ROW: Workplace Wellbeing Podcast

The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: Rethinking work hours with a 4-day week

In this interview, we explore the idea of a 4-day working week.

COVID-19 has certainly forced a rethink on modern work practices, and the 4-day working week has hit the headlines as a potential game-changer for productivity and workplace wellbeing.

Many in New Zealand will know of the success of the four-day working week at Perpetual Guardian. It made headlines around the world in 2019 when results showed the introduction of a compressed schedule delivered an increase in worker productivity, engagement, wellbeing, and job satisfaction.

Having seen the success, other big-name brands have jumped on board. Even New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given it a stamp of approval as a flexible work option. So, how does it work? What are the pros and cons, and in which organisations is it likely to be most successful?

Joining us in this interview is Andrew Barnes, founder of Perpetual Guardian and founder of 4 Day Week Global and the 4 Day Week Global Foundation. Andrew is also on the advisory boards of both the US and Ireland 4 Day Week campaigns and the board of the newly created Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford University.

Andrew shares his experience with launching a 4-day week across multiple businesses, plus shares insights on the future of work.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: How to increase motivation and inspire employee health behaviour change

In this interview, we take a deep dive into the science of behaviour change. Feel good messaging won't motivate all employees to make healthy lifestyle choices, so what will?

To explore the topic, we're joined by ROW behaviour change expert Dr Mark Wallace-Bell.

We discuss motivation and commitment, and what organisations can do to support employees to make sustainable, healthy behaviour changes. We also discuss barriers to change and simple tips for inspiring employees to try something new.

Dr Mark Wallace-Bell (RN, BSc (Hons)(Psych)PhD) is an internationally recognised health behaviour change specialist.

When not with ROW, Mark is at the University of Canterbury where he teaches post-graduate papers on health behaviour change.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: What workplaces can do to support the food-mood connection

In this interview, we turn our focus to the link between food and mood.

The science on this is clear: what you eat can impact your mental wellbeing. While food choice can be impacted by how you feel, research shows food may also be a mood trigger - particularly for low moods. Recent studies show that the more people improve their food choices, the more their depression improves, and food choices have been positively linked to learning and memory. Emerging research is also putting the spotlight on gut health and gut microbiome. Eating foods that support your gut microbiome can support your mental health.

Clearly, nutrition is an important part of mental health support at work.

Joining us in this episode to take a deep dive into the world of food and mood is our guest, and fellow ROW community member, Bronwyn Hudson. Bronwyn has over 20 years of experience across nutrition, health and wellbeing, education and children’s development, parenting support and health coaching, and understands the real-world challenges relating to health, balance and adopting change.

We explore the current science, how you can support nutrition at work, and tips and tricks for improving brain and gut health.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: Building a well environment at 2degrees - a case study

In this episode, we turn our focus to the link between the work environment and wellbeing, using a case study.  In late 2020, 2degrees announced its ambition to become the first company in New Zealand to receive WELL Certification as part of the move to its new home at 136 Fanshawe Street in Auckland.

Delivered by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the WELL Building Standard (WELL) assesses the key elements of a building and an organisation’s wellbeing practices that have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people. WELL was developed by integrating scientific and medical information on environmental health, behavioural factors, health outcomes and demographic risk factors that affect health alongside leading practices in building design and management. To obtain certification, the new 2degrees building would include elements such as enhanced air quality, sound mapping, considered lighting design, restorative spaces, and many other positive wellbeing features that have been cleverly designed within the fitout. 

The building is also targeting a Green Star 6-star rating.

Joining us is Nicky Vaughan, Head of Safety and Wellness at 2degrees and Shelly Thompson of Norman Disney Young. Together, we’ll explore the journey, talk about why this was important for the company, and discuss tips for other organisations looking to improve their work environment to foster wellbeing.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode:  Leadership & burnout: The issue we can't afford to ignore

In this episode, we turn our focus to burnout. Burnout is increasing, and it seems to be everywhere at the moment. New research out of AUT suggests 11 per cent of New Zealand workers might be experiencing burnout.

Globally, COVID-19 has increased pressure on working adults as they juggle uncertainty, work and life commitments. For those in a leadership role, the pressure can be even greater.

To take a deep dive on the topic, we are joined by two of New Zealand's leading experts: Professor Jarrod Haar of AUT's business school and Suzi McAlpine, leadership coach and author of the popular new release book - Beyond Burnout: A New Zealand Guide.

We discuss what burnout is, the signs and symptoms, and the impact of burnout on self, loved ones and work. Plus, we explore the impact of burnout on leaders and business productivity. Plus, we discuss those all-important solutions to avoid burnout, and what to do if you're already there or supporting someone to recover.

Our guests:

Professor Jarrod Haar: Professor Jarrod Haar (PhD) is a Professor of Human Resource Management in the Department of Management and has tribal affiliations of Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Mahuta. In 2018, Professor Haar was appointed as a Member of the Marsden Fund Council and is the Convenor of the Marsden Economics and Human Behavioural Sciences panel. Jarrod is a Research Fellow of the Australia & New Zealand Academy of Management (since 2012), an Associate Fellow of the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ) and won the inaugural HRINZ HR Researcher of the Year Award in 2016. In April 2016, he became the Deputy Director of the NZ Work Research Institute. In 2017, he won the Faculty of Business and Economics (AUT) Individual Researcher of the Year. His research approach spans broadly across a wide range of management topics, but with a strong focus on Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour.

Suzi McAlpine:  A leadership coach, award-winning blogger and keynote speaker, Suzi works alongside CEOs, managers and executives to facilitate clarity, direction and optimal performance in the areas people need it most. Suzi McAlpine is a Leadership Development Specialist and author of award-winning leadership blog, The Leader’s Digest. She writes and teaches about accomplished leadership, what magic emerges when it’s present, and how to ignite better leadership in individuals, teams and organisations. Suzi has been a leader and senior executive herself, working alongside CEOs and executive teams in many guises. Her experience has included being a head-hunter and executive coach, and a practice leader for a division at the world’s largest HR consulting firm.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: How technology can boost wellbeing at work

In this session, we’re joined by guest tech entrepreneur and investor Ben Reid from Memia to discuss wellbeing and technology. We’ll discuss the role of technology in improving health in the workplace, plus look at data security and privacy, particularly with the recent hack of wearable device-maker Garmin. We also discuss how to make the most of technology solutions in your workplace and how to encourage employee participation. If you’re considering tech as part of your wellbeing strategy, this will be a must-listen interview!

Ben Reid is an experienced advisor with a deep industry background in technology business strategy. Ben works with a wide range of organisations spanning multinational software companies, government agencies and startups, bringing technological capability at governance and executive level.

Ben is active in promoting innovation and collaboration across the New Zealand technology industry and public sector.  From 2017-2019 he was the Executive Director of the Artificial Intelligence Forum of New Zealand, has been a longstanding committee member and former Chairman of the CanterburyTech, the regional tech industry body and also the establishment Chairman of Canterbury Angel Investors Inc., the regional Angel Investment network.  Ben is a member of the Institute of Directors in New Zealand.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: What workplaces can do to support people with a serious mental illness

In this session, we're joined by Hannah Hardy-Jones, CEO of Kite, to discuss serious mental illness and what workplaces can do to better support people through their journey.

Hannah was leading a successful career in human resources before the traumatic birth of her first child led to what was later diagnosed as postpartum bipolar disorder. In this discussion, Hannah will share her lived experience with bipolar, plus the myths and misconceptions of the illness. She will also share her tips and ideas for taking care as a person with a mental illness, and share tips for family, friends, and colleagues. We will also discuss the role that workplaces play in supporting people with a serious mental illness.

Hannah is CEO of the Kite Program and has an extensive background in HR, specialising in leadership development and employee relations. She developed the concept of Kite as a result of her experience with postpartum bipolar disorder after the birth of her first child, coupled with the lack of support and tools for employees she saw in the workplace to manage their mental health, focus on their wellbeing, and to improve themselves both professionally and personally. 

Using the principles of microlearning, Hannah created Kite to be the beautiful app that it is now. It launched globally in Feb 2019 as a tool for mothers (Kite for mums) and is now available as a template for any client or group to shape, so that it is applicable and relevant to their audience - under the arm of Kite for Business. Hannah has a team of 20 consultants rolling this solution out across Latin America, the USA, UK/Ireland, Europe, Australia, and NZ.

Hannah speaks openly about her mental health and has been featured in Forbes, appeared on TV1 Seven Sharp and TV3 The Project, the front page of The Press- as well as numerous magazines, radio, articles and podcasts. She is an active mental health advocate - with a passion for maternal and paternal mental health in particular.

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: Developing a wellbeing framework

In this interview, we look at how to develop and measure a wellbeing framework.

Trust Tairāwhiti is a regional development funder on the East Coast of New Zealand. Over the past few years, the team has designed and developed a wellbeing framework and wellbeing impact assessment tool to support their Board and staff to make measurable wellbeing investment decisions into the communities of Tairāwhiti, Gisborne. The framework, He Tohu Ora, was launched in late 2020 and work continues to refine the measures and determine: how do we track wellbeing across a diverse community group and how do we best measure success over a long period of time?

Joining us in this session is General Manager, Wellbeing and Impact, Erina Hurihanganui to discuss the Trust’s journey to this point. It reveals the complexities of such a framework not only in its development but how it now starts to translate into the operations of the Trust which focuses on community and economic wellbeing.

While the framework is aimed at community wellbeing, there are many lessons organisations can take away and apply to the development of their own wellbeing framework. 

You can view the Trust Tairāwhiti framework here: trusttairawhiti.nz/he-tohu-ora-tairawhiti-wellbeing/

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: Leadership through recovery

In this episode, we're joined by guest Jolie Wills, a Christchurch-based cognitive psychologist specialising in disaster recovery.

During the recovery phase of Covid19, resilient leaders need to inspire their teams to navigate through uncertainty. From a wellbeing perspective, it is important leaders both support their team and their own wellbeing to sustain that energy and focus.

Drawing on her expertise in assisting leaders through prolonged pressure, Jolie shares her tips and recommendations for ensuring leaders can work through the challenges ahead. We also discuss strategies and initiatives that workplaces can put in place to create critical support structures and we reflect on managing stress through times of crisis.

Jolie is a co-founder of Hummingly, along with Elizabeth McNaughton. The duo have worked in disasters around the world for more than two decades. The realisation that helping one person, one community, one disaster at a time was no longer enough, lit the spark that became Hummingly. Jolie and Elizabeth set about creating easy to use tools that people, communities and workplaces the world over could access to do well in tough times. Hummingly’s products are now helping thousands of people and organisations around the world. Jolie has a Masters in Cognitive Psychology and is a leading psychosocial expert in disaster and disruption. Jolie has studied how the mind works under prolonged pressure, how we make decisions and how our reactions and behaviours are impacted by stress. Jolie is a survivor of the Christchurch earthquake and has lived disaster recovery with her family first-hand.

She developed services and training to help her fellow citizens for the Red Cross, local government and academia. Jolie is a Winston Churchill fellowship recipient, a Leadership New Zealand alumni, an Edmund Hillary Fellow and the co-author of Leading in Disaster Recovery: A Companion through the Chaos, primary author of the New Zealand Psychological First Aid guide and is Co-Chair of the New Zealand chapter of Australasian Women in Emergencies Network.

Get the Professional Development Pack for this episode: rowwellbeing.com/podcast

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The Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) podcast explores how we can build better, stronger workplaces. 

This episode: Influencing wellbeing at the board table

In this session, we turn our focus to wellbeing at the board table. To better understand the views and perspectives of those at the most senior levels, we're joined by Francois Barton, Executive Director at the Business Leaders' Health and Safety Forum.

We explore the views and concerns of those at the most senior levels when it comes to wellbeing and we review the lessons learned so far from the Covid-19 crisis.

Francois shares his insights and we discuss how we, as wellbeing leaders, can influence the wellbeing discussion at the board level to support better wellbeing across our organisations.

Francois Barton took over as Forum Executive Director in May 2015. Prior to joining the Forum Francois established and ran WorkSafe NZ’s national programme team, which has delivered major safety campaigns in construction, agriculture, forestry and manufacturing. He previously held roles at MBIE - including being involved in early discussions that led to the development of the Canterbury Safety Rebuild Charter - and at the Department of Labour, where he was part of the team that set up the Forum in 2010.

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