More than four in 10 employees (44%) say they are more burned out on the job today compared to a year ago.
As values-based organizations, it's important that we are always looking at ways we can do better for our community of customers, clients, vendors and critically - our teams.
After a year and a half of dealing with COVID and no clear end in sight, leaders are dealing with an increasingly burnt out workforce. Everyone is exhausted from the fear and stress of COVID, the social and political turmoil we have all endured. Add the natural disasters of fire, smoke and hurricanes and it's easy to see why workers are struggling. Working parents of small children are one of the groups I see with the most challenges as schools open and close and children need more attention.
We have been reflecting on how we can continue creating a Whole Human approach to our team and have decided to start rolling out Mental Health Days. We will be finding 1-2 days per month for our team to have an additional Friday off so they can either take the day off or catch-up on work uninterrupted.
When we announced this new program, of course, we had 100% positive feedback from our employees and even a "I feel like you did when you were a kid and your parents told you they are taking you to Disneyland." :)
As a leader, it feels great to be able to provide something to our team members that feels so good to them as they have all been SUPERSTARS giving to MTO and our clients selflessly throughout such a very hard time in the world.
Please, feel encouraged to consider whether adding some mental health days for your team might be just the thing your team needs to be more productive and resilient!
It’s time to say GOODBYE to fear-based work cultures
I’m saying this as someone who has perpetuated this old ‘carrot or stick’ business paradigm, personally.
It’s such a common practice, many business leaders don’t even question it. I didn’t for a long time either.
But as I continue to grow as a more socially-emotionally intelligent leader, I have awakened to this toxic workplace norm and am committed to stopping it at my company - both internally and in our business relationships.
We will not have a company culture of stress, fear and frenzied fire drills - we will co-create a culture of thoughtful, strategic and emotionally-balanced approaches & responsiveness.
I owe much of my own growth as a more gentle leader to my daily work with the flight-response of horses. Getting a 1000-pound powerful (and dangerous) animal to work with me willingly shines a spotlight on my edges. They show me where I don’t ask kindly, where I ask too much, where I get frustrated too easily…
And then I reflect, I look at where and how this shows up in my life and work, and I commit to doing better.
I would love to know - who here is doing the same?
I’m considering putting together a support framework for leaders who are doing the HARD WORK to actively dismantle this kind of business-as-usual programming. It’s exhausting to constantly push against the system but for me - it’s the only choice.
The ugly, demanding, greedy side of capitalism is unsustainable. There is a better way. And I would like to spend more time with likeminded people so we can support each other to create it together.
Conscious Leadership Conversation & Virtual Wine Tasting
I talk about “Conscious Leadership” quite a bit but what does that really mean?
For me, it consists of three parts:
1. Breaking the old business paradigm and removing the partition from my heart and my work
2. Committing to a Whole Human approach to company culture that balances profit and purpose, people and planet.
3. Evolving personally, continually expanding my own consciousness - meaning: healing personal trauma and gaining self-awareness of unconscious patterns of thoughts and behaviors (often called ‘shadow self’) to be the most integrated, holistically-well I can be physically, mentally and emotionally so that I bring my best self to work and relationships.
So - in short “doing the work” to live in integrity personally and organizationally.
This is my favorite topic in the whole world right now and if it piques your interest, too - I would love for you to join for a lively discussion with me, my team, leaders from Dough wines, proud supporters of the James Beard Foundation, and the one and only Jennifer English, Food & Beverage Editor-at-Large.
When: Wednesday, June 16, 3pm PST
RSVP Here ✉️ https://bit.ly/3wlcAxN
Our Panelists:
- Jennifer English, Editor at Large, Food & Beverage Magazine
- Clayton Seeto, Marketing Director, Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners/Dough Wines
- Kate McManus, VP of Marketing, Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners/Dough Wines
- Lee Morse, Assistant Winemaker, Dough Wines
Hosted by:
MTO CEO & Founder Gretchen Fox
This group of conscious leaders will discuss what's at the top of every impact-driven business leader & marketer's mind right now, including:
+ Setting new industry standards in sustainability
+ Creating a new, better normal as we head back into the world
Join us!
