The events of the past 8 months have only added to the complexities of life and the stress of the work environment. Employers and employees across the globe met the transition from in-person to remote work with mixed emotions. Our collective recent experiences have changed the way we work and live. And for those who admit to feeling moments of depression coupled with a shot of elation, or feelings of freedom with a side of restriction and confinement, you are not alone.

The quest for balance is one that has been discussed and sought since the 1980s when the term ‘work-life balance’ was initially coined. As new generations entered the workforce, employers became increasingly more aware of the need to help employees navigate their complex lives and their work lives in more creative and flexible ways, in order to retain them. Work-life programs have become table-stakes for employers, and have been proven to boost morale, reduce absenteeism, decrease cost, and increase overall performance.

How can leaders promote wellbeing without sacrificing productivity?

Research and practice have shown that both productivity and wellbeing are key ingredients for organizational success. The tolls of COVID-19 on our lives and what seems to be like an enduring worklife from home requires us to show up differently in preparation for these levels of productivity.

This year has been a breeding ground for unchartered territory. Organizations have been forced to pivot to new ways of working that come with their own sets of challenges and impact on productivity.

While some organizations have struggled with productivity, we are seeing a surge in ‘productivity’ amongst others. JP Morgan announced that their sales and trading employees amongst those in other functions are being encouraged to return to the office due to increased productivity slips on Mondays and Fridays. However, the Boston Consulting Group found in a study conducted across organizations that 51% of respondents reported that they maintained or even improved their productivity. This variation sheds light on a very important point: Not everyone is measuring productivity in the same way.

Having a productive day? How do you know?

At the end of a day on which we’ve attended 8-10 Zoom calls, we may feel anything but productive. But for some, productivity is defined by visibility, where it is about showing your face whether it’s in the office or on a screen. For others, productivity is defined by the level of employee engagement. And one of the most widely spread ways in which productivity is being measured is by how many hours you’ve clocked into your working day. But in today’s world of blurred lines between our personal and professional lives, a full day’s work may feel like anything but productive.

When was the last time you took a vacation?

People are now working more than ever before. According to Business News Daily, remote employees work 1.4 more days per month than their office-based counterparts; which is more than 3 additional weeks of work per year. Moreover, given the risks and restrictions around travel, people are opting out of taking their PTO. Many of us have forfeited our vacations this summer. As mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, a Zenefits’ study of 3,000 companies found that there were about 63,000 requests for vacations in April and May, which is significantly less than the 120,000 requests made during that same period in 2019.

However, spending more time doing work and showing face on camera does not necessarily mean more productivity. A Stanford study has found that productivity per hour declines when a person works more than 50 hours a week. Further, those who work up to 70 hours a week are only getting the same amount of work done as those who put in 56 hours.

Our gas tanks become depleted. 

We run out of mental and physical resources that create optimal conditions to work and be productive. Our traditional measures of things like hours spent in the office, visibility, engagement, and drop-in PTO tell us that productivity is on the rise, but these are not traditional times.

Can wellbeing be the key?

The world of work has for the most part started to catch up with the necessity of taking care of the workforce, and investing in Employee Wellness Programs. However, employees continue to cite issues with stress, burn-out, and depression. Studies by SHRM and by the Total Brain’s July Mental Health Index show that 41% of employees feel burnt out and 45% feel emotionally drained from work and that the risk for depression among U.S. workers has risen to 102% and more specifically to 305% for those between the ages of 20 and 39 as a result of the pandemic. 

And employers are taking action. Just this Labor Day, Google gave employees an extra day off as a response to the increased levels of burnout and depression amongst their employees. Other tech giants, such as Cisco, also gave their employees a mental health day back in May, where Chief People Officer, Fran Katsoudas wrote: ‘There are few places to go, people need us, and we enjoy our work. Our weeks and weekends are blurring together. Yet there is one reason to unplug: ourselves.’ Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, gave employees a day of rest in June, emphasizing that ‘health comes first’ and to ‘make time for it’ because it is these kinds of days that ‘build strength’ to get work done.

How is wellbeing being defined?

Like productivity, the metrics for wellbeing are also flawed. One of the common metrics for measuring wellbeing is absenteeism or the number of sick days taken.

If productivity is being measured by the number of working hours and wellbeing is measured by the number of days off from work, and we know that some people are opting out of much-needed PTO, then we might be drawing some false conclusions around productivity and wellbeing going up.

With people’s daily lives and habits changing, there is a need to recalibrate our perceptions and definitions of wellbeing to ones that are more holistic and relevant to our current times.

Gallup uncovered that the common elements of wellbeing that need to be fulfilled for people to thrive are physical, career, financial, social, and community elements. How employees are doing in terms of physical health, career satisfaction, economic stability, relationships, and belonging in their community will impact the effectiveness of business outcomes. Employees thriving in all five elements are 41% less likely to miss work as a result of poor health and are 81% less likely to seek out a new employer in the next year. This is interesting news.

*Image by Gallup

What we are learning is that wellbeing actually impacts productivity. 

To ensure we are productive and prepared to deliver on our accountabilities in a sustainable manner, we will not only need to invest in our wellbeing, but we must also leverage and utilize it to cultivate productivity. 

How to cultivate productivity

We clearly need to recalibrate our perceptions of productivity and wellbeing to ones more relevant to our current times. And, we need to view wellness as a means to our productivity – as opposed to two elements that are mutually exclusive.

1. Build a Life Pie. Encourage your employees to consider the 5 elements of wellbeing and assess where they are. Support them in finding ways to build out their satisfaction and quality of life in these areas.
2. Include your employees in generating solutions. Your employees are likely to have ideas of what they need to feel well and in turn, perform better. Sourcing and sharing ideas from your constituents can go a long way.
3. Build awareness of how wellbeing can be leveraged to enhance productivity. Discuss and define productivity together as a team.

Make a habit of revisiting the first two steps. If we have learned anything from 2020, it is that things can change at any moment and the only way to deal with the ambiguity is to adapt. Revisiting what wellbeing looks like in your organization can help you create the culture of adaptation organizations of the future will need to succeed.

Wellbeing makes strategic sense. It is important to maintain productivity in a ‘Work From Home’ environment and to leverage and utilize wellbeing to do so. Organizations need to get a better understanding of how their employees work to find answers that make sense to boost productivity and achieve their strategic objectives. This is not a one-time thing for your organization. The exercise of redefinition needs to be embedded into the organization’s strategy because productivity in the post-COVID era might look very different from what it looks like today.

If you are interested in learning more about how to leverage wellbeing to improve productivity, gothamCulture would be delighted to speak with your team.

Related reading: Yin/Yang Leadership: Seeking Balance

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I was struck by a thought I had, and that it was the exact same thought I had the day before, and the day before that. It’s a thought that comes to me with such clarity, such simplicity, and urgently. “This is so weird.”

We will be going through our day without leaving the house (except to take another walk around the block ), without interacting with other people (except for our neighbors from an awkward distance across the sidewalk), and without physically connecting with our friends and family outside of our home. Now, more than ever, I am grateful for technology and video conferencing.

I wonder, when will I wake and say, ‘this is normal.’ Or not have any thought or judgment of the day at all. And what I’m learning is that it isn’t without the other experiences that I’m able to truly observe my current reality.

Without a sense of normalcy, I wouldn’t be able to see this current reality as weird. As I reflect on the changes and differences and losses of today, I can see more clearly all the things that I perceived as normal.

Throughout this pandemic, we have all been thrown off our daily routines and ways of interacting. My personal challenge, in all roles – mother, spouse, daughter, friend, and leader – has been how to help others to find a new sense of peace and balance. My personal grounding comes from my yoga practice – both physical and philosophical – and so I’m accustomed to borrowing from the philosophical symbol of Yin / Yang, and thus the leadership philosophy: Yin/Yang Leadership.

Yin Yang illustrated from the Tao Te Ching

When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created.

When people see things as good, evil is created.

Being and non-being produce each other.

Difficult and easy complement each other.

Long and short define each other.

High and low oppose each other.

Fore and aft follow each other.

~ from What is Yin Yang? by personaltao.com

A concept used in Taoism, originating in the 4th Century BC, emphasizes living in harmony.

“A starting definition Yin/Yang: Two halves that together complete wholeness. Yin and yang are also the starting point for change. When something is whole, by definition, it’s unchanging and complete. So when you split something into two halves – yin/yang, it upsets the equilibrium of wholeness. Both halves are chasing after each other as they seek a new balance with each other.”

I hear examples of Yin/Yang in most every conversation I have lately. People are struggling with balancing resistance with acceptance, the concept of abundance with scarcity, with considering essential and non-essential. In many of these discussions, it feels as though people are trying to be on one side or the other, and that one side is better than another.

In this time of fear and uncertainty, it is paramount that leaders begin on a path of more balanced leadership. This concept has helped me respond in conversations where we are grappling with this sense of opposition. Yin / Yang gives us a model for considering when something is out of balance, and where to look to bring things back into balance. As one element increases, the other decreases. We need to fully understand the experience of one in order to understand how to move toward an experience of the other.

I am grateful to be in a position to have these conversations with my team, my clients, and colleagues, and I recognize my role in helping them appreciate the current experience, and gain a new, more comprehensive understanding of the experience they are longing for. When it comes to leadership, the concept of Yin/Yang is more practical than philosophical. During challenging times, leaders are in a position of helping others come to peace, and even fall in love with our current state, so that we can more clearly see, define, and find our way back to our previous or desired state.

For those leaders seeking balance, whether in their own life or with their teams, here are three things you can do now to successfully leverage both sides of the emotional spectrum:

3 Steps to Balance: Applying Yin/Yang Leadership

Assess and Accept. Listen for the emotions and experiences that your team is having today. Acknowledge that different or opposing feelings or experiences (Yin and Yang) can coexist. We are in a period of exceptional uncertainty, with new information and guidance coming at us daily. While we happen to be in the midst of a pandemic, this is a very common experience for those going through organizational change, such as a merger or a restructure. Allow people to share their experience as it is today, without judgment of whether it is good or bad. Pay attention to the words people are using, and how they are feeling. Acknowledge that both experiences are valid and that we can gain insights from each other to shape the path to the alternate perspective.

Recognize and Encourage. A core concept of Yin/Yang is one of movement. There is no status quo, and our experiences are not static. Help your team to recognize where they are each day, and how their mental and emotional state is continually shifting. This can be particularly helpful when someone is having a difficult time; encourage individuals to reflect on times when things were different.

Explore Possibilities. With a better understanding of the full range of experiences and emotions, we can gain more empathy for each member of the team. For example, when we are used to functioning from a mindset of abundance, but now we see experiences of scarcity, we are encouraged to look for and find different ways to meet a need. If you are finding your team is focused more on what is no longer available, begin a daily practice of appreciating those things that are now available to them. While the list may look different, simple acts such as these go a long way to building new pathways in the brain and helping build resilience during these challenging times.

When I reflect on the experiences of today and feel the urge to label it differently, I am inspired to look for ways that it is the same. In doing this, I’m able to see and appreciate the little things, be it the people who I still talk to over the course of life, every day, or the rituals I still get to do to get myself ready for the day, or the way the flowers continue to bloom on my walk each evening. In appreciating the duality of our experiences, we can now see the many possibilities for how I can move more fully into acceptance of this new environment, context, and way of operating.

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Our presence as leaders is not only about projections or manifestations of strength.  It is about being open to the concept of vulnerability – which, paradoxically, in and of itself is a strength.

Is there anyone in the world today who does not feel vulnerable?

In speaking with leaders in recent days, I find that many are struggling with their personal situations (working at home with young children, for instance), as well as their own insecurities and fears.  They confess to me that they are reluctant to tell others what they are experiencing, although they realize the emotions they feel are universal.  These leaders sometimes conclude that telling others what they are experiencing might be a sign of weakness.

I ask my clients “What do you feel vulnerable about now?” and “How would it serve you and your team by talking about it?”  Also, “How can you best establish a connection with your people during this crisis?”  Finally, “What do you think your people concerned about?”

What emerges from their answers?   That opening up on a personal level is what people need.  And a leader who speaks of his or her own challenges opens up the possibilities for others to speak about theirs.  That solidifies the connection – that human contact – which is so important to each of us.

Once we have connected as human beings, it is then easy to glide into the strategic issues and tasks required of each of us.  Absent that contact, the emotional challenges we face can effectively create a barrier to contact, as well as the teamwork and action in which we all need to engage.

Yesterday a client related to me that she is using Zoom every day to connect with her direct reports – about ten people.  It is a short call and always begins with a check-in.  The check-in begins with each person sharing what they are experiencing and what is happening in their life.  It is filled with personal feelings and the daily challenges people face.  Sometimes a young child even wanders within range of the camera.  My client has found that she intentionally gives space to each person’s conversation with the others on the call, with the knowledge that it provides a connection with each other and with the team as a whole.

Her conclusion?  That a team that never even considered remote work is bonded together more than ever.  Silos and fences have virtually disappeared.  Moving into the work challenges of the day after that check-in is far easier as a result, simply because each person has developed an intimate and personal connection with the other – and that is over a video platform!  She plans on using a quick in-person check-in every day when they reenter their workspaces.

Brene Brown is a great resource for leaders regarding vulnerability.  Brown notes,

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.  Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

“People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real badasses.”

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.”

Brown speaks of courage, which has its origins in the French word for “heart.” The mind may be able to come up with strategic direction, goals, and objectives.  Yet it is the heart that allows the very connection that allows us to meet each other and work towards common goals.  Our strategic planning and intent must be braided with the personal connections with others in order to reach our full potential as teams and as leaders.

Today the need for leaders to model vulnerability and to invite it in return is paramount.  We cannot push aside our current challenges, and we can admit and embrace our own insecurities – providing a door for others to join us to meet those challenges.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery, in The Little Prince wrote: “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.”

Our hearts connect us – one to the other – and make us human.  And that in turn makes each of us better leaders, whenever our turn to lead emerges.

This article originally appeared on Bostonexecutivecoaches.com. 

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