Mental wellness and looking after both body and mind are hot topics at the moment, with the concept of maintaining good mental health now being recognised in many organisations as being just as important and employees physical health. Sue Gull , Corporate Services and Staff Partner explores how setting up an open and non-blaming culture can help to improve an individual’s performance and state of mind. L ooking at the definitions of resilience in a dictionary the words “bounce back” caught my eye. For many years we have used an online personality profiler at Scrutton Bland, which is We don’t always get it right, but encouraging an open culture where people aren’t expected to be superhuman all the time can make a big difference. So can discouraging a blame culture. Nothing eats away quicker at a person’s resilience than the need to be constantly on guard against getting the blame when things don’t go to plan. From induction onwards we Sue Gull can be contacted at hello@scruttonbland.co.uk or tel 0330 058 6559
designed to draw out workplace preferences and form part of a long-term discussion about career paths within our Group. We have often found this a very useful tool, mainly to open up conversations about how people really like to work. Part of this is a strategy to ensure that our people are working in roles which play to their strengths, rather than forcing people into jobs where they will be less likely to flourish. We have over a decade of experience in this and interestingly, one of the characteristics which we have learned to pay careful attention to, for both individuals and teams, is the area around buoyancy and “bounce back”. Sometimes we have found this discussion is a door to more open conversations which have been vital to an individual’s development. For example, just because you aren’t the sort of person who easily bounces back from a difficult time, doesn’t necessarily mean you should never be given more responsibility. Often, armed with that knowledge, it’s about making sure that person has the right support. We have put in place mentoring schemes and management training groups to help build a network of colleagues who can make all the difference.
try to explain to everyone that we all make mistakes. Trying to hide them just makes it worse and we aim to make sure there is a clear line of communication so people know where they can go for help and guidance, whatever the problem. Like everything else, that one is a work in progress, but a calm voice to talk you through the right procedure, from a potential money laundering issue to a lost key fob, can help to take away the panic and give a person that all important sense of regaining control of the situation and getting it in perspective. One other thing we have noticed about the buoyancy factor is it is one of the characteristics most likely to be affected by health and external events. Illness, a bereavement, or a job that has gone wrong, will all affect an individual’s ability to bounce back. So, whilst resilience will undoubtedly be partly down to our genetic makeup (nature), other factors can take their toll on a normally robust person. Recognising that in yourself and in others, and knowing when to ask for help, may just prevent that feeling of sinking without trace but also helps the whole organisation to continue to understand more about this complex issue of resilience and how, as individuals, we can all help build a better working environment.
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