Are You Supporting Health in Your Workplace?

Whether you are working from home or working onsite, our health is being affected to some extent because of the pandemic . . . and the election . . . and the uncertainty in our professional and personal lives in general as part of everyday life. It's mental health, it's emotional health, it's physical health.

For those of you in the residential or private commercial sector of construction, business has been very different since March 2020. That initial impact has trickled down to our subcontractors, suppliers and field personnel. Some businesses have closed already, others are holding off as long as possible before starting another round of layoffs. The other sectors of our industry are also suffering and no one is safe from the unknown at this point. So what can we do to help each other, to support each other's health in the workplace?

Here are few easy things to consider:

BE VULNERABLE. We are literally in this together. Let people know that you are being challenged as well. Share you struggles so that talking about it stops being a sign of weakness.

MODEL HEALTHY BEHAVIORS. That's right, you gotta walk the talk. Consider taking your meetings outside on a walk for that weekly ZOOM call. Show people, there is time and there are resources to begin making your health a priority.

HONESTY. Again, being open an honest about your experiences during this time so that you and your peers can connect. When you ask "How are you?", make sure you let them know that you really want them to share. If they blow it off, make an extra effort so that next time you ask them, they will know that you care and are looking to truly engage.

REMAIN FLEXIBLE. Everyone's capacity for dealing with the pandemic is different and it's important to understand that about individuals.

COMMUNICATION. Communicate more than you think you have been - be extra, it's okay. People are already feeling unsteady about their various professional and personal relationships. Help manage their expectations and yours with open communication.

BE RESOURCEFUL So, can we do these things I listed above ourselves? Absolutely, but often times our good intentions get swallowed up by the lack of time we get in the day which will always be finite. The next step is to find resources that can help implement and support health in the workplace. Resources that can help you identify and measure specifics so they can be addressed effectively. Making these investments in your employees has been statistically proven to always produce a higher return on production.

As a health and small business coach, I help my clients not only make their health a priority but also help them balance their personal and professional obligations either by one-on-one coaching or as an independent consultant taking some of those tasks off their plate all together. This takes some of the uncertainty out of the one thing so many people have learned to be complacent about - our health. When we become less uncertain, we become more proficient - our confidence goes up and every aspect of our health improves for certain success.