WHEN MINDSET MET ENVIRONMENT
Welcome to the age of the new Millennial, where – in the workplace at least – flexible working rules, salary isn’t everything and agile spaces are key. And here, a positive workspace that promotes a healthy mindset and employee well-being is a high priority for many of those with their nose to the grindstone. Even for those not actively seeking new employment, workplace culture plays an important role in employee satisfaction, wellness and, ultimately, whether or not they remain with their current company.
A business is built on its workers – they are the legs on which it stands, the drivers of profit and success, and the cogs within the corporate machine that keep it turning. Their importance should not be underestimated, and neither should the effect of their mental health on their ability to do their job well. And if workers’ mental health affects their job performance, and job performance affects the success and profitability of a business, then surely the business should concern itself with its workers’ well-being.
The University of Sydney has conducted world-first research into studying the relationship between a positive workplace psychology and mental well-being. The university’s Coaching Psychology Unit introduced the concept of the Positive Built Workplace Environment (PBWE) – “a holistic approach to workplace well-being where positive workplace psychology extends beyond HR functions into building design, interiors and the social environment of a workspace”.
The study ‘Towards a positive psychology of buildings and workplace community: delineating the benefits of the Positive Built Workplace Environment’ was conducted by Professor Anthony Grant, Sean O’Connor, Ingrid Studholme and Ariella Berger. It includes an
