How happy are your company’s employees? The Gallup organization recently revealed the results of their research on the US communities with the most contented workers.
The Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index measures respondents’ perceptions in six areas:
- Life Evaluation: Present life situation and anticipated life situation
- Emotional Health: Daily feelings and mental state
- Work Environment: Job satisfaction and workplace interactions
- Physical Health: Physical ability to live a full life
- Healthy Behavior: Engaging in behaviors that affect physical health
- Basic Access: Feeling safe, satisfied, and optimistic within a community
Gallup and Healthways survey 500 Americans each day. They’ve conducted the Well Being Index since January 2008. The Well-Being Index is being updated in 2014 to assess respondents’ perceptions in five areas that analysis showed would be better measures of well-being. We’ll see these new focus areas in results issued next year.
The community with the most contented workers was Provo-Orem, Utah, with an overall well-being score of 71.4 on a 100-point scale. Rounding out the top three communities are Boulder, CO (with a score of 71.3) and Ft. Collins-Loveland, CO (71.1).
The three communities with the least contented workers are Huntington-Ashland, KY/WV/OH (this metropolitan area spans portions of three states) with a score of 59.5, Charleston, WV (60.0), and Redding, CA (62.0).
Numerous studies of well being and employee engagement prove that employees with high engagement and well being produce more, innovate more, and serve customers better.
What can leaders do to boost employee well being in these six areas?
Company leaders can influence communities to enact policies that inspire residents to engage in healthy activities. Getting communities to enact policies might take awhile.
Company and team leaders can certainly work to ensure job satisfaction and healthy workplace interactions. Check out my free ChangeThis manifesto to learn how.
Team leaders don’t need a formal mandate. They can enact informal approaches that inspire team members to embrace healthy activities. Arranging lunchtime or mid-afternoon walks with interested team members can inspire physical activity. Enrolling a team in a charity walk can inspire bonding, service, and physical health.
Bringing in a yoga teacher and providing space for interested team members to do a class before or after work is increasing in popularity.
Learning new and interesting things can be as simple as bringing in outside experts for lunchtime presentations. A nutrition expert can demonstrate simple, healthy meal preparation or inform about the season’s freshest produce.
Team leaders are only limited by their own assumed constraints. If they think healthy living is something team members must do on their own, they won’t try some of these approaches. If they believe that everyone (including themselves) can benefit from exposure to healthier practices, they’ll be creative with some of these approaches.
You want to create a variety of healthy approaches for team members. Don’t mandate these activities – simply make them available, easy, and interesting.
By arranging participation in these and similar activities, your own well being – and that of team members – will grow, right before your eyes.
What do you think? How contented are you? How contented are your work peers, today? How can leaders inspire healthier opportunities daily to boost well being and engagement? Share your thoughts about this post/podcast in the comments section below.
Get your free copy of my ChangeThis manifesto, “What? Your Organization Doesn’t Have a Constitution?”
Add your experiences to two fast & free research projects I have underway. The Great Boss Assessment compares your current boss’ behaviors with those of great bosses. The Performance-Values Assessment compares your organization’s culture practices to those of high performing, values-aligned teams and organizations. Results and analysis are available on my research page.
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The more we’re engaged with, allowed opportunity to personally & professionally grow, as well as be supported when we push back on things, the greater our sense of well-being and contentedness.
Absolutely, David – and that’s equally true in our families and our communities as it is in our workplaces!
Best to you –
C.