Holistic Healing for your business, hmmm, what's that!
While looking at stress management and holistic healing for busy executives, it occurs to me that large corporations offer more holistic approaches to healing individuals and business problems than small and medium size businesses normally do.
My experience in Fortune 100 companies over the past 10 years shows corporations interested in workforce diversity and respect, cooperation in place of competition among team memers, and empowering employees to take ownership for their work. Companies pay a lot of attention to stress management to keep the organization functioning at the required fast pace. There are frequent communications to employees, departments and teams to help them realize their contribution, their tiny cog, is IMPERATIVE to the success of the company overall.
Corporations participate in "bring your daughter to work day", have family picnics or annual get-togethers, encourage celebration and recognition for work well done. Most companies have private "nursing rooms" and some have chair massage therapists come in for employee appreciation events. Many offer family-friendly policies such as flexible schedules and comp time for traveling.
More and more companies are hiring consultants such as myself to implement the use of social media and worker-friendly tools and technology. Corporations are using Wiki pages to communicate within teams, companies are implementing department and individual blogs (with similar usage policies as their e-mail policies) and rolling out team style management training where team members take turns facilitating meetings and developing leadership skills.
Employers are recruiting "risk takers" and people who speak up not just "yes men and women" who may have held a high place in yesterday's comanies. Company policies no longer pay out weeks and weeks of vacation time, you are encouraged to take your vacation and get away from the company once and a while.
I have seen employers offer a complete package of personal enrichment workshops because a happy employee is more productive. Both employers and employees see the benefits of employee retention and staying with companies who "care" about the workforce. This is becomming commonplace and will be necessary to retain tomorrow's workforce.
If you are a solopreneur or home based busines, be sure to offer yourself the same benefits as the large corporations. Put some dollars in the budget for self-improvement seminars or outings. Books and DVD's abound on the topics of stress management and studies have proven that a rested and relaxed worker is far more productive than a harried and scattered one.
Take a holistic approach to healing your business: If your business is suffering, take some time out for reflection and give yourself some breathing room. Take some time out to evaluate the health of your business ... diagnose where it has been and where it is going. Don't be afraid to re-structure (even if you are the only employee); the big companies do it all the time. New, refreshed focus can bring about cost savings and renewed enthusiasm for you -- which results in greater profit and new customers.
You could just work harder, faster, but that is the way to a heart attack not the way to healing yourself and your business.
5 Steps to Healing for Your Business:
1. Analyze what needs healing in your business -- be specific
Processes? Procedures? Attitudes? Growth challenges? Communication problems?
2. Determine the many possible treatments to heal your business
3. Plan and Implement 1 or 2 treatments right away -- not too many at once
4. Don't give up -- stick with your plans
5. Take the time to document lessons learned -- learn from previous behavior