Workplace Well-Being and The True Self

Even though it often feels like we are separate from one another, we are, in fact, more connected than you may think. The origin of this oneness dates back to the birth of the universe. Although we may have different philosophies about the origin story of humanity, we are all part of the same energy field or universal consciousness.

On earth, we often forget about our spiritual existence and choose to identify with our physical, tangible self. Still, the invisible nature of the human experience is where the untapped potential lies – our consciousness. What makes human consciousness unique is our self-awareness, the ability to observe our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

When we choose to work at a company, we decide to become part of a hive of connected consciousness, made of many minds united by the vision and mission of an organization. Unfortunately, realizing these intrinsically good values becomes difficult because human consciousness has been increasingly hijacked by the news, social media, and other innovations, fueling the mental health crisis.

Currently, most employers seek cosmetic solutions to address mental health in the workplace, such as mediations apps, exercise classes, and different forms of soft skills education. These one-off solutions often fall flat because they fail to help employees see the big picture of how to flourish as a human. Realizing human potential in the workplace requires teaching employees about their true selves to increase organizational well-being and performance.

Why is this the employer's responsibility? How could it not be? Employees spend the vast majority of their waking hours at work, are connected 24/7 to their email, and for the most part, have little to no job security. So, the least an employer can do is invest in the well-being of their employees to help transform their workplace by uniting their organization around a shared belief system.

That's why I created The Formula to Know Your True Self, a holistic, integrated framework to help employees flourish in and out of the workplace by raising their level of consciousness. Here is an outline and some of the many benefits of adopting the Know Your True Self philosophy into organizational culture.

Self-Awareness

The foundation of Know Your True Self, self-awareness educates employees on oneness and how the human mind functions consciously and unconsciously. Then employees go through the process of identifying the self-awareness blocks which are causing them distress in life.

Why does self-awareness matter in the workplace? Research has found that 95% of people think they're self-aware, but only 10-15% truly are, which is problematic for leaders and the teams they hope to inspire. It is also the cornerstones of decision-making and creativity.

Virtue

Here we cover the core virtues that have stood the test of time, including courage, wisdom, justice, humanity, temperance, and transcendence. Then we connect these virtues to workplace situations and how they align with an organization's values, purpose, and mission.

Why does virtue matters in the workplace? Research indicates that just 23% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they can confidently apply their organization's values to their work.

Willpower:

We continue the journey by educating employees on willpower, its role as a human energy source, and how to create positive change by developing new healthy habits. This step directly links to making action plans to implement new business processes and adapt to change.

Why does willpower matter in the workplace? Research indicates that an estimated 70 percent of efforts to change outright fail—often due to employee inability to navigate change.

Acceptance

Then we cover the things we can and cannot control in life and the importance of finding opportunities in all work/life experiences. We also discuss navigating the grieving process and the importance of accepting others in the spirit of organizational connectedness.

Why does acceptance matter in the workplace? Research indicates that "Cognitive diversity" — diversity in thoughts, ideas, and values — can increase innovative thinking by 20%.

Unconditional Love:

Now we educate employees on the importance of self-love, empathy, compassion, and forgiveness. With this knowledge, individuals and teams can create more balance in their lives, foster meaningful connections, and help each other succeed with a "we" focus on the workplace.

Why does unconditional love matter in the workplace? Research indicates that the more love coworkers feel at work, the more engaged they are, reported higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork.

Gratitude:

When navigating life, we often fail to recognize all the tangible and intangible gifts, including our employees and team members. In this section, we educate employees on the power of gratitude to increase well-being and how simple it is to share with others daily.

Why does gratitude in the workplace? Research indicates that over 65 percent of employees report they do not feel recognized, leading to low levels of engagement.

Bliss:

We culminate by coming full circle to discuss the power of our thoughts, their impact on our lives, and that of others. Then we discuss purpose in life and provide a framework for employees to set goals across six dimensions of their life, creating personalized action plans with manageable KPIs.

Why does bliss matter in the workplace? Research indicates that less than 50% of U.S. workers strongly believe their organization cares about their well-being.

The Choice is Yours

Implementing a framework for employees to realize their true self is a purposeful, integrated, and practice solution to transforming organizational culture and improving well-being. It does not compete with but complements many of the learning, development, and diversity initiatives you may already have in place. Always remember you have a choice, take an active role in the evolution of your workplace, know your true self.

If you are interested in learning more, hit me up.

jpetrossi@ptnl.com.