The United States surgeon general, also known as the nation’s doctor, is typically known for sharing reports on topics like the effects of e-cigarette use, the COVID-19 pandemic and the risks of heart disease. For the first time in the history of the office, the U.S. surgeon general has released a report on the significance of mental health in the workplace.
This is huge.
The work that we do here at Prophit Co. has always led leaders and employees to dig deep to understand how they’re emotionally wired, how their early years of life shaped who they are today, and how to get a handle on their negative voice in order to be their best selves in the workplace.
Finally having a government voice reinforcing the importance of mental health in the working world is significant.
The surgeon general’s “Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well‑Being” includes five essentials that “support workplaces as engines of well-being.” For more info on the full list, visit: hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/workplace-well-being/index.html. Today, I want to focus specifically on number four: mattering at work.
What’s mattering?
Each essential in the list is based on two human needs. In the case of mattering, those are dignity and meaning. According to the Office of the Surgeon General, “People want to know that they matter to those around them and that their work matters. Knowing you matter has been shown to lower stress, while feeling like you do not can raise the risk for depression. Dignity is the sense of being respected and valued while meaning in the workplace can refer to the sense of broader purpose and significance of one’s work.”
Key components that can increase a sense of mattering:
- Providing a living wage
- Engaging workers in workplace decisions
- Building a culture of gratitude and recognition
- Connecting individual work with organizational mission
How do you increase your employees’ sense of mattering?
Involve your employees in the process! It can be as simple as a quarterly employee survey. Ask your operations team to put a plan in place to collect a ranking as well as employees’ thoughts on how much they matter and how the ranking could be improved.
As leaders, we have a role to play in our employees’ mental health. We each will spend approximately 90,000 hours on the job, according to Psychology Today, so it’s quite a responsibility and an opportunity for leaders and companies to devote time and focus to the mental well-being of those in their care.
If you asked your employees to rate how much they matter in your workplace, on a scale of 1-10, what would they say? If your gut says anything under an 8, it’s time to get after it. Help increase your employees’ sense of mattering today!
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Joe Kiedinger is a well-versed keynote speaker, entrepreneur, author of three books on leadership: The Brander in Chief, Remove Your Fear, Build Your Career and The Dignity Based Franchise and blogger of Wisdom on Wednesday, CEO of Prophit Co. and holds a utility patent for the technology, Dignify®.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Insight Publications, a division of Woodward Communications, Inc.
