Intelligent CXO Issue 07 | Page 27

BUSINESS STRATEGY open team meetings with simple check-in questions that allow you to build stronger emotional connections . For example , going through a round of the 36 questions that were assembled in 1997 by social psychology researcher , Arthur Aron , with one question per week , consistently , over time , will build strong connections between you and your team . A whole company will flourish together through building strong relationships with one another .
• Think about business as an enabler to human flourishing and advocate for business . It is celebrating the voluntary exchange of goods and services . The freedom for the entrepreneur or business leader to choose what market problem to solve and people are free to choose if they like it and are willing to spend valuable resources on it . In addition , employees are free to choose where they work and employers are competing for talent by setting forth strong cultures that build transferable skills that provide opportunities for employees to better themselves . It is a beautiful system , and we need to continue to celebrate how business unlocks human potential .
The impact of eudaimonia
If it is not enough to justify just wanting your employees to be happy , well and prosperous , the cost of work-related stress and mental illness costs British businesses an estimated £ 26 billion per annum . Therefore , at such an unaffordable expense , businesses really shouldn ’ t ignore the negative impacts that workplace burnouts can have on their employees – and more should be done to help combat and protect their staff from it .
As a leadership model , eudaimonia can transform organisational thinking by inviting people into a celebration of human dignity by inspiring individual well-being in pursuit of the common good . Adopting positivity and celebration , as well as championing your teams and colleagues for the work they do , can go a long way in transforming a workplace . While there is a long way to go to tackle the full scale of work-related stresses , we can certainly look forward optimistically towards a happier workplace by prioritising eudaimonia . x
Matthew Gonnering , SVP and GM at Widen , an Acquia company
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