“Is staff wellbeing really our responsibility? I can’t control how and what people react to.”
These were the words of a principal dealing with yet another layer of administration which she found frustrating. It was like adding more water to a full cup of overwhelming. The overflow just drained onto the floor hoping it would be mopped up by the cleaners. In this case the cleaner was the principal.
However, she does have a point: whose responsibility is staff wellbeing? It is a shared responsibility with the principal leading the charge through modelling and creating the environment for staff to thrive, if they choose to.
Choose to.
“Between stimulus and response is space.” Victor Frankl author of “Man’s Search for Meaning.”Frankl reiterates that we are too quick to negatively react to a situation rather than pausing in the space to consider our response. This pause is where we can choose our response.
Which direction shall I go?
What is the consequence?
Is it worth my energy?
What are my choices?
The leader cannot make the decision of how to react. But they can create a culture (environment) that allows and nurtures the space to make helpful decisions. A culture of trust is where staff can be vulnerable to their feelings, not ashamed. Where relationships are built on understanding people’s strengths and challenges. Where ‘speaking up’ is encouraged. This is the responsibility of a leader.
The other part of the equation is to educate staff in the choices they have at their disposal. Showcase the options of support. Be it employee assist programs, professional learning on site or online, network groups and simple check ins.
We can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make them drink. Providing the water source and a safe entry to drink, is the responsibility of a leader.
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