A Workplace Culture of Care by Selale Anapa for TraumaVenture
By: Traumaventure Cecilia M Cardesa
Tags: Mental Health, Cultureofcare, Trauma Informed, Future Of Work

I learned a great deal in college — time management; prioritization; the impact of politics, economics, and culture on international affairs; cultural literacy; and globalization. Upon graduation, I left with a web of knowledge secured and ready to be applied to the outside world. Optimism and self-pride for earning a degree rested on each shoulder, rustling encouraging words for the future in my mind.

I walked into the workforce eager, motivated, and dedicated. What I didn’t realize is that I would soon feel overworked, drained, and fatigued. Among the plethora of information I learned in school, something was missing — what entering into the workplace would look like for me as an individual with cultivated needs and independent experiences.

During the onset of COVID-19, I was introduced to the concept of a Culture of Care, the theory that a workplace best achieves its mission when the importance of relationships is emphasized. That lens appealed to me, and I started to do a self-audit; I reflected on how I was spending my time and, more importantly, how I was spending my energy. I did not realize that even though my time was well-managed, I could still be left feeling drained. COVID-19 seemed to amplify how I was able to look at my life. Thoughts of work consumed me — small tasks, conversations, upcoming meetings, whether I did something right or wrong, my first call the next day — all of these things negatively impacted my well-being; I could feel myself slipping away. I was not able to shake off the workday. It stayed with me past work hours, into dreams, and before work hours the next day. Personally, I was unable to enjoy time for myself or actively engage in the important relationships of my life. Professionally, my motivation and creativity dwindled. I thought to myself, this can’t be it.

Humans are inherently social beings. For us, connection is a basic need, and we naturally seek companionship as part of our welfare; in other words, we depend on community. Just as our family, friends, universities, sports teams, and neighborhoods are communities, so is our workplace. As social, emotional beings, we typically define our subjective well-being, or happiness, by evaluating our life through experiences; thus, our work and our well-being are interconnected. The average person spends one-third of their life ( 90,000 hours) at work, and therefore, work is inevitably a variable we consider when self-evaluating.

This pandemic has flipped the typical workplace environment upside down, both physically and socially, and sparked innovation for redesigning the layout for the future of work. Innovation starts with compassion and understanding. As children, we are taught respect, responsibility, honesty, and kindness are of the highest importance. When these values are transferred to the workplace, work can be an environment that nurtures positive relationships, embraces understanding, community, and encouragement. It becomes the healthy soil in which engagement can grow.

The workplace is an ecosystem composed of interacting social beings where each member (leadership, employee, stakeholder) must feel appreciated to actively engage and foster success. Engagement starts with leadership. When senior leadership is transparent, empathetic, and appreciative, employees are engaged and, more importantly, are assured of the company and their place in it. COVID-19 has elevated this need for caring and trusting leadership. Where trusting leadership is intact, the switch to remote work has created more independence for employees and an opportunity to take new creative direction in their responsibilities.

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama said, “To earn trust, money and power aren’t enough; you have to show some concern for others. You can’t buy trust in the supermarket.”

When people feel they can trust and be trusted, they are eager to be a part of the relationship. Research has proven that social connections and relationships at work enhance one’s sense of meaningfulness, reinforcing engagement. In a relationship where trust is observed, people are willing to contribute what is needed — dedication, talent, energy, honest opinions, ideas. These relationships should not be transactional; after all, we are social beings; it makes the most sense for workplace culture to be person-centric.

A Culture of Care focuses on the emotional investment required by employees as much as the physical task. The pandemic is an unprecedented time filled with uncertainty — each of us is experiencing it in distinct ways with unique stressors that are not always visible to others. We must be mindful of the spectrum of challenges each of us encounters. The values we were taught as children (respect, responsibility, honesty, and kindness) are more critical than ever as we navigate the day in a time that tests our mental and physical well-being. We can use this unique time to explore and make meaningful connections, both professionally and personally. A celebratory, respectful, trusting, and collaborative work model is not an unattainable dream. It is a reality, very much in our reach if we work toward it on all levels of the professional ecosystem.

The COVID-19 landscape has prompted me to be increasingly mindful of how my work environment is translating into my personal life. The workplace, as we have known it, is changing and employees’ expectations along with it. A change in workplace culture is imperative; acknowledging and being mindful of the interconnectedness between work and personal life allows us to live more authentically and lead to increased well-being. Let us change it; let it be person-centered and encompass connection, trust, collaboration, and respect. A Culture of Care is, first and foremost, a culture, without limitation by four walls. If we hold to the values we are taught as children, transformation into a Culture of Care can transcend the workspace and into the facets of our everyday lives.

#fridayreads #cultureofcare #thefutureofwork #wellbeing #humanizingtheworkplace #empathymatters #peoplefirst #humancentricleadership #baskadinlar #kadinliderler #TraumaVenture