Do you ever feel as if you’re paddling frantically underneath the water yet never moving forwards?

There are definitely positive and negative impacts on your wellbeing by becoming more productive. Most people want more time and to be able to use it better in a world of ‘busyness’. However when facing this personally, as a freelancer or small business owner, it’s a positive step. But as an employee it can feel like a greater challenge or even a burden.

Often employees are expected to do more with less. Employers don’t always rush to fill a vacancy in a bid to reduce overheads. Nor are they comfortable with creating protected time for their employees to think, to plan and to consider strategy. Research has shown that only 30-40% of the working day is actually productive yet there doesn’t seem to be enough time for anything. So why is this?

‘Utilisation’ as the only measure

Staff are measured on utilisation, billable hours or simply being in the office and at their desks instead of measuring outcomes. Social media browsing, surfing the web or searching for a new job takes on average over two hours of an employee’s day.  So it’s no wonder that tension exists in the workplace. Between employers focusing on the bottom line and employees feeling disenfranchised, are these distractions a symptom or the cause?

There’s a marked difference between being busy and being productive. People often boast that they’re good at multi-tasking but it’s a myth. It’s a common misconception that people can function like computers, where the term came from. Yet they may wear their busyness like a badge of honour. ‘Burnout’ is a term which is becoming part of the workforce vernacular but it’s not OK – no job should cause this.

The importance of good mental health and wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing continues to be one of the most costly, difficult and complicated issues that employers face and is increasingly becoming a strategic priority. Leaders and managers have a duel responsibility for the wellbeing of their teams. Whilst at the same time further pushing productivity to achieve the results and performance of organisations.

A good culture is open and transparent

By building a culture of openness and transparency which has to be led from the top, will a business be able to thrive healthily and operate with longevity. But only by working together to understand individual goals, ambitions, challenges and strengths can everyone benefit. When employees are supported and respected; a culture of empathy, trust and loyalty can be created.

World Mental Health Day 2019

On 10th October at MyHotel in Brighton Emma will be co-hosting a conference for World Mental Health Day with the proceeds going to Albion in the Community. The focus here is to take an in depth look at mental health and wellbeing. As well as identifying how productivity and results can be improved by focusing on employee wellbeing.

Fellow Chamber member and co-host, David Dand from Dand HR Associates is focusing on how to attract, select and onboard talent. He’ll look at prioritising cultural fit and the employee experience.

By looking at the employee journey throughout, the event has a great line up of speakers who will be tackling this from different angles. From recruitment to performance and including your legal obligations and responsibilities to ensure you are up to date on the law.

Emma from Mindsetup will also be running courses focusing on productivity and effectiveness. Do get in touch if you’d like to find out more emma@mindsetup.co.uk

Background

Emma Mills-Sheffield is a strategic business advisor and coach working with clients in London and Brighton. She now helps businesses become more efficient and productive to get the best from their organisation having spent 15 years in industry. By reviewing business operations and investing in people, this encourages business growth with a more productive and happier workforce. In short, helping businesses get shi*t done.