Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Mark McCrindle & Ashley Fell, Rockpool Publishing, $29.99.
Wellbeing is more than positive physical and mental health. In its holistic definition wellbeing is about our ability as humans to thrive and flourish.
Social researchers Fell and McCrindle believe work plays a crucial role in this.
“The concepts we explore in this book are founded on decades of social research and are the culmination of detailed surveys, focus groups and literature reviews into the areas of wellbeing, human thriving and flourishing. We hope it will inform you about the changing nature and context of work, the importance of it in our lives and the opportunity work present individuals, leaders and organisations to facilitate flourishing workers. In turn, we believe that flourishing workers will contribute to flourishing communities and a flourishing society.”
They deem leaders create ripples of impact: ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’ – Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Leaders facilitate growth in people: ‘Like the growth rings of a tree, our lives occasionally experience seasons of extraordinary flourishing. We have found three catalysts for such growth: significant adversity, extreme dissatisfaction, or exposure to an exceptional leader.’
Over the last decade our world has increased its focus on individual wellbeing. There is a huge amount of information available and education offered on how to enhance personal wellbeing by reducing stress and being more physically active, but when it comes to our workplaces do we really know what wellbeing means?
The authors say it’s not just important that workplaces prioritise wellbeing; it’s vital for their success. As we now live longer and work for extended hours and well into our twilight years, workplace wellbeing becomes a key element to employee attraction, retention and satisfaction.
Can you name the three catalysts whereby our lives occasionally experience seasons of extraordinary flourishing? If your answer is correct, then you could win one of three copies of Work Wellbeing. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 14 September 2020. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column on 15 September 2020.
