There are significant reasons to focus on enhancing well-being in the workplace. Leaders who focus on improving the well-being of their employees are more likely to have greater relationships with them which can lead to better job-related health and satisfaction.

Let’s examine the key behavior patterns of leadership that boost well-being.

1. Increase Confidence and Reduce Uncertainty 

Uncertainty can be extremely stressful for humans. Yet, the contemporary work environment is packed with uncertainty. Much of this is caused by communication. 

Good leaders should communicate clearly. Eliminating as much ambiguity as possible. Expectations, tasks, and goals should be shared so that the team can understand. Good communication is a two-way tool. Allow questions as they are often used to help internalize information.

2. Prevent Energy Leaks

One of the facets of leadership is energy management. As a leader, you must periodically perform scans and identify what is draining energy within your team. For example, if we look at a cup as the vessel of our energy, it is easy to envision that there will be a loss of energy if the cup has a hole. However, maybe there is no noticeable hole, but a few hairline fractures, which leak out energy slowly. Either instance causes energy loss. 

When you apply this analogy to the prevention of energy loss to the team, a good leader is on top of things and takes action to prevent energy leaks. Examples of good leaders addressing energy leaks can be viewed in these situations:

• Dividing an extremely large task or assignment among multiple team members or assigning a team to a project. 
• Ensuring breaks are taken to allow team members to preserve their internal energy.
• Staying on top of challenges.
• Helping the team members identify ways to re-charge their energy.

Good leaders strive to create a positive environment for their team and help them live their work/life equilibrium and form healthier relations with their family members and friends. Through education and exemplary leadership, energy management can be successfully managed.

3. Provide Constructive Feedback and Praise

The popularity of strengths-based development has increased in recent years as companies have realized the value in using employees’ current abilities as a springboard to expansion. 

There is no doubt that positive reinforcement is a great way to develop positive behaviors and improve skills. Leaders who adopt the strengths-based model help guide employees toward more productive behaviors and a better self-image.

The key lesson for leaders is to be conscious of the strengths, weaknesses, and objectives, provide needed information, and build individuals by empowering them with positive reinforcement of their strengths and gently guiding their behavior by giving constructive feedback. 

However, to effectively achieve strengths-based development, you must know capabilities and shortcomings.

4. Promote the Importance of Company Messages

We’re all regularly exposed to an increasing amount of information, and nowhere else is that more evident than at work. As a result, email is a constant stressful issue for employees. 

Overloading employees through email can cause fatigue and exhaustion; however, it can also cause harm differently by blinding people to the most pertinent information that is slipping through the internet.

However, important messages do come frequently, and it’s often internal messages that are more likely considered less important when compared to mission-critical or customer-facing messages. These internal messages can be the most important to employee well-being and performance. 

Messages such as reminders to sign-up for insurance, wellness workshops, tips for time management, and more can all benefit well-being. To promote these company messages, it may be necessary to bring them to the team’s attention. This can be done as a weekly recap or by sending out messages with a required read receipt. Regardless of the method employed, it is necessary to ensure that these messages are not overlooked. 

Conclusion

Leaders are often the catalyst for the team’s well-being. They oversee the team and help each individual perform activities that enhance the team’s overall well-being. Therefore, leaders must be vigilant, focusing on actions that promote team well-being.