing moments with family and friends, good sleep, yoga and meditation. Time spent in this way re-energizes me.

It helps me to take a positive and optimistic attitude.

– Valeria Peredo, People & Culture Lead

Weekly calls with my closest and dearest friends. They are usually not update calls, rather proper conversations, long, honest, fun at times, painful at others, the same I would have if we were leaving in the same place and see each other regularly. I think the most special aspect it’s that they have been weekly rituals for almost 15 years.

Long term friendship are an incredible gift because your friends are also your memory, your mirror, your diary. And you’re the same for them. You grow up, and old, together, sharing different live stages and milestone events. They are your net, your chosen family, you are never lonely, nor lost if you can count on such meaningful relationships, no matter what happens.

– Alessandra Gatti, The Wellbeing Summit Director

Meditation, contact with nature, physical activity, art, time with family, and friends.

It keeps my feet on the ground to bring down my head (mental activity) into my body and soul

– Eugenia Di Fiori, Organisational Exploratory Program Manager

5 minutes of morning meditation.

It helps me settle the energy for the day.

– Beatriz Retamar, Leadership Assistant

As we bring our exploration of daily wellbeing rituals to a close, we invite you to carry the torch of self-care and mental wellness forward. Let our stories serve as a reminder that your wellbeing journey is unique and deserving of celebration. Embrace the power of rituals that nourish your mind, body, and spirit, and surround yourself with a compassionate community that uplifts and supports you.

Remember, cultivating mental health is an ongoing process—a lifelong commitment to self-discovery and self-care. As we honor Mental Health Action Day 2023, let us ignite a collective spark, encouraging conversations and actions that prioritize mental wellbeing in all aspects of life.

Ricardo Paz

People & Culture Elder at The Wellbeing Project

Caracas, Venezuela

Connect with Ricardo Paz on social media:

Ricardo is from Venezuela and has Psychology/Human Resources degrees. He has dedicated his career of more than 40 years to the mission of developing successful workplaces, so people can realize their potential in them.

Joined TWP on 2021 to advise on People & Culture and help to develop the Team to reach their goals.

Development begins with self-knowledge, and it never ends. Constant awareness of who we are provide us with BALANCE and that is WELLBEING for him: the dynamic and conscious effort to reconcile who we are and who we want to be.

A ritual he usually does is every night, before sleep, review what happened during the day and try to learn something from that day.

He follows Adam Grant, an American Organizational Psychologist and professor at Wharton School, with excellent research and individual development tips, including ways to improve your thinking and behavior.

Ricardo believes that you get what you give to others in life. There is also a connection between thoughts, words, and actions. That congruence is the beginning of BEING WELL individually and collectively.

What does inner wellbeing mean to you?

A continuous process, a journey

How would you define wellbeing in one word?

Balance

Are there any rituals or practices you use to enhance your wellbeing?

A short meditation at night before going to sleep.

Why is it important that we prioritise individual and collective wellbeing?

Everything is connected: feelings, emotions, health, thoughts, and actions.  Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing.

Do you have any favourite books, podcasts, or articles that you believe support, promote or educate on wellbeing and related themes?

I read, many years ago, “Sidharta” by Hermann Hesse.  This book impacted me very much and contains a precious perspective on life. A quote from the book: “I want to learn from myself, I want to be my disciple, to know myself.”