The survey shows that one in four or 1.3 million workers experience some form of work-related ill health. The most common complaints are fatigue, physical pain and body aches, but many also feel anxious or worried about their work. The most common cause of these problems is an excessive workload with the risk of further consequences in the form of increased stress and serious illness. Only one in three of those who have problems say that they have received support from their manager. Yes, you read that right! Only one in three of those who have problems say that they have received support from their manager.
As you probably know, research shows that good leadership is one of the most important factors in creating engaged employees and teams. So why is it important? Well, because we know that engagement also leads to increased well-being, resulting in less sick leave. In addition, you get motivated, high-performing and productive employees and teams.
Who doesn't want that? It seems like a no-brainer to put focus and resources on this. What are you doing to increase engagement and reduce work-related ill health in your workplace? Do you work proactively with it? If so, how do you do it? How do you maintain a high level of engagement?
Did you know that a great way to increase engagement is to allow employees to reflect? Studies show that employees who take 15 minutes at the end of the workday to reflect on what they've learned perform 23% better than those who don't - without feeling more stressed. Instead, they have better self-esteem and feel more competent.
Today, we do many different things during a working day. It is therefore particularly important to allow employees to reflect on their role, challenges, successes and tasks in order to develop.
Successful managers and respected leaders have one thing in common: they talk to their employees. So it's not enough just to reflect. Your employees also need your feedback on their thoughts and ideas.
On average every seven days, employees want to be acknowledged - but giving your employees a simple pat on the back is often not enough. Different things are relevant to different people and to really drive development, you should give feedback on the person's own thoughts and opinions. This is more productive and empowering, and also avoids asking leading questions about things you think you know or have heard through the grapevine.
Want to know more about reflection and how to implement it in your workplace?
Then download our guide "6 steps to implement reflection and feedback in your team".
Marcus Fröberg
marcus.froberg@rolf.se
070 - 828 26 49