Latest / Authentic Living / Barb Veder and Roxanne Derhodge discuss holistic workplace mental health and the role of leadership

Transcript

Barb Veder and Roxanne Derhodge discuss holistic workplace mental health and the role of leadership · Authentic Living

• 0:01
  Welcome to authentic living with Roxanne, a place where we have conscious conversations
• 0:08
  about things that really matter in our lives.
• 0:11
  And now here's your host, Roxanne Durgesh.
• 0:40
  Hi, everyone.
• 0:41
  It's Roxanne Durgesh.
• 0:42
  Today I have I guess that I have known for a very long time, and we've worked in corporate
• 0:47
  together.
• 0:48
  It's Barb, Barb, so nice for you to be on today.
• 0:51
  Oh, great to be here.
• 0:52
  Thank you.
• 0:53
  Thank you for including me today.
• 0:55
  So why this podcast is interesting?
• 0:58
  Because I want you to think about in reference to strategy with mental health and
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  psychological safety, how many of you have the right strategy strategy in place?
• 1:09
  So today, that is gonna be our topic in in this podcast where Barb has goodness, how many years
• 1:16
  Barb?
• 1:16
  30 There's a lot of errors.
• 1:19
  Don't say that word.
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  A long, long time.
• 1:20
  Yeah.
• 1:21
  Well, if you're 25 years.
• 1:23
  So Barbara owns a a company called Avora Health, which she'll talk a little bit more
• 1:28
  about, but today we're gonna talk a little bit about mental health strategy and psychological
• 1:32
  safety.
• 1:33
  So, Barb, let's talk a little bit about what is the pulse to what's happening around strategy
• 1:41
  in reference to psychological safety in in more places today?
• 1:47
  Right.
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  That's that's a big question.
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  And I would say lots is happening and not enough all at the same time.
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  So organizations are at different different levels of commitment and different levels of
• 1:58
  truly appreciating what psychological safety is.
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  In Canada, we have had over 10 years of psychological standards.
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  And, you know, they're put out by the Canadian Mental Health Association and, you know, it's
• 2:12
  accessible and easy to get this material, but, you know, having it available and then taking
• 2:19
  it on as a culture are 2 different things.
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  And psychological safety, and psychological well-being is important to workplaces.
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  So there was exponential growth in people coming forward and saying, I am not well.
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  I have I'm mentally feeling strained.
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  I burnt out.
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  I am not well.
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  So, a lot of those people are working.
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  Or they're on sick leave, hopefully not.
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  But if your employees in the workplace are not well and they're not doing well, it affects
• 2:52
  your workplace performance.
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  Right?
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  And so organization said, oh my gosh.
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  We gotta go buy more mental health resources.
• 3:00
  That's a good thing.
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  Provide mental health resources, I want you to buy my services, but it's only good if you also
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  have a well organization.
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  So let's talk let's talk about that part because a well organization now in the, you
• 3:20
  know, psychological health and wellness realm in or the let's say we're gonna use the word
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  employee assistance programs, which people have known.
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  How is that's mean different today compared to Marvin and I also worked in in the the
• 3:35
  behavioral health world together for a bit of time?
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  How are the needs different today compared to, say, 10 years ago?
• 3:45
  Yeah.
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  So I I don't know if the needs are different.
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  But the realization that or that wellness is is critical, it's actually a risk category.
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  If an organization recognizes it as a potential risk, they're more likely to put attention to
• 4:03
  it.
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  It is costing them a lot and if they don't attend to it.
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  And I can talk just very high level.
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  What are the risks, risk to reputation, risk to loss of productivity, litigation risks, sick
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  time risks.
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  There's a risk bucket is quite full on the mental health impact.
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  And so if, you know, we saw this.
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  I talked a minute ago about exponential growth for mental health, but attributing it to
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  workplace culture is the is the is the important criteria.
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  It's important to recognize if your culture is unwell, it's contributing to workers not
• 4:46
  feeling valued, appreciated, respected, and then feeling emotionally, and mental mental
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  health strain.
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  Those two things coexist.
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  An unwell workplace contributes to unwell workers.
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  And so if you want to lift up your organization and really do good work and thrive and
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  do your best performance.
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  You need to ensure your culture is mentally healthy and well.
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  And that's where the psychological safety standards are so critical.
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  So you said that in reality, there will be people that will put things in place.
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  So let's say something happens as an an organization, an accident, for instance, they
• 5:28
  might kind of you know, address the accident and try to make sure the employees around the
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  accident maybe is taken care of.
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  That's, like, kinda plugging a whole based on there's a hole in the boat.
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  Let's just kinda plug that.
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  In reality, let's let's widen the span a little bit more.
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  Like, when you're talking culture, right, What kind of things do people need to start to
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  consider about what is the what should be in a mentally well culture.
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  Mhmm.
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  Mhmm.
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  Good question.
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  And so I I saw your example was a good one because that's a tick box.
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  We have a problem.
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  Here's our solution.
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  We'll we'll call someone in, and they'll manage this disruptive event or this critical crisis,
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  and then it will be fixed.
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  So that's, like, 1 and done.
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  We know where to get that done.
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  We know where the service is, and hopefully it's done very well, and and everyone's okay.
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  What I'm talking about is strategy as you you mentioned that word at the beginning and
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  proactive, you know, procedures and and mindset.
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  And and I think the leaders that are really starting to recognize this as critical for
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  their risk and for their organizational growing have this at the top of their agenda, and it is
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  embedded in everything they do.
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  How do I support a positive work culture?
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  Help every individual be their best.
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  Mhmm.
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  And then we will all perform in a respectful and collaborative and meaningful way.
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  So this organization can thrive.
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  Right?
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  So that's a lot I'm saying.
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  It's a lot of no of these words, these big words, but how do I do that in a meaningful
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  way?
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  And it and it really is at at the very top It's it's a commitment, and it's modeling.
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  And modeling doesn't mean you have to be perfect, but it means you have to be open to
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  feedback.
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  You need to be vulnerable.
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  You need to be authentic.
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  And when things happen, people are watching.
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  Your employees are watching.
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  And so being taking meaningful real action and continuing to do that every day when you wake
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  up and go to work.
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  Because it just doesn't happen.
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  You don't just buy something off the shelf.
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  Oh, we've got we've got our EAP service.
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  We're good.
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  We've got our trauma services.
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  We're good.
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  It's at a much deeper level, and it is not a checkbox.
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  It is embedded in your workplace culture.
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  Hard, hard thing to do.
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  Absolutely.
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  Because when I'm thinking, you know, about, say, let's say pre COVID and post COVID.
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  Right?
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  Like, when we were we've been in the behavioral management world for quite a long time, and I
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  remember that, you know, years early to the early inception of some of these companies, it
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  was, you know, we go to companies to bid the contracts, and it was kinda like, let's get the
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  kind of the sticker on the on the whole page that said they had EAP.
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  Right?
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  That was the kind of a I'm dating myself and kind of when some of the original companies
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  started.
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  And we know that there was real evidence even in that time when we worked together that there
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  was things that were not being addressed like anxiety and depression, those types of things.
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  People were coming for some issues, but there was deeper issues that were already there.
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  And then companies start to recognize it at that time.
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  Now with COVID, I I I would say that it blew the doors open.
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  People realize like, woah.
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  The like you said, 40% of of the ink of a need between the ages at 8 to 24, which is kind of,
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  you know, people entering the workforce, let's say about 20 to 24 kind of now what?
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  Like, it's one thing to blow the doors open.
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  Now what are companies are doing or what are companies kind of How are they plugging the
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  holes, I guess?
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  I wanna know what's happening out there.
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  You know, it's interesting because you and I go back a long time.
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  We can talk about the beginning of time.
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  And literally, you know, when EAPs emerged and started to really evolve pre COVID.
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  And I would say the clinical, and I I am a clinician, I'm an executive leader, but I'm
• 9:30
  also, a clinician.
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  And the evolution of mental health has really been exciting to be part of, but interesting.
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  So when we first started, and I would say over 25 years ago, the the goal was really to get
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  people to seek help.
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  There was a lot of stigma.
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  And the average sessions we saw, and we I come from an AP background, was 6 sessions.
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  You know?
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  And that would there was a belief if you use the short term clinical method that people
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  would, you know, have enough time to work through their issue.
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  We were working with a very specific clinical model solution focus.
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  You get a goal embedded it is, and that is the principles of CBT.
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  And 6 hours was considered to be quite generous 6 to 10 hours.
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  Over time, that amount of time got more and more compressed.
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  Do more with less hours because, of course, that's less costly to deliver.
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  Bring the price down.
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  You know, that's the commoditization, right?
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  But inherent to the beginning of EAP development was the realization that people
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  needed a confidential way to seek help but if they came to you around a workplace issue, it
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  was considered a conflict.
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  And that to me in my evolution is a big error.
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  Not an error.
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  Yeah.
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  An error.
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  An error.
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  We are hearing on the ground with our EAP clinical hats, this person has an issue at the
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  workplace, and we are sending them back into the HR system.
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  And I think that system has to be disruptive because if they go back into their workplace,
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  the workplace that they didn't feel satisfied address their issue They're not likely to get
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  the issue attended you, and the workplace misses out on that valuable insight.
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  And that to me is the canary in the in the land mine or in the the mine.
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  They're they're missing that data because we're saying we don't do that.
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  And that is still currently going on.
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  And so, you know, I think and you saw the compression of ours.
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  Yeah.
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  So that that's where we started.
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  We started with a bias that if people came to us with workplace issues, we could say no.
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  Sorry.
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  We don't do that.
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  We could help you.
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  Maybe in practice for an interview or coach you to prepare your resume, but we weren't gonna
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  deal with discrimination and harassment even though it came through our door.
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  Every day.
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  Every day.
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  So what happened, and I would say around 2011 was the next sort of major says or development
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  in EAP, and that was the acceleration of care and the making it more accessible.
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  And that was sort of at the same time, and we were very innovative.
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  Like, I was an exciting time where you're making mental health accessible by video
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  counseling, telecounseling better platforms.
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  Which is great because we wanted more people to come in.
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  We wanted the program to reduce the barriers, and that was a a very exciting time because we
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  were we were blending the best IT and clinical and really seeing exponential growth of users
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  and younger users and different users.
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  Where we are stuck and where I think there is a significant gap and, is that we lean so much
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  into the CBT self directed health short term, which is all very important clinical stuff.
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  It's very important, but people are it's not enough.
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  And not everybody wants to jump into a clinical goal.
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  They need to be heard.
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  They need to be supported.
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  They need to how their story.
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  But if the clinician is working from let's get to your goal framework, they're likely actually
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  to do the rivers.
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  They're like there's potential for risk to harm.
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  They're not being validated, they're not being heard, they're moved into this clinical
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  pathway, quickly.
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  So getting a having a bigger menu, I think, is critical, and I think, you know, that is, you
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  know, what workplaces be looking for is providers that have a bigger menu and that
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  allow people enough support to work on the issues that will help them build back their
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  resilience.
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  If the program is dependent on and if you look at your all your programs and they're all
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  dependent on digital technology and, you know, CBT self directed.
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  Lots of people can do that.
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  They cannot stick to following through independently, they need support from the the
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  counseling, the interpersonal support.
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  So what you're seeing in the market, and there was a very interesting report done by Boston
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  Consulting Group.
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  I think it was in 2022 that said 44% of the workplace in Canada employees are seeking help
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  and of those 50% are reporting back to their organization that they were not satisfied with
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  their help.
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  Oh, it's it's a big it's a big problem.
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  And so You know, when we talk about the evolution of mental health and important to
• 14:22
  help people build back their resiliency, you need a more holistic view of the issues in the
• 14:29
  workplace.
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  You need a healthier culture, and you need a culture that is willing to listen when there is
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  problems.
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  That's a you know, that's sort of basic.
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  Like, if you've got a problem, you wanna know about it, so you can address it.
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  But if you don't have a way of encouraging people to bring forward their problems or the
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  issues in a meaningful way, then you're you're working without enough guide.
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  Absolutely.
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  And, you know, it's interesting.
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  I was just at a a panel event where I where I spoke and and a lot more companies that are
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  looking at, I think, second 2nd tier.
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  Right?
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  They did the 1st tier of mental health strategy, but now they're looking at really
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  getting the boots on the ground.
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  Like, they're having advocates within the com within the companies.
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  Right?
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  So they're having people that can, you know, field mental health concerns, right, like
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  teaching people that peer supports and stuff like that.
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  So when you talk about culture, you want the average person that's wherever they are within
• 15:34
  the organization to be able to know that there is some I'm gonna use a word portal for what's
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  a better word that they can go to to be validated to say, yeah, that that's yep.
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  You know, I'm here for you.
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  What are the concerns?
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  And then having an open platform, like you said, an over overarching kind of concept of
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  wellness related to mental health.
• 16:00
  So, like, when I think about it, I think about the 4 pillars of safety.
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  Feeling included, feeling safe to learn, feeling safe to contribute, and feeling safe to
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  to challenge the status quo And when I think about what organizations need to do, I mean,
• 16:16
  you can do lots of things at one time.
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  You can't do everything, but you can you don't have to do things always in parallel.
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  They can happen more holists but I think you need, and I call this the setting stage, you
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  need a leadership that is committed, to modeling the behavior they expect from others
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  and to experience the same consequences if they go off the rails.
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  They need to set the stage to be vulnerable as they said and to be authentic and to go on the
• 16:45
  journey in a transparent way.
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  So, you know, people always jump to, you know, where do we start?
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  You start by setting the stage and saying, if we want this we have to be willing to be
• 17:00
  models.
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  And I always say that when an organization is really trying to build their you know, their
• 17:06
  their standards of culture.
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  And one of the terms I've that is often is culture of care when they're trying to look at
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  how to provide this, like, respectful, psychologically safe culture.
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  They need a baseline.
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  Mhmm.
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  You need to go through all of their data.
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  Because they've got lots of indicators.
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  Some of it may not be as at the same dial that they need because if the culture wasn't open to
• 17:29
  feedback, then you don't get feedback.
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  You don't record it.
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  You don't listen to it.
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  You don't track it.
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  People don't fill out their engagement results, or they don't tell you really the truth because
• 17:40
  they think they're their voice will be heard, you know, so but you do need a baseline to
• 17:45
  start with.
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  And when an organization is willing to be open, to sort of saying we're really gonna try to do
• 17:52
  this well and deeply, then they're likely to hear more uncomfortable things at the beginning
• 17:58
  than they thought.
• 18:01
  Right?
• 18:01
  It's like, you know, when you open your doors, you hear more than you want, and so likely it
• 18:06
  will go up.
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  You'll hear that more people are unhappy and more people are struggling.
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  There may be teams that are in diff you know, different stages, you know, more problems.
• 18:16
  But if you're truly opening the gate, you'll at least have the starting place to know what you
• 18:21
  need to do.
• 18:23
  And then you can sort of figure out what's the right and best place to start.
• 18:28
  But if you're you know, if you don't have that openness and you don't really have the best
• 18:34
  baseline, then you're you may not be doing the right things.
• 18:39
  So let's let's say I'm a company and I've been do I have a mental health strategy and, you
• 18:44
  know, so the metrics are short term, long term, incidental absences, town, maybe town halls,
• 18:50
  but maybe town halls that aren't safe.
• 18:51
  You're not gonna get feedback.
• 18:53
  What are some of the new and innovative ways now with the standards?
• 18:58
  That company should be thinking about collecting data.
• 19:01
  You said you want you want the moment to start from the top.
• 19:03
  Right?
• 19:04
  But
• 19:04
  let's say I'm already a company.
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  I'm a huge company.
• 19:06
  We have been investing in mental health, and they're not sure where to what should we be
• 19:14
  looking at pre and post?
• 19:16
  What kind of things are new and innovative or things for them to think about within their
• 19:20
  strategy that would help them understand What means aren't being met by their strategy and
• 19:26
  what needs aren't being met that maybe they need to start to consider refining or
• 19:31
  implementing or deleting some things that don't that don't help anymore.
• 19:35
  Yeah.
• 19:35
  So I think I think you need to go through all of your mental health services and all of your
• 19:40
  training services and say, What what are we using?
• 19:44
  Are they are there any overlaps?
• 19:46
  Is it all sort of leaning to light touch?
• 19:48
  Do we need something deeper?
• 19:50
  And what what level of participation do we have?
• 19:53
  And, you know, it's hard to go through that quickly, but I think rolling up with an expert
• 19:58
  and Independent I, who is an expert in looking at all of these programs and has no internal
• 20:04
  bias.
• 20:04
  Right?
• 20:05
  So I think look carefully and look at how many people are actually engaged.
• 20:11
  I think they also people get, like, organizations go where we have an engagement
• 20:16
  survey.
• 20:17
  Okay.
• 20:17
  What are the domains covered in your engagement?
• 20:19
  Do they cover discrimination?
• 20:21
  Do they cover harassment?
• 20:22
  You know, have they covered all the 13 domains?
• 20:26
  If they're just looking at do you believe in the leadership strategy, you know, do you trust
• 20:31
  your leader?
• 20:32
  You may not be getting all the nuances.
• 20:34
  A lot of organizations have fatigue.
• 20:36
  They see a survey and they go, oh, not one of these.
• 20:38
  Oh, we do this.
• 20:40
  The cadence is so complicated.
• 20:42
  Keep it simple.
• 20:43
  Pulse checks.
• 20:44
  Pick 2 or 3 things that are gonna be your metrics, your drivers, and ask them regularly.
• 20:50
  Pulse checks.
• 20:50
  You don't have to have 45 questions to get you know, pick a couple of domains, use them as
• 20:56
  indicators, and you can do a thorough assessment then do, assessments in between or
• 21:01
  many pulse checks.
• 21:03
  I also think training has to be different.
• 21:07
  I did a training in my, you know, tick box.
• 21:10
  Did you watch the videos?
• 21:12
  Did you answer the questions?
• 21:14
  Oh, you're now, and you've all you've now covered discrimination and harassment.
• 21:18
  No.
• 21:19
  It's gotta be deeper, especially for your leaders.
• 21:21
  If they are tomorrow, this new sort of way of behaving this respectful, open, accepting
• 21:26
  behavior, You know, do they know how to have a difficult conversation?
• 21:31
  They need deeper level of learning.
• 21:33
  It is hard to change a pattern.
• 21:35
  It is hard to learn a skill.
• 21:37
  Especially if you've not really got this in your nature, you're naturally an introvert, and
• 21:42
  now you're having to have all these conversations about Hey, or how's your day
• 21:45
  going?
• 21:46
  I don't I don't wanna ask anyone.
• 21:48
  This is not intuitive to some people, and they need to learn a skill test it out and then come
• 21:54
  back and refine it.
• 21:56
  You know, it's not a one and done.
• 21:59
  You will have many opportunities to practice this.
• 22:02
  Have a difficult conversation.
• 22:04
  Every day a leader is probably having a difficult conversation.
• 22:07
  Refining that skill is so critical.
• 22:10
  So invest in having deeper levels of training, I think, is it's also innovative and
• 22:16
  independence have an independent way of reporting out issues.
• 22:20
  You know, I, you know, I think HR cannot be experts in all of these things.
• 22:26
  Likely not, And even if you embed experts within your department, there is a natural bias
• 22:32
  to protect the organization.
• 22:33
  It's just what they do.
• 22:34
  They they're there to support your employees, but ultimately they're there to protect the
• 22:38
  organization or that perception is there.
• 22:41
  Independence have an intended way of people coming forward and bringing forward issues that
• 22:48
  can be independently evaluated without bias.
• 22:53
  Like, that is worth its way in in goal from a risk management point of view, from building
• 23:00
  rapport and reputation, showing people that you want to develop a credible organization.
• 23:06
  That is a risk that every organization should really put on the table.
• 23:11
  Find a way to do that.
• 23:15
  So to get the objective metrics of really what's happening, as best as possible versus
• 23:20
  the employee saying, well, it's just going back to an internal business unit, which is HR.
• 23:25
  So how how open you know, and I I've had, you know, I was just, coaching someone from a
• 23:30
  school board, and they said to me, I have no faith because I've sounded meetings.
• 23:37
  That my information will not be shared.
• 23:39
  And I was shocked, but, you know, they were high level as a leader.
• 23:43
  And there was discussion of cases.
• 23:46
  So this particular leader was afraid to share things things in a coaching session with me
• 23:52
  Obviously, I have guidelines.
• 23:53
  And still, he shared that he was afraid to really completely be open with his physician
• 24:00
  and potentially the the contact associated with reporting back to the short term provider
• 24:05
  because he had sat in meetings before where things were being said.
• 24:09
  So then when he said that, I was like, oh, okay.
• 24:12
  It fast not fascinating, but interesting that here's someone that was privy to other
• 24:17
  information about other people which should not be done.
• 24:20
  So, unfortunately, that is any kind of concern, right, for employees, that independent
• 24:28
  collecting of data makes so much sense.
• 24:32
  Well, you're trying to build trust.
• 24:34
  And if you think your trust is skewed, you won't give it, you know, if you don't give it
• 24:38
  out.
• 24:38
  Right?
• 24:38
  And I also think you know, you think of, by standards, people watch.
• 24:43
  They see how the supervisor, the managers, the leadership, team are responding.
• 24:48
  Mhmm.
• 24:48
  Mhmm.
• 24:49
  They're observing, and they're deciding, is this worth it to me?
• 24:52
  Do I what are the consequences if I step forward?
• 24:56
  And and stepping forward, they watched other people do it, and it usually results in some
• 25:01
  cultures.
• 25:01
  It often results to leaving.
• 25:04
  Because the organization isn't prepared to take action.
• 25:08
  They don't if, you know, so the so Those are the metrics on how many people are are how
• 25:14
  quickly are people changing in a particular department.
• 25:17
  Like, these these are this isn't really innovative.
• 25:20
  It's just you know, changing your lens and and appreciating.
• 25:25
  You you have to create a culture where you take action.
• 25:29
  If you ask people for their input.
• 25:32
  You don't have to take action on everything they say, but you have to be transparent how
• 25:36
  you chose the actions you are taking.
• 25:40
  You know, I think if you collect input, you need to close the loop.
• 25:43
  If you it it has again, your employees are watching and they're saying, Oh, this is for
• 25:50
  nothing.
• 25:51
  Oh, they ask all the time, but they take no action.
• 25:54
  They lose confidence in you as a leader, They lose confidence in the organization, and their
• 26:00
  motivation is deflated.
• 26:02
  Like, oh, why why should I bother?
• 26:05
  Absolutely.
• 26:06
  So modeling is so, so key.
• 26:09
  So, Barb, tell everyone a little bit about our health And if they're, you know, they're
• 26:14
  listening to her conversation, they're like, oh, boy, I'm a little bit muddled as I listen
• 26:19
  to all these variables about We've not started, or we've done part.
• 26:24
  We've we've plugged the holes of the boat, or we're we're steeped in recognizing that in
• 26:29
  2024, We have to take the steps to make our environments safer, not just based on the
• 26:36
  guidelines, but just knowing about attracting attraction and retention of of, you know, their
• 26:42
  good, you know, leaders in in in their field.
• 26:45
  Tell them a little bit about Aurora.
• 26:47
  So, of our well-being is a new organization, and it is started by 2 founders, myself, and my
• 26:53
  partner, Michelle Arsenal, who have worked in the EAP industry for over 28 years So they're,
• 26:58
  yeah, a long, long time, both at an executive level.
• 27:01
  So we are both clinicians, and we've led teams and been executives ourselves.
• 27:06
  So So we come with a lot of skill and knowledge about mental health and organizational change.
• 27:11
  We have sort of 3 main buckets of service.
• 27:15
  One is leadership development and training, and a lot of that is what you heard me talk about
• 27:20
  today.
• 27:20
  All, you know, culture starts at leadership.
• 27:23
  You know, how do you invest?
• 27:24
  How do you get the right mentoring?
• 27:26
  How do you pick the right programs?
• 27:28
  How do you support your leaders?
• 27:29
  Being a leader is very complicated and hard.
• 27:31
  It's not easy.
• 27:32
  So we do a lot of leadership training and then cascading that training within the workplace
• 27:37
  culture.
• 27:38
  We have a number of mental health support services.
• 27:41
  We are a national company of mental health providers.
• 27:44
  So we're across Canada, and we have some very specialized counseling services We are, I
• 27:50
  always say, we're not in EAP, but we are supportive of EAP work.
• 27:55
  We certainly work with all of the clinical models that you can find within the EAP
• 27:59
  framework, but we are more flexible and have a broader range of clinical tools.
• 28:04
  You know, we can go into trauma informed work practices where people are are able to spend
• 28:10
  time, the time they need.
• 28:12
  So so we have a full range of counselors.
• 28:15
  Most of our counselors, I would say, a criteria of our counselors is that all of them have had
• 28:20
  many years of counseling experience, but many of them have been leaders themselves.
• 28:24
  They've worked supervising and leading teams before and have worked within workplace
• 28:29
  culture.
• 28:29
  So that's a a little different than many organizations.
• 28:33
  So And with that, they can move very fluidly between supporting mental health needs within
• 28:38
  an organization, but also doing leadership development.
• 28:41
  So the type of coaching we offer leaders is with that, the double ear, the the coaches, but
• 28:48
  with a mental health sensitivity and training.
• 28:50
  So a very different core competency.
• 28:53
  And then the place where I like to spend time is program development and program evaluation
• 28:59
  and to look at outcome measures.
• 29:00
  Look at the pre and post measures of success.
• 29:03
  What is the value of this investment and what are the drivers of change within your
• 29:09
  organization?
• 29:10
  You know, what, you know, how do you create programs that are customized and and really
• 29:15
  address the issues within your organization?
• 29:18
  So that's the work we're doing.
• 29:20
  And I would say this is, like, I have worked with, as I said, with Michelle forever.
• 29:25
  And, so it was very easy to come together and natural for us.
• 29:29
  We were we are able to take all the things we wish we could have done within our last, you
• 29:34
  know, career and move them into our own innovative space.
• 29:38
  And, you know, we work with a lot of colleagues and people we have trusted relationships with.
• 29:43
  So it's been a very exciting time and we've had such positive response to the direction that
• 29:50
  we're going in and and I've I just at a at a personal level, I I'm I I wake up excited every
• 29:56
  day because I'm working pretty much with clients that are very invested in change and
• 30:01
  with organizations that are saying, Hey.
• 30:03
  How can we do something different?
• 30:05
  We really wanna build that positive, healthy workplace, a healthy workplace.
• 30:12
  So It's it's been very exciting.
• 30:14
  Well, this is amazing.
• 30:16
  So what what am I walking away with?
• 30:19
  And I think about the modeling.
• 30:22
  Starting with the modeling at the top is so very key.
• 30:26
  And thinking about your your your safety standards, psychological safety, standards is
• 30:31
  key.
• 30:32
  So not not putting the stamp on, you know, wherever you need to to say you are informed.
• 30:37
  But really having the reality of what exists within your organization to really start to
• 30:42
  think about, you know, along those lines and What are you, good at?
• 30:48
  What do you not know what you're doing well at?
• 30:51
  This is where strategy becomes very important.
• 30:54
  But recognizing with the data that we're hearing about, you know, like, 40% of, you
• 30:59
  know, of need between the ages 6 18 to 24.
• 31:03
  That's a huge amount of the emerging population in companies now.
• 31:08
  So you have a duty to really address the concerns today.
• 31:12
  I would say it's not something you could put on a shelf and and and pull out in 6 months.
• 31:17
  So, Barb, thanks so much.
• 31:19
  If you're needing anything please reach out to to Barb at, Vora Health and all the information
• 31:25
  will be in the show notes about, Barb's company and Michelle's company.
• 31:29
  So for everyone, thanks for hanging out with us again today.
• 31:32
  As you know, I've released, my new book and it's ROR return on relationships.
• 31:36
  You wanna know if how you're doing in your relationships, either at work or at home, how
• 31:41
  authentically are you connected to individuals in the both those spheres?
• 31:46
  Go to roxanderharshuh.comforward/quiz.
• 31:49
  You'll get a mini quiz.
• 31:50
  We'll tell you how you're doing and maybe some next steps, or maybe you wanna have a with you
• 31:54
  reach out.
• 31:55
  So again, Barb, thanks again for everybody.
• 31:57
  Thanks so much for taking the time, and we'll connect with you soon.
• 32:01
  Take care.
• 32:02
  Bye bye.
• 32:04
  Thanks for tuning in to authentic living with Roxanne, creating the space for positive
• 32:10
  healthy chain.
• 32:11
  Roxanne is a keynote speaker, psychotherapist, and coach to work with Roxanne, visit Roxanne
• 32:18
  Durgesh dotcom/blueprint.
• 32:21
  We'll see you next time on authentic living with Roxanne.