Wellbeing for Individuals and Culture for the Collective

It is interesting what we do on rainy days. Some of us utilise the time to do those inside DIY projects or visit indoor entertainment or even better lay on the couch watching the plethora of local, national and international sport (Olympics).

Me, I spent some time digesting the Education Departments “Staff health and wellbeing strategy 2023 – 2027” It is a great document and contains some very important areas for encouraging wellbeing.

As stated in the document:

“Each person is at the centre of the health and wellbeing model. The model represents how individual wellbeing is directly connected to collective wellbeing, with both influenced and impacted by our dynamic work environments”

• The individual is responsible for their physical, psychological, social, spiritual and environmental wellbeing.

• The collective wellbeing spans culture and leadership, connection and partnership, learning and development, supportive systems and safe environments.

Having the distinction between individual and collective is correct which places the emphasis on the leader to create and nurture the “Collective”.

This is where I deviate from the document and draw the collective initiatives parallel with CULTURE. By focusing on school culture, as defined by Simon Sinek as “Culture = Values + Behaviours” individual wellbeing follows suit.

They are not separate entities as both Culture and Wellbeing work hand in hand not as a strategy, but a way of being.

A few being:

• A defined moral purpose surrounded by expected language and behaviours.

• The belief in psychological safety and its merits for open communication.

• The constant improvement for professional relationships.

• The education of staff about wellbeing strategies for their affirmation or implementation.

At the end of the day, educators are happy when they can plan, teach and access. For them to do this wholeheartedly, they need to be VASH - Valued, Accepted, Safe and Heard.

Culture addresses the VASH. 

Leaders set the environment, Culture, to allow educators to implement wellbeing strategies.

The Education Departments “Staff health and wellbeing strategy 2023 – 2027” outlines brilliant initiatives and priorities.

To implement them, think Wellbeing for individuals and Culture for the Collective.