16 esteemed experts, 12 lectures and 2 panel discussions – such a combination must have resulted in a huge dose of knowledge for immediate use, mainly by leaders, companies and HR.
This year’s conference focused on wellbeing from both an organisational and human perspective. Leaders, entrepreneurs and HR professionals thus had the chance to gain extremely interesting insights useful in their daily work.
New role of leadership
Joanna Malinowska-Parzydło, CEO of Younicorn / Premium Personal Brand Designer, “Jesteś Marką” (You Are the Brand) blog, stressed that the role of leadership is crucial today. Its growing importance is due to the nature of our times. Until recently we mainly used the term VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) to describe them. Today, the acronym BANI is increasingly used to describe reality, which is:
brittle,
anxious,
non-linear,
incomprehensible.
However, this is not about changing the nomenclature, but about emphasising that reality requires us to face more and more new challenges, the nature of which we are not always able to grasp. Leadership culture is thus becoming more important than ever, bringing a kind of order to chaos and a stable foundation to uncertainty.
However, operating under new conditions is a huge burden on the leaders themselves. This is why the art of managing themselves and their wellbeing becomes so important to them.
Iwona Bobrowska-Budny, Partner at Kirov&Partners and LifeEnergy.pl, noted that the wellbeing of a manager also has a unique impact on the company itself. This is because prolonged stress increases the risk of leaders making bad (and costly) decisions.
In doing so, the expert stressed that the path to wellbeing and leadership effectiveness must lead through the body. Although managers often neglect exercise or taking care of their shape, it should be a key part of their daily routine.
Monika Smulewicz, an expert in labour law and HR, CEO of HR na Szpilkach®, Managing Director of Eduwersum® Collegium Rozwoju HR, also noted the challenges leaders face today. As many as 30 percent of employees resign after accepting a promotion, and one in four Poles prefers to turn down a leadership role so as not to lose their wellbeing. As a remedy, the expert points to the need to change one’s mindset, redefine one’s role in the organisation from “to do” to “to be” (leader).
Against this backdrop, extremely important is the aspect of constantly taking care of one’s health and in the long term. Experts at the Wellbeing Summit 2024 stressed the importance of so-called longevity – an increasingly long life worth living in good shape, both physical and mental. This topic was addressed, among others, by Jowita Michalska, a digital educator with 20 years of experience in business, a speaker who has appeared at Polish and international conferences. She noted that Silicon Valley giants are already recognising the importance of a new view of age – today, a hundred is the new sixty for them.
A question of motivation
Much space was also devoted to the issue of motivating teams, which is of interest to us on a daily basis, and thus the role of a leader was addressed again. After all, the business reality shows that managers are responsible for this area.In her lecture, Iwona Bobrowska-Budny even pointed out that a leader has more influence on our lives than a doctor and the same as a life partner.
So, how to motivate wisely – both teams and yourself? With help comes Mateusz Kusznierewicz – a sailor, Olympic medalist, but also a mentor and team leader with a lot of experience. In his lecture, he presented a recipe for motivation, developed together with sports psychologist Mateusz Drela. It includes a number of factors:
whether the issue we are working on is attractive to us,
how likely success is,
what resources we have at our disposal, and
whether and what lessons we learn from failures.
Joanna Rek-Faber, an expert in positive psychology, coach and entrepreneur, and Ewa Hartman, a coach and MBA lecturer, completed the list by asking questions about our own “why” – the reason behind our efforts, our own meaning and purpose. Experts point out that such a goal could include, for example, independence or a job in line with interests.
Practical solutions
Speakers at the Wellbeing Summit 2024, however, did not limit themselves to just recognising the challenges. They also suggested solutions that, as leaders, entrepreneurs or HR professionals, we can successfully implement right away – in the organisation, but also in our own lives.
Power nap
It is a good idea to spend 15 minutes a day taking a power nap. According to NASA, you should sleep for a maximum of 24 minutes during the day to avoid entering the deep sleep (REM) phase. This will allow you to gain new energy and reduce stress.
Our advice: perhaps you can set aside a relaxation room in your company, or encourage employees to set aside time in their calendars for naps while working remotely.
Power walk
15 minutes for a walk, preferably in the morning, for example, before work.
Our advice: If possible, encourage employees to reach the office on foot (at least for part of the route), promote morning walks.
MultiLife 3.0
The benefit which already facilitates building wellbeing will undergo a technological transformation by the end of the year. As a wellbeing assistant, it will help you lose weight, take care of sleep, manage stress, learn a language, and take care of personal development. At the heart of the new release of MultiLife is the aforementioned idea of longevity and comprehensive care for all areas of wellbeing, translating into a long, healthy life.
Our advice: We will write more about the new release of MultiLife in due time. But you can already benefit from this unique tool, which provides applications, courses, training, audiobooks and e-books, and access to specialists and diagnostics.
Movement snacks
Although the recommended level of activity is a minimum of 30 minutes a day, in a busy world it is difficult to achieve even this result. With advice came Joanna Wojsiat, PhD in life sciences, who during her lecture recommended doing small exercises regularly throughout the day, such as 10 sit-ups every 45 minutes.
Our advice: Use “movement snacks” and encourage employees to do the same. If possible, also designate space for active breaks from office work.
Healthy food
Damian Parol, PhD, a dietitian and psychodietitian, spoke, among others, about the importance of diet for building health and wellbeing.The expert recommends, for example, “fruit Thursdays” – even if they appear in memes, they still in fact promote a healthy diet. Introducing a healthy menu in the company cafeteria or office snack machines is also a good option.
Our advice: conduct your own diet audit – do employees have easy access to healthy snacks and meals, or only to sweets and fast food?
Of course, these are just a few of the many pieces of advice given by experts at the conference. So we encourage you to replay the lectures available online at the link https://benefitsystems.pl/wellbeing-summit/live/. And then to implement the changes! In the company, but also in your own life.