Culture Change. We hear these words so often in the charity sector. But what do they mean in practice?
It means understanding how the system you work within may be benefiting some, whilst marginalising others.
It means recognising that when this happens, it undermines the values that bring people into the charity sector and motivate them to help others.
It means owning the fact that the system we operate in often resides within us personally too, through our social conditioning, belief systems and behaviours.
And so we can all play a role in culture change that helps everyone to flourish, equally.
How do unhealthy working cultures affect you?
Maybe you feel that you must be tough, heroic and unflappable 24/7, without allowing rest for yourself.
Or maybe there is a culture of silence around discrimination and oppressive behaviour in your workplace, and you want to challenge this.
These patterns of behaviour in humanitarian work are exhausting – it’s no wonder burnout is on the rise.
I am here to help you define, cultivate and embody self- and collective care, so that you gain confidence in speaking up about your mental health and supporting the wellbeing of others, in ways which can end systems of separation and division within the workplace. To learn more about what I mean by this, read this blog post on the topic.
When you work with me you work in a spirit of greater connection, courage and wholeness. Everything starts with ourselves and what resides in our mind, body and spirit. So let’s explore this together.
One-to-one mentoring to end burnout culture
Are you a leader grappling with how to prevent burnout and cultivate more efficient teams that live by your organisation's values? Do you wish to truly ‘walk the talk’ with building wellbeing, care and inclusion into the working day for you and your staff?
Or maybe you are a humanitarian professional, or social change-maker, who is passionate about your work but you feel emotionally exhausted and unsure of how to manage stress or talk about it to your colleagues.
I am here to support you and your team to flourish. To feel less overwhelmed, more purposeful, and more confident in making wellbeing, resilience and collective care central to everything you do.
Developing new habits and cultures takes time – and I’m with you every step of the way. Together we will explore ideas and practices that are relevant for you and your particular context, and which will support you in challenging old and unhealthy work routines.
Some of the themes I work on with my clients include:
- How to end perfectionist habits and open up to wholeness and vulnerability
- How to have courageous conversations about mental health and enable others to do the same
- How to develop work routines and practices that ensure you and your colleagues feel supported, valued and appreciated
You can find out more about these themes in my blog posts, such as this one and this one
What we explore is really up to what you bring to the table in our sessions. We meet online every week or fortnight.
Group workshops and training on resilient, inclusive cultures
There is a lot of busyness and urgency in the social change sector. And often for good reason – you might be responding to real life crises and emergencies. Burnout culture often occurs because there is no space or time to consider your own needs or those of your colleagues. My workshops bring greater awareness to the importance of self- and collective care, and how you can play a role in creating more inclusive, more resilient cultures where everyone feels they can show up wholeheartedly without fear of judgement.
Using tools and practices from my book The Vulnerable Humanitarian, and from the many social movements and traditions I’ve learned from over the years, in my workshops and trainings I will help you to find work routines that open up the conversation about burnout, and create greater trust, connection and belonging.
Quick fixes might seem appealing in tackling burnout in organisations – but they won’t change toxic working cultures.
That is why my workshops aim to get to the heart of what makes people feel isolated, unheard and unwell. They will empower participants to make practical commitments to healthier work routines that benefit everybody.
Some of the themes I explore in my workshops include:
- Causes of burnout in the humanitarian and charity sector
- Recognising signs of burnout
- Collective care and creating safer spaces
- Compassionate, inclusive leadership
You can read more about my work on these topics in my blog posts, such as this one, this one and this one.
You can also watch this video from the CHS Global Gathering on Living our Values: Culture, Care and Power in Aid Organisations to get an idea of the themes covered in my workshops.
Staff Care Strategy Development
Are you a leader or human resources professional who wants to better support your staff but you aren’t sure what the next steps are?
Then look no further! I can support you from the first envisioning of healthier working cultures to the sign-off of a more caring and inclusive staff wellbeing strategy.
The first step in staff care strategy development is often to assess the sense of wellbeing within your organisation, as well as what support staff would like to receive. With a PhD and years of research behind me, I can design and implement engaging surveys that get to the heart of what your staff are needing.
From there I can help you strategise around the policies, systems and work routines that will build resilience among your workforce so that staff feel more motivated, more purposeful and more well.
I firmly believe that we cannot look at staff wellbeing without also looking at an organisation’s efforts with diversity, equity and inclusion. So when you work with me you will be supported in integrating these principles into all your wellbeing strategies.
This might mean, for instance, evaluating your recruitment and compensation processes or considering how to ensure greater diversity in your mental health care providers and wellbeing resources.
I offer this bespoke support through advisory services, workshops and learning activities that are designed and delivered according to the particular needs of you and your organisation.
Work With Me
Please contact me if you are interested!