Creating a happy, healthy culture Successful, resilient businesses rely on the expertise, energy and goodwill of their staff – and by extension, their supplier’s staff. The importance of protecting and supporting those vital human resources should not be underestimated
Day says the resilience of your suppliers should also be considered. “For a lot of organisations more than half of their workforce is not employed by them directly, but they may have direct contact with your customer base. It’s important to keep them happy and motivated.” He says just as with internal employees, the supplier’s team will feel valued when they’re listened to, communicated with and involved. “Ensure you engage with them. How are you communicating your strategy to your suppliers and their staff? It’s important to create loyalty and understanding of your vision by making them feel part of the wider team. Invite them to tour your operations, include them in discount or benefit programmes, communicate your strategy to them and, importantly, be a good citizen to all.” Question the resilience of your supplier’s people and what you’re doing to help or hinder that. “Are we forcing them to work in an unsafe environment? What’s being done that could drive resilience or a lack of it? You can build safeguards into the contract and ensure procurement has
clearly communicated the behaviour they wish to see.” “Companies have to take responsibility for their own workforce and consider their organisational responsibility to that of their supplier’s.” “The human factor is a key part of doing business,” he adds. “No matter how large companies are, it comes down to behaviour. How you treat your staff and your suppliers will go a long way to determining your level of resilience. It will impact your ability to keep going and to claim that all-important ‘customer of choice’ status that will become increasingly valuable to counter global supply chain challenges.”
Look out for number one
UK mental health charity Mind offers some ideas to aid your own wellbeing 2 : • Be kind to yourself: Try to take time in your day for things you enjoy and reward yourself for your achievements • Try to find time to relax: Allow yourself short breaks throughout the day • Develop your interests and hobbies: Time spent on things you enjoy may help to distract from and balance out stressful situations, and can also be a good way to meet people • Spend time in nature: This can help to reduce stress and improve wellbeing. Go for a walk in a green space, take care of indoor plants, or spend time with animals • Look after your physical health: Ensure you eat well, stay active and get enough rest
In March this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a scientific brief 1 that revealed the global prevalence of anxiety and depression rose by 25% in the first year of Covid. Social isolation, uncertainty, loneliness, fear of infection, suffering, death, grief and financial worries, were among multiple stress factors contributing to this massive increase. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described it as a “wake-up call to all countries to… do a better job of supporting their populations’ mental health”. For some, the pandemic will have likely amplified and exacerbated pre- existing challenges such as insomnia, poverty, poor quality accommodation, mental health or physical conditions or discrimination. For others, it introduced
The sheer longevity of the coronavirus pandemic is bound to have caused fatigue; and while many of the practical effects have eased, the long-term impact is likely to be far- reaching. Beyond this, new supply chain challenges have sprung up: inflation; an energy crisis; blocked ports; and strangled European supply lines caused by lorry-driver shortages and conflict in Ukraine, are compounding the situation for already weary workers. “Worse is yet to come in terms of supply chain challenges, some of which have not yet trickled through,” says Alan Day. “The stress that procurement and supply chain management teams have been under will resonate with all. Resilience not only concerns the strength of a business, or its supply chain, but the individuals within it. Both are important because if our people aren’t coping, you will have a problem in the supply chain anyway.” Model good behaviour One thing Covid did accelerate was awareness and acceptance of the importance of good mental health. Many companies have introduced new measures to help support their staff, including wellbeing days, office- hours-only emailing, presentations on resilience, mental health mentors, menopause groups and helplines. Much of this, however, is unlikely to succeed if the company culture fails to support it.
“If our people aren’t coping, you will have a problem in the supply chain anyway” – Alan Day “One way to help make people more resilient is to address sources of pain,” says Day. “Ensure staff are properly trained; automate as much as possible to help people work smarter not harder; ensure activities are properly resourced and that achievements are recognised. And put steps in place to ensure people have someone to talk to should issues or challenges arise.” There may be new norms to help prevent any further spread of the virus, as well cultural changes to embed a more holistic approach to mental wellbeing. “It should be considered as part of the next wave of improvements for the workforce, which ultimately protect the business,” says Day. “Just as the rules changed to bring in improved health and safety, minimum wages and holiday entitlements. There should be new, better norms that we all get used to providing.” →
See the customer of choice/supplier experience feature on page 20
1. World Health Organization: www.who.int/ news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic- triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of- anxiety-and-depression-worldwide 2. Mind: www.mind.org.uk/information- support/types-of-mental-health-problems/ stress/managing-stress-and-building- resilience/ 3. Harvard Business Review: www.hbr. org/2020/08/8-ways-managers-can- support-employees-mental-health
a whole new raft of concerns. Covid-related obstacles added
SUPPORT STAFF WITH UNDERSTANDING AND FLEXIBILITY A Harvard Business Review report, issued in 2019 with SAP and Qualtrics, found the most commonly desired workplace mental health resources were a more open and accepting culture, clearer information about where to go or whom to ask for support, and training. In 2020 HBR repeated the advice 3 from that study, together with a number of other ways in which leaders can help to build the resilience of their teams and the individuals within them.
1. Invest in training: Prioritise proactive and preventive workplace mental health training. Work to debunk common myths, reduce stigma, and build the skills to have productive conversations. Mental health employee resource groups are a low-cost way to increase awareness, build community, and offer peer support, it added. 2. Modify policies and practices: Be as generous and flexible as possible around hours, paid time off, email and other communications, and unpaid leave.
3. Measure: Consider conducting ‘pulse surveys’ to understand the primary stressors and needs of staff. Allow this input to shape new programmes that enhance health and well-being. It also suggested that leaders model healthy behaviours by being honest about their own mental health struggles; ensure they take time to look after themselves; communicate more than they think they need to; offer flexibility and be inclusive, taking account of different needs at different times; and build a ‘culture of connection through check-ins’.
numerous work stresses to already stretched staff. Access to stock and supplies, more limited logistics, and the need to manage layoffs and loans were among the challenges. Some staff had neither the space nor capability to work at home at short notice. Some were expected to juggle caring and homeschooling responsibilities on top of the day job, while others became lonely and isolated away from friends, relatives and colleagues. Meanwhile managers were expected to tackle their own personal and work-based challenges, as well as helping their staff from a distance.
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