Why we put wellbeing at the heart of company culture
If you work at EDITED, your calendar might show a ‘fear workshop’ nestled between the team all-hands and a project deadline.
You might even have kickstarted the day with a morning mantra, or had a mid-afternoon meditation, if that’s your jam.
That’s because EDITED doesn’t put its values on the walls of our offices, we put them into the daily work of our team. And that’s where my role as EDITED’s internal coach comes in.
My specialism is positive psychology and one of my latest workshops is on positive fear, in line with the company’s core value ‘Be Brave’.
Not running from fear
Fear is a fact of life, but in the workplace it can be quite debilitating. Whether that’s second-guessing what your coworkers think about you, paying too much attention to your judgemental inner voice or losing sleep over an upcoming speaking engagement, we all experience it differently.
By learning more about what fear is and gaining more tools for handling them, we can turn them into action, excitement and opportunities.
Having studied Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, my approach to coaching is just like Usain Bolt’s coach. I can’t run the race for you but I can talk through what your options are to get from A to B.
In busy environments, we rarely take the time to explore our thoughts and feelings. We’ve got more pressing things to do like reply to 54 emails or fix that broken bit of code.
Setting up a coaching programme means creating a safe, impartial and confidential space to encourage a bit of introspection.
The return for our culture is enormous. Someone checking in and expressing their thoughts in a one-to-one setting encourages similar behaviour when talking to managers and the rest of the team.
Taking ten is a-ok
My work doesn’t stop at coaching. I’ve also set up wellbeing workshops which involve things like mindfulness and meditation. I’ve even got a recurring calendar invite for my colleagues to join me on a brisk mid-afternoon walk.
Simple things can make a world of difference for someone going through a tough patch. And there’s nothing like a bird pooping on you in the park to remind you things in the office aren’t so bad afterall.
These things read like small perks but at EDITED we believe mental health is paramount to job satisfaction.
So far I’ve worked one-on-one with 36 employees clocking up 125 coaching hours. I’ve run four Positive Fear workshops and over 40 wellbeing sessions.
To understand the impact of coaching, I chatted with Matt (Business Development Manager in NYC), Andrine (Senior Front End Developer in London) and Bernardo (Senior UX Engineer in London).
Coaching works, don’t just take my word for it:
- Why did you sign up to coaching?
Matt: “Sales jobs are always a bit of a rollercoaster of stress one moment and euphoria the next. I wanted to be able to better deal with anxiety and bounce back from disappointment more quickly”.
Andrine: “I was struggling with some things at work and wanted help from someone impartial who I could trust and who had experience dealing with those types of situations”.
Bernardo: “I wanted some specific time to think about my professional goals. And from that, I wanted to be accountable for the things that I commit to.”
2. What have been the outcomes for you?
M: “If I’m nervous about a big meeting I can use gratitude to counteract that fear. By thinking about the reasons why I’m grateful for that meeting, I can turn that fear into excitement, which will ultimately lead to a better outcome.
A: “I’ve learnt how to deal with situations in the best possible way, suited to me. Simon helps me spot a solution, and together we come up with steps in order to reach it.
It helps day-to-day knowing that there’s always someone at work I can talk to if I’m having a hard time professionally or personally. I think it’s one of the most important things a company can invest in.”
B: “I’ve mapped out a clearer path to accomplish my goals and learned it’s also rewarding to cherish the smaller wins along the process.”
3. What would you say to people considering working for EDITED?
M: “Lots of companies talk big about the importance of company values and employee wellbeing, but most don’t walk the walk.
The availability of coaching and workshops (and that we have a team member dedicated to it) are concrete examples of EDITED actually caring about its employees.
These skills and tools will stay with me long after I move to a new company, so I appreciate EDITED’s investment in me.”
Are you looking for an exciting new opportunity in an environment that supports your personal and professional growth? Check out our latest job openings here.
Or come and meet us! We’ll be at Silicon Milk Roundabout, Europe’s biggest tech hiring fair, this weekend.
