CWHP-A Reflections: Unit WWC01

What does top leader everyday action (buy-in) look like?

For me, something that continues to stand out as an opportunity is getting clear on what we are really taking about when it comes to Workplace Health and Performance. I think that terminology confusion creeps in (e.g., mental health, well-being, psychological health and safety, psychological safety), which impacts stakeholder readiness as not everyone is singing from the same songbook. I see this surface most often when folks aren’t sure if we are talking about programs or systems. I think that mapping out and clearly defining common terminology, crystalizing what a shared-responsibility approach means, and having frank discussions with top leaders about what’s needed in terms of their everyday action (buy-in) is vital. In short, the top-leader focus and agenda needs to be squarely on how the employer’s practices and actions create positive or negative psychosocial risk for employees and what to do about it to prevent harm and promote health.