The topic of well-being is currently very common in the education sector along with other industries. There is a popular push for employers to look after their employees by providing well-being strategies. Education authorities are developing well-being frameworks, promoting their efforts to look after their employees. However, let me say something controversial. We don’t need well-being strategies if the conditions of employment already look after the employees. By the employing authority developing well-being frameworks, they are admitting that the conditions for employment are, in fact, not life-giving. Conditions requiring well-being strategies could be interpreted as harmful. Some of the conditions could in fact, be psycho-social hazards, causing stress to the employees, and hence requiring well-being strategies. If the conditions at work were life-giving, in a positive culture, then the employees would be thriving, not struggling. Employees wouldn’t need well-being strategies because their work culture is one of positive energy.
When there are numerous articles published about the stress levels of teachers and principals, it is apparent that the education sector has an image crisis, depicting it as a highly stressed environment, in many cases. It is an industry that is critical to the future of society, responsible for the education of our future leaders. The education sector is preparing our future scientists, change-makers and world leaders. How can teachers and principals do this effectively when they are working in a culture of stress and in some cases, mistrust. It is time for cultural change in the education sector, not well-being strategies. It is time for strategies that create an environment of well-being, and environment of positive, energetic culture.
Here is a table comparing common well-being strategies and their impact, to strategies for well-being and their impact. You will notice that well-being strategies are short-lived, sugar fixes. Immediate gratification and a burst of dopamine is the outcome, before the reality of day to day work returns. Strategies for well-being create a cultural change, where the work conditions enthuse and enliven the employees to be inspired to do a great job regularly.
| Well-Being Strategy | Impact | Strategies for Well-Being | Impact |
| Special Morning Teas | Short-lived, feel good sugar fix | Regular attendance at staffroom for morning tea and lunch | Building Community |
| Gifts for staff | Brief feel-good moment | Treat all staff the way we all deserve to be treated (Gospel Value in Christian terms) | Mutual and reciprocal, positive relationships |
| Physical Health Checks | Identifies physical symptoms and possible strategies to manage personal well-being | Identify and minimise the stressors. For every work initiative introduced, one must be withdrawn | Workload is manageable |
| Funding Meals / Drinks for staff | Nice gesture | ||
| High Quality Professional Learning, with regular check-ins | Enthuse, encourage and energise staff | ||
| Support Groups | Group therapy, may not effect change | Peer Mentors/ Coaches/ Confidantes with regular check-ins | Personalised targeted interventions/ advice/ support/ critical friend |
| Rationalise initiatives with teaching and learning focus | Promote Core business | ||
| Complaint Management Process | Reactive response | Train Teachers and Parents on how to communicate with each other | Build positive relationships to create a culture of Trust, Collaboration and Enquiry between Parents and Teachers before crisis eventuates |
| Compliance Checks | Point in time data check | Principal/ Teacher feedback | Best proactive pedagogies to improve student learning |
| Recycling Personnel and Ideas | Current knowledge of system/ ideas | Collaboration across sectors/ Departments/ Agencies = inter-sector Dialogue | Collective wisdom, sharing specific expertise of content experts |
| Thinking outside the box to create/ innovate = a little risk | Enthuse, inspire, excite and challenge | ||
| Cancel staff meetings | Brief Time-off, manage immediate fatigue/ stress | Structure meaningful staff meetings | Focus on teaching and learning |
| Identify Mandatory and Discretionary school activities | Prioritise teaching and learning | ||
| Rationalise Decisions to protect employees / reputation of system | Control and compliance | Joint decision making, collaboration between employees and employers | Those impacted by the decision, have some input into decision. |
Well-Being strategies provide short-lived, feel good “rush”.
Strategies for Well-Being create long-lasting, positive cultural change
Which would you prefer?