Tag Archive for: wellness

Leadership Spotlight: Deb Knopp and organizational wellness

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Deb Knopp is the HR Coordinator for Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS). She is one of the many Leadership 2020 participants that have applied the program’s teachings to the day-to-day work at their organization.

One of the key values shared by everyone at PCRS is wellbeing. All staff members are encouraged to support the health, growth, and wellness of the people they serve, each other, and their families. It should be no surprise that an organization whose mission is to inspire healthy and inclusive communities through leadership and collaboration would put such a focus on wellbeing. Healthy, happy organizations require healthy, happy employees. So as soon as Deb finished her Leadership 2020 program, she helped establish a PCRS Wellness Committee.

“Collaborative, compassionate leadership and the need to support each other in our growth through mentorship and coaching— that was the biggest takeaway for me,” Deb explains. “Empowering individuals to take ‘leadership’ for their personal health and wellness, I believe, is the foundation to enjoying our work and our lives.”

Thanks in part to Leadership 2020, Deb knew that such a program would not function without the shared input from others. As such, the PCRS Wellness Committee includes leaders from all levels of the organization as well as external stakeholders that share the group’s values. This wasn’t easy. The agency has multiple locations spread throughout the lower mainland. Connecting, resourcing, and supporting each other was a challenge.

How did they do it? Deb and her team established Wellness ‘Champions’ from each PCRS program and in each location. These Champions promote PCRS wellness initiatives and connect regularly to develop ideas that support their health and wellness goals. In addition, other employees are offered leadership opportunities and encouraged to ‘champion’ their own wellbeing ideas. This model not only informs but also engages those that would have otherwise been less interested in personal wellness. 

For now, the Wellness Committee is focusing on things like physical fitness, mental health, engagement, and job satisfaction. Ultimately, their goal is to inspire staff to discover and become their best self—both at work and in their personal lives. From an organizational perspective, the hope is that this will help to reduce absenteeism, decrease employee turnover, and increase employee job satisfaction.

“We hope to keep capturing creative initiatives that speak to what ‘wellness’ means to each and every staff member,” says Deb. “We want this to be an agency where staff are happy and productive and take personal responsibility for their health and wellness. I think this is going to be a key factor in attracting and retaining great people.” 

2020 Resources – Thinking about wellness

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In Leadership 2020, we offer a simple framework for assessing our wellness practices, adapted from the First Nation’s Healthy Authority’s perspective on wellness and wholism. A visual of this is offered below.

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You can use whatever labels make sense to you but the key point is to attend to the different dimensions of wellness. Each of us might have different wellness practices within the dimensions, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach nor is there a definitive ‘how to manual’ for wellness practice (despite what the self-help gurus might claim), but it is helpful to build awareness about what we have going on – or not – in each dimension. Where am I lean? What have I got in place that is working for me? What have I not been paying attention to? What do I want to introduce or re-introduce back into my life?

As we are in the generative Spring season – a time of new beginnings – it may be time to consider the questions above for yourself and then make some commitments – what will you keep doing, start doing and stop doing in order to enhance your wellness and well being over the next 6 months? 

These don’t need to be big and bold – sometimes it is the small stuff that can make a big difference, e.g. drink more water, stretch for 3 minutes every hour (set your phone to remind you to get up, stretch and get a glass of water), write a gratitude or ‘what went right’ statement at the end of each work day as your last act before you head home, listen to a talking book on something inspirational on your commute rather than listening to the news. 

One of the things to be aware of is that our brains have a harder time allowing us to stop doing something than to start doing something. Old habits die hard because the neural pathways associated with behaviours become deeply rooted. To introduce new wellness practices may be a better place to start – the novelty captures us and over time we can establish new neural pathways that may challenge the old patterns and pathways.

Nine self-care reminders for the over-committed activist

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In her article, Nine self-care reminders for the over-committed activist, Vancouver-based Christine Boyle writes that: “the idea of self-care bubbles up every now and then in community and activist circles. It’s not an easy topic; often associated with self-indulgence, it can be seen as a luxury that can wait until after the next crisis. And yet, it continues to arise. Why?”

We include this article in our 2020 materials as we believe in the message: to focus on self-care is not a selfish practice to get to when all other important work is done; it is a leader’s discipline. In fact, it is a generative act. Sure it provides personal benefits, but it also has ripple effects on others including our families, clients, and colleagues. We are more able to serve as leaders when our head is clear, when our bodies are hydrated and nourished, when we feel connected and engaged, and when we are mindful and present. 

If you are interested in diving deeper into the topic of self compassion, two researchers/authors that are doing great work are Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. Kristin has a wonderful website complete with a self-assessment tool, her TEDx talk and other videos, guided mindfulness practices and resources. Christopher’s website is also very helpful with access to articles, excerpts from his books, guided meditations, and handouts from the Mindful Self Compassion training program. 

Both have also written very accessible and thoughtful books:

Kristin Neff (2011). Self Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind.
Kristin Neff (2013). Self Compassion Step-by-Step: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself (CD).
Christopher Germer (2009). The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself From Destructive Thoughts and Emotions.