Helping Employees Overcome Obstacles: A conversation with Mark Peters
Release Date: 08/29/2022
The Growth Collective
This episode features an organization that is truly doing the deep work necessary to evolve culture. My guests, Mychal Coleman Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Grand Valley State University and Lindsey DesArmo, Interim Director of Talent Management at GVSU, began the journey of culture evolution when they realized a few years ago, they were losing what had made their organization great for so many years and it was time to review and reset with a goal to reach higher by 2025. In this episode, Lindsay and Mychal walk through the steps their team took to...
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Historically, about 1 in 4 working adults in the United States met clinical criteria for having a behavioral health condition. The consequences of leaving anxiety, depression, alcohol, drugs, and other common behavioral disorders unidentified and untreated have negative impacts in several areas relevant to employers. These problems influence absenteeism, presenteeism, health care treatment costs, workplace safety risks and more. Many of these behavioral health conditions became more prevalent since the start of COVID-19 pandemic and organizations are focusing like never before on providing...
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Dr. Richard Safeer leads the employee health and well-being initiative, Healthy at Hopkins at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He also advises the institution on matters related to health plan benefits, occupational health and the employee assistance program. He has published many journal articles and regularly speaks on employee health and wellbeing, in particular on how to create healthy workplace cultures. In January 2023, his book, “A Cure for the Common Company” will be released and that book and his culture building blocks serve as the foundation for our discussion. ...
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In 2022 and the focus for employers has expanded well beyond physical wellbeing to include financial and mental wellbeing (in most companies) and social, community and professional wellbeing in organizations that have taken a more comprehensive approach. The wisest employers recognize creating a culture of health requires an intentional, multi—level approach and meeting employees where they are at. My guest for this episode is Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH is the author of She is a leading voice in workplace well-being, having dedicated her career to identifying...
info_outlineEveryday across the globe, people bring their whole selves to work. They bring every experience from the moment they are born to the moment before they walk in the door each day. All of it. The good, the bad, the traumatic. The stuff they bring can be called the Social Determinants of Health. The determinants are big buckets of factors – environment, genetics, individual behaviors, social circumstances and medical care – that influence an individual’s ability to be healthy and THRIVE.
Recognizing these factors influence one’s ability to focus and engage at work or even just show up at work opens up a door of possibility for employers. Employers who provide “benefits” to employees as part of a compensation package are uniquely positioned to provide resources and support that can help to address the factors that can be barriers to an individual who is trying to remain employed.
My guest for this episode is Mark Peters, CEO of Butterball Farms, Inc. Mark recognized a long time ago, he could choose to learn about his employees’ issues or ignore them and not play that role. He learned quickly – everyone benefited when he and the organization decided to come alongside their employees to help struggling employees find resources they needed to help them keep their jobs and care for their families. In 2003, he organized a pioneering group of CEOs and community leaders to found The Source, a not-for-profit organization that has helped hundreds of workers navigate personal challenges that interfere with their jobs.
Listen in as Mark shares many of the lessons he learned along the way, actions organizations can take today to better understand the challenges their employees face and steps leaders can take to provide support that leads to reduced turnover and increased employee happiness.
Connect with Mark Peters
Instagram: i_3leadership
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LinkedIn: i-3 Leadership
Connect with Susan Morgan Bailey
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmbailey/