Dignity: Wellbeing. 

There is an excellent article that was written by Jim Harter (2022) for Gallup called “Percent Who Feel Employer Cares about Their Wellbeing Plummets” The article states that fewer than one in four workers believes the organization cares about their wellbeing. This is a significant drop from the 49% in 2020 which was at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. The article also states that this feeling crosses all levels of the organization, especially frontline leaders.  

The success of any organization starts with the engagement of the frontline staff which is supported by the strength of the frontline leadership. This leads to increased engagement which drives increased satisfaction from the people the organization serves. Even in this time of the great resignation companies who have engaged employees and feel their organization cares about them are less likely to look for a new job or experience burnout (Harter, 2022).  

The last 2 years have affected all of us significantly. COVID has not been our only challenge. We have seen an increase in depression, anxiety, and suicides, especially among our children. We have seen an increase in substance use and alcohol use and the aftereffects of people delaying care related to COVID. We are also affected by the things going on around the world as well as in our inner cities. It is difficult sometime to hold on to hope.  

I am not immune to this sense of sadness and despair or the loss of hope. I feel like just giving up sometimes. There are times when I find it hard to write this post because I do not know if it makes a difference. Even as a leader, a father, a son, a brother, and a husband I lose hope. But what I have come to learn is that those are the things that keep moving me forward. Honoring and elevating dignity is what helps me to push through. The amazing people I have had in my life helped me with the strength to move forward. Watching what the frontline staff do every day helps me become stronger. My children help me to be stronger.  

You may ask me “Charles what does this have to do with improving engagement at work?” I will tell you. As a leader I must address my wellbeing, or I cannot support the people I lead or who look to me for guidance. I understand that if I have these feelings then many of those who look to me for strength are feeling those things as well. We are in a time when the stresses of life do not just end at work. They carry on through our everyday life. If we cannot find a way to connect to ourselves, how can we ever connect to others and give to something higher. 

It saddens me to see that people do not feel cared about at work. But this is something we can change not only as leaders but as people. As leaders we must be examples of dignity. We must be the example of our mission and vision. We must be present to support the people at the frontlines who do the challenging work every day. They must have a voice in the direction of the organization because what I have learned as a leader is that change starts at the front of the line and motivation and compassion come from those who lead. 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” 
– Marianne Williamson (Author and Activist) 

Charles Redd RN 

Dignity Freedom Fighter 

(Still fighting for me and you) 

Hartner, J. (2022, March 8). Percent who feel employer cares about their wellbeing plummets. Gallup.Com. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/390776/percent-feel-employer-cares-wellbeing-plummets.aspx?utm_source=workplace&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=workplace_newsletter_mar_03222022&utm_term=newsletter&utm_content=whats_next_cta_2&elqTrackId=e263f99618f640208d5937ef2eb17aba&elq=4735f7cd677847369a53bb0981432e6c&elqaid=8362&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=1802