What a year it has been, and I am so grateful for the community of like-minded people who, like me, are dedicated to finding meaningful ways to support wellbeing for all. In my conversations this year, and in particular with my rockstar LinkedIn Live guests, here are 12 lessons I’m taking with me from 2024.
#1: The only way forward is with a “Community Way of Wellness” versus the “American Way of Wellness.”
The American Way of Wellness says: Take personal responsibility! It starts with you! The pursuit of better health and wellbeing, according to this American Dream-informed ethos, is a solo enterprise. Anything is possible, we’ve been conditioned to believe, as long as you “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” and put in the effort. We need not look any further than the stats that surround us to know that the American Way of Wellness is NOT working, whether we are talking about the fact that rates of childhood obesity have tripled over the past couple of decades or the fact that loneliness has become an epidemic. The Community Way of Wellness, on the other hand, acknowledges that individual actions are not enough. We are not solo beings in a static environment. Rather, we are dynamic entities shaped by the conditions in which we operate. Consider, for example, that 80% percent of our wellbeing is determined by our environment. Therefore, our only fighting chance in enacting widespread health and wellbeing is if we can manage to shift from the American Way of Wellness to a Community Way of Wellness. Read more about it here.
#2: Creating a “Safe Harbor” at work is foundational to organizational success.
It’s more imperative than ever that leaders create a “Safe Harbor”—a culture of psychological safety—where employees feel secure expressing their opinions without fear of negative consequences. This topic struck a nerve, reaching more than 77,000 people on LinkedIn. Amy Edmondson, researcher and Harvard Business School professor, defines psychological safety as the absence of interpersonal fear, in which employees feel they can take interpersonal risks. When psychological safety is present, people are more likely to be open about mistakes made, volunteer a concern, give feedback or contribute ideas in a meeting - all critical ingredients to building a high-performing team. Watch my conversation with Amy here as we took a deep dive into what it means to “Create a Safe Harbor.” #3: The data shows the success of your wellbeing programs hinges on your company culture. William J. Fleming, a fellow at Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Center, analyzed survey responses from 46,336 workers at companies that offer wellness programs. With one notable exception, employees weren’t healthier – or happier – because of these well-intended programs. And, in some cases, they were worse off. It's the systems, the broader organizational culture, and how teams work together that need to be addressed. This is why managers are key to workplace wellness; they have the most significant influence on a team’s dynamic and whether or not wellbeing is prioritized. According to Gallup, the manager alone accounts for 70% of a team’s engagement with their work and their well-being. Learn how our workshop series will transform your managers into agents of wellbeing for your workplace.
#4: We need cultures of integrity, not cultures of politeness.
I 100% agree with Adam Grant’s share, “In cultures of politeness, dissent is a threat to harmony, and in cultures of integrity, dissent is a sign of commitment to quality.” When team members feel psychologically unsafe, they tend to engage in self-protection and go with the flow (instead of against the currents). Managers who want to encourage new ideas, improve decisions, and stimulate more discussions should make psychological safety foundational to their management style. When a decision is up for debate, have you chosen politeness over expressing your honest opinion? What stops you from feeling safe enough to speak up? I’d love for you to reflect more with me here.
#5: We’re overworked and literally dying for a paycheck—in other words, work isn’t working. But, it can.
The United States has a pervasive culture of overwork. In my conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Brigid Schulte (author of Overwhelmed and Over Work), I came away with three actionable takeaways.
#6: We need to embrace our power if we want to be effective.
Power. Many of us (myself included!) have thought of this as a “dirty word.” And, yet, all it is, is the ability to effect change in the face of opposition. That is, according to the popular, but also controversial Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Business School. All of us can boost our power and in doing so, increase our level of influence amongst our peers (and even with your bosses). Watch my LinkedIn Live with Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer and Patty de Vries to learn practical ways to harness your power at work. #7: The flip side of a growth mindset is grit. “Don't let the bozos grind you down.” - Guy Kawasaki’s motto! This quote is what I hear in my head whenever I’m needing more grit to keep going in the work I do. Grit, defined, is really about having the perseverance to keep showing up, to keep moving forward - even when you’re having to encounter a lot of “bozos” who seem to be intent on grinding you down. Grit, as explained by Guy, is also the flip side of growth mindset - something that we hear a lot about now. I had the pleasure of interviewing Guy recently in a conversation about how each of us can “Think Remarkable” (title of his latest book). Sit back and listen in to our conversation, where we explored how each of us can overcome the odds to live a “gritty” life that matters. Bonus: We share our personal stories about surfing!
8: I’ve been saying this for over a decade, but it really is the manager!
Top-down, bottom-up… how about middle-out? After activating over 50,000 managers through our signature workshop, “Managers on the Move” (a leadership-meets-wellbeing program), I can unequivocally attest to the power of “middle-out” movements of wellbeing, driven by the often overlooked manager. Just how much do managers really matter when it comes to wellbeing? Short answer: A lot. Some stats:
Across organizations, there needs to be more recognition of the manager's potential in building cultures of wellbeing. Read here on what companies can start doing instead. #9: I predicted last year this would be a trend for 2024, and it’s confirmed—having a friend at work matters. In an 80+-year study out of Harvard University, it’s not genes that matter most when it comes to living a long, happy life, it’s joy. More specifically, it’s the joy that comes from love and connection. NOTHING matters more. Not cholesterol, not diet, not exercise. If you want to boost length and quality of your life, then invest in your relationships - including when you’re at work! In a LinkedIn Live with Jessica Grossmeier, we talked about the science, the business case, and the “people” case for friendships at work. Watch our conversation here.
#10: Climb every mountain….or maybe don’t.
Over the summer, my husband (OK, actually he’s still my fiance, but I’ve gotten tired of saying that) and I set out to summit South Sister, a volcanic mountain that stands 10,358 feet above the Oregon skyline. It’s not Mt. Everest, but it sure felt like it. After a lot of preparation and overcoming a lot of fear, I made it almost to the top, just 200 shy. (I’m still smiling, still proud.) I learned a few things along the way that also apply to our lives at work:
From climbing mountains in Oregon to surfing waves in Fiji to navigating the everyday, how can we apply life lessons toward promoting wellbeing at work? Subscribe to my newsletter to find out more.
#11: We need more transparency and “if you really knew me…” moments.
Social media gets a bad rap (deservedly so). But, at the same time, let’s not lose sight of the gifts that it brings. One of those gifts is the opportunity to connect with people that we might not otherwise. In a recent post, as a nod to World Mental Health Day, I shared about who I really am. The response I received was overwhelming (in a really, really good way). Clearly, people are craving the opportunity to connect on a deeper level. Here’s an excerpt of what I shared in my original post: If you really knew me… You would know that my favorite cereal when I was a kid was Lucky Charms. You would know that when I speak, I get so nervous I can never sleep the night before. You would know that every time someone asks: “Do you have kids?”, my heart breaks. You would know that 19 years ago, almost to the day, I lost my dad. I still miss him every day. 
#12: The key to moving from surviving to thriving is holistic wellbeing. What does holistic wellbeing even mean? At its core, it’s simply me at my best—whatever that looks like for each of us. And because we're all so wonderfully unique, this will naturally differ from person to person. But is there a universal formula for thriving? Scientists set out to explore this question by conducting a global study. What they discovered is that no matter where we live or how we were raised, we all need the same foundational elements to thrive. It's more than just physical health—it’s emotional, social, financial, career, and community wellbeing. Your workplace can help nurture these elements. As we predicted as a trend for 2024, many employers are looking into how to embed wellness and wellbeing into their work cultures. Now is the time to create workplaces that work well for everyone. Start a movement of wellbeing, not another program. Learn how.
Book Laura for your next event.From a book that pioneers a whole new system for workplace wellness to keynotes that are jam-packed with energy, insights, and humor to leadership development programs that infuse well-being and vitality into the workplace to help employees, teams, and organizations thrive. Laura Putnam is turning the wellness world upside down.
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