How to Support Your Team’s Well-being

Part of your job as a supervisor is to check on the health of your team because teams that are unwell aren’t able to function effectively.
During the New Supervisors in Gov Community of Practice session on Oct. 30, Maria De Fazio, Executive Director for the Presidential Management Alumni Association, shared strategies for supporting your team’s well-being and creating a safe and productive workspace.

Here are five takeaways from that session, and you can also watch the online training now:

1. What’s the definition of well-being in the workplace? De Fazio said that for her, it means a sense of comfort and confidence, making you feel like you have a sense of safety and belonging.
2. As a supervisor, it’s up to you to set an example of the culture you want to see, modeling to your team how to take time off without guilt or remorse if you are ill.
3. Encourage boundary setting, setting specific times when you and your team are available (or not) and block off opportunities to take a break or a lunch to reset.
4. If you are in a workplace that doesn’t prioritize well-being, De Fazio said that supervisors should pitch changes to the environment based on “efficiency and effectiveness.”
5. Wellness is not a perk – it’s a necessity. Your team works better when it’s well, and the conversation needs to change around well-being in the workplace.

Our next Communities of Practice session, How to Have an Effective One-on-One, will be held on Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. ET, so be sure to register now.