5 WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER GOOD

FIVE WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER GOOD

I 1 Find and build community f there were any silver linings in 2020, it would Discover the local community within 10 kilometres from have to be the opportunity to reflect on what’s truly your house and activate your role as a citizen! Explore important to you, both personally and in society. A the community centres, local council, the school your chance to stop, think and reflect on your goals and children attend or the local community groups. Your local everyday habits. community - your family, friends, neighbours, even your local barista, need connection and nourishment! With

Pre-COVID, it wasn’t hard to be caught up in the rat race loneliness rates going through the roof, it’s time for us all chasing extrinsic goals like fame and fortune, thinking this will give us a fulfilling life. Yet research has shown us that living a meaningful and fulfilling life is driven through a focus on intrinsic goals such as developing deep relationships, taking care of your health and wellbeing, the re-engage in our local communities. Reframe your work2 learning new things and contributing to something bigger than yourself. Researchers have found that people see their work in one of three ways, as a job, career or calling. No matter

Ancient Greeks to modern-day psychologists have what the job or industry, we all have the opportunity to pondered on what creates a good life. Many of these see what we do for work through these three lens and the philosophers and psychologists agree an integral part of difference it can make isstartling. A job is done only for a life well lived is found in the notion of contributing to financial reward whereas a career elicits both a financial something bigger than yourself or the greater good. reward and career advancement such as status and success. Yet, those who tapped into their work as a calling,

What exactly is the greater good? The greater good is connecting how their work contributed to the greater often described as the wellbeing of the whole of humanity. good in some way, can fuel a sense of purpose, energy and

When you talk about contributing to the greater good, it deep satisfaction. can often mean addressing the wicked social, economic and ecological challenges we are facing - locally, nationally and globally. Use3 your influence to lead

So taking on these challenges together with others can give our lives a great sense of meaning and purpose.

People who are strongly connected to purpose tend to be more resilient, motivated and live more satisfying lives. So where do you start to take on the challenges of humanity? If this seems too overwhelming, here are five ways to start contributing to the greater good. 4 5

You have a voice and you have more influence than you think! What are the causes close to your heart that ignite a fire in your belly? Consider how you can step up in your contribution using your skills, networks, time and influence. You could become an ambassador, a fundraiser, a committee member or board director. Think of the influence you have and use it!

Tell your story

The process of both writing and sharing your story can be personally fulfilling as well as helpful to others. Reflecting on your life, the obstacles and achievements, and how they have shaped you and your life today helps you create meaning in your life. Sharing this can help others feel less alone and be a tool for social change.

Connect the generations

Relationships with those who are young and old can connect us in with our part in the circle of life. You can share your knowledge and experiences with younger generations as well as be inspired by older generations and learn from their wisdom. Think about how you foster these intergenerational connections in your life.

Creating joy and meaning in life can be as simple as cultivating opportunities to help others. You can also challenge yourself to consider how you can step up and play a greater role in creating the society you want, pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and making a bigger difference. The world needs people who serve a purpose beyond themselves, now more than ever!

Employee Disclosure

IBy Tasha Broomhall f an employee has mental health issues are you impacted in their work functioning, but if they are then likely to know about it? Do they have to disclose mental it is important that they feel safe to disclose their issues. illness? This is a complex area where essentially if the This way the employer can work with the employee to illness is affecting an employee’s functioning (and their meet their obligations to them and other employees, capacity to perform the core requirements of their job), and provide appropriate support while still managing then it is considered that they do have a responsibility the organisation’s needs. to disclose the illness to their employer. When implemented, appropriate strategies can greatly

However, many employees will still choose not to improve an organisation’s culture of mental health and if they don’t feel that it is socially safe to do so. The wellbeing, to the point where employees feel that it is reasons why employees do not disclose mental health safe to disclose any mental health issues and get any issues can be very simple, such as they feel that it’s support they may need. not affecting their work performance and therefore is no one else’s business. Or the reasons can be quite It is not enough to talk about mental health and complex in that it can be a mixture of previous negative wellbeing on sanctioned days such as RUOK Day or reactions and therefore fear of discrimination, coupled during Mental Health Week. Creating a culture that with self-stigma or even lack of awareness of how badly encourages appropriate disclosure requires positive and their performance is being affected. proactive attention to raise awareness throughout the year. Awareness must then be supported by a deliberate strategy to increase the skills of leaders to have suitable conversations about mental health concerns and to respond appropriately to any disclosure.

Many employees do report receiving negative responses to their disclosure, however, others report that they felt they were treated well and fairly. Often employees will not disclose unless they feel it is socially safe to do so. So how do organisations tackle this issue? The first step is to acknowledge that mental health is an important part of general health and as such you will have employees who are affected at times. Then understand that not all employees with mental health issues will be

Privacy and Confidentiality

Supervisors and managers need to understand their obligations around privacy and confidentiality. If an employee discloses, or a manager suspects that a person is experiencing mental health issues, then the supervisors need to be conscious of only disclosing this information on a need-to-know basis. They may choose to forward the information up the supervisory chain (i.e. to their own manager) and to their Human Resources’ staff, however they have to be very cautious not to disclose it to others who do not have any responsibility in the situation. This is true even when reasonable adjustments are made to support the employee. The adjustments may be visible and obvious to the employee’s colleagues, so the supervisor needs to work with the employee to determine a communication strategy that the employee is comfortable with in terms of what is disclosed to colleagues.

Adjustments to enhance inclusion

Many leaders implement workplace adjustments to support employees to overcome limitations and barriers caused by physical injuries or impairments. Designing and implementing reasonable adjustments are not only important to consider in order to meet obligations around non-discrimination, they are also important for helping to enhance inclusion and participation for a range of diverse needs. Adjustments can help us to create more inclusive workplaces by overcoming the barriers that may have been designed by a history of how, where or when work has been traditionally done. However, many leaders report they are not sure how to do this for mental health issues.