The highly unusual blend of diverse working styles, engagement types, locations, and shift patterns used by enterprises operating in the supply chain and logistics sector is what makes this sector so fascinating.
Standard company responsibilities like sales, marketing, human resources, customer service, and finance are typically included, along with several extra operational tasks related to distribution, transportation, and warehousing. Depending on what your company actually performs in this market, you may have a mix of full- and part-time employees working for you, as well as contractors, subcontractors, and even additional temporary support in the shape of agency workers during peak seasons. It is also no secret that this workplace is typically quite hurried, with a lot of pressure to complete tasks on time and accurately. Every company wants to deliver things on schedule, in full, and in acceptable condition. All of these traits make supply chain and logistics incredibly interesting, but they also provide a very special set of difficulties for workplace mental health and wellness.
Firstly, we must recognize the value and significance of strong interpersonal connections and open lines of communication inside an organisation. This fosters a culture of trust and gives each employee a sense of purpose rather than treating them like insignificant cogs in a
massive machine. It fosters an environment of openness and honesty where employees are more likely to discuss problems and come up with ideas that will help your company grow.
Below are some of the ways to promote the culture of well-being at the workplace.
Employee Assistance Program
This is a really great method to help your staff and demonstrate your genuine concern for their well-being. You can have a variety of options depending on the service you decide to choose. But the majority of these applications ought to and probably will offer the following choices:
- Mental health support
- Financial and legal advice
- Childcare / Eldercare
- Work conflict
Mental Health First Aiders
A team of Mental Health First Aiders should be trained by every company in addition to the Employee Assistance Program. These workers will be capable of offering assistance and direction in times of need since they are trained to recognise the warning signs and symptoms of mental illness. A well-organized group of Mental Health First Aiders should actively promote a healthy mental health culture within the company. This serves to shield many people from needless suffering and potential emergencies. A supportive workplace culture promotes teamwork, fosters better employee connections and communication, and improves the organization ability to attract top talent.
Diversity and Inclusion
Initiatives like aid in eradicating discrimination inside the organisation and guaranteeing that each employee is accorded respect and empathy while also being treated equally. A well-thought-out plan will encourage loyalty among your current staff members while also luring top talent and sparking creative thought within your company.
Colleague Forum
Another excellent program that increases employee involvement, offers everyone a voice and promotes two-way communication. Your forum should be established so that it can host frequent meetings with colleagues from all areas of the company. This is an opportunity to gather viewpoints and recommendations, speak up and represent employee perspectives, engage with the management, and provide the leadership team with direct input.
Management training
When someone is promoted, this is something that is frequently ignored. Internal career advancement is a fantastic notion, but you must take into account that the person who is promoted will now have new duties that call for new skill sets. Your main responsibility as a team leader or line manager is to guide a group of people and ensure their welfare. Your goal is not merely to be good at what you do. Because of this, it is crucial that your line managers and team leaders receive training on how to lead and inspire a team, communicate effectively, handle day-to-day problems, and set priorities.
Conflict resolution
This is a crucial ability in the context of the employee assistance program. It is highly advantageous to incorporate this into your line managers training. Occasional confrontation is practically unavoidable in such a fast-paced setting with a variety of diverse personalities and viewpoints. You may help prevent the situation from growing and becoming a more serious disciplinary issue by providing your supervisors with training on how to handle disagreement and how to react to conflict.
Wellbeing courses
Any organisation would benefit greatly from having a team of mental health first responders, but well-being shouldn’t just be a one-time issue that is checked off the list and forgotten. If you want to build a strong and successful organisation, making mental health and wellness a priority should be a top priority. In addition to educating a group of first responders, you should consider offering classes to workers at all levels and in all locations. Provide training on emotional intelligence, resilience, stress management, and other topics after giving your employees a basic foundation of mental health and well-being through awareness classes.
Providing Honour
Many employees cited this as being significant to them, despite the fact that it is something that is frequently ignored. Giving praise is not just about being paid also about noting when someone goes above and beyond the call of duty to help out a co-worker in need.
Workplace programs like Employee of the Month or Extra Mile and provide co-workers a chance to recognise and draw attention to other co-workers who are putting forth exceptional effort and acting in a way that is consistent with your organization values.
Knowing each other’s respective roles
Lack of mutual knowledge of duties and responsibilities leads to a lot of employee conflict and issues. It should not come as a surprise to you that your distribution and office staff are frequent if you have office and warehouse teams working together under one roof. Through programs like a mile in my shoes. Employees can get a first-Handok at what it like to work in another department, better understanding the issues that their co-workers face on a daily basis.
Team bonding
Engaging your staff in activities aside from their regular duties will help them build relationships and trust with one another. Where many firms make mistakes is when they plan team-building activities for only certain teams, denying employees the chance to interact with colleagues from other departments of the company. You should think about inviting co-workers from various departments, teams, locations, and levels when organising team-building activities. This provides an opportunity for your staff to network with and build relationships with colleagues from various company functions.
Co authors:
Neetu Jaiswal, Founder Nevoxel Consultancy
Keyuri Solanki, Management Intern (IIM Kashipur)
