Can you share more about what during your stressed out / burnout period? Can you describe how it felt?
I did not get to the point where I had to take time off work, but looking back on that time, knowing what I know now, I realise I definitely was not thriving. One of my bosses at the time described me as “resilient.” Resilience is a good quality to have but what I now know is that teaching people to thrive so they get knocked down less is a much better place to be, than the ability to pick yourself up and dust yourself down, so to speak. It is also worth remembering that four years ago (when I was a CEO), even mindfulness which is now mainstream was not part of mainstream culture. So pretty much I just had to get on with things on my own and deal with stress as best as I could.
Why should companies think about their employees’ mental health at all?
I would not use the phrase ‘mental health’ because that phrase has a certain baggage attached to it. I prefer the phrase ‘Psychological foundations.’ If we teach employees how to build strong foundations, then we will help to build a thriving workforce. And if the workforce is thriving, then the company has a much better chance of being successful. Of course, there needs to be a thriving culture where openness and collaboration are encouraged. The real bull’s eye is where a thriving culture meets a thriving workforce.
How are companies addressing this issue at the moment?
They aren’t. Some companies have introduced mindfulness meditation sessions. Others have Friday massages or more commonly some kind of breakout area with table football etc. There is nothing wrong with these initiatives, but I would reinforce that if we can train employees on how their minds work, they will feel more empowered to change the thinking styles that are not helpful for them, which has a longer lasting effect.
Charlie Sampson
Ex-CEO China, Saachi & Saachi and WPP
Founder of THRIVE China
17 years in China
Charlie Sampson
WPP集团及盛世长城前中国首席执行官
THRIVE中国代表創始人
在中国居住17年