I was horrified to see my last post was towards the end of 2015 when I went to Iceland. What horrified me more was how time has flown. Although it’s April tomorrow, my delayed new years resolution is to write more, when important stuff happens.
Last week I had the pleasure and honour of speaking to YPO Gold.
This group is basically the senior titans of global business. It was set up back in the 1950’s by a New Yorker CEO, because as they say ‘it’s lonely at the top’. It is a fundamentally a high tier networking group but more importantly an excellent support group. As one member said, ‘It’s a place where everyone can just be themselves.’
When you think about it CEO’s and leaders of big business don’t have a lot of people they can lean on and share their ‘day to day’ issues with. They have to appear strong, steer the ship, make a profit and keep staff and shareholders happy – no pressure! At the end of the day, they are just like rest of us – only human.
I gave a keynote at the Black Dog Institute about mental health and resilience along side Professor Helen Christensen.
Prof Christensen spoke about the important research, which is currently being done around mental health and the use of technology in improving mental health outcomes
She also said that around 8 people take their lives every day in Australia and for every one of those who succeed, about 30 make an attempt. This is a devastatingly, tragic fact that leaves a terrible legacy for so many and yet it is so avoidable.
Suicide is the permanent solution to a temporary problem.
If we want to encourage people to seek help and to be ok about doing so within corporate Australia, it has to happen top down.
At the end of the day a company is only as healthy as it’s people and when corporates invest in the wellbeing of their staff it pays dividends. Apparently for every dollar invested in corporate mental health and wellbeing there is between a $3-$6 return. This shows itself in less absenteeism, higher productivity, greater profits, improved staff retention, better mental and physical health and a generally a happier work force.
Ultimately employee’s know they are being thought of and looked after.
It would be ‘fake news’ if I said I wasn’t nervous due to the audience but they were the most remarkable bunch of people who were so engaged, passionate, supportive and interested by what was said.
Thank you Black Dog Institute for the inspiring, important work you do and thank you YPO Gold for the incredible difference you can make.
