Mental Health Awareness Week. 9-15 May 2022.

In 2020 We Are Acuity decided to add Mental Health to our Agenda. So, we introduced… 3 Mental Health Champions, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) & Mental Health Policy. BUT we needed to do more.

We found that we needed to… Understand everyone is different. Strengthen purpose and culture. Make supporting each other normal. Enable recognition and praise. Improve communication. This is how we did it:

Profiling to improve understanding of our different needs.

We used DISC profiling for individuals and our teams and shared results. Avoided a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
This means we are all more self-aware and aware of the needs of others.

Together build a Purpose, Culture and Values. Created Alignment.

Trust, Care & Respect are our values. And we have a clear Purpose too. Created assets and built these into our everyday.
Developed into shared Healthy Eating, Lunch Walks, Gym Group, Mindfulness, Charity Work and many other things.
This has meant we feel like a stronger team. #acuityspirit

Restructure to be more supportive.

Small collaborative PODS. Clear JDs. Chapters for Roles. Repeatable processes. More flexibility. Outcomes not hours.
Technology allows easy home working. Cloud based Microsoft 365, Teams, Streamtime, CitrusHR, Ziflow, XERO.
This has meant we were able to switch to WFH easily and very effectively support each other.

Make feedback easier.

Simple Colleague & Client Feedback paths. Initiatives like Compass Meetings and After Action Reports.
Daily ‘How are you?’ focus, Monthly Above & Beyond Rewards, Quarterly Self-Assessment & Profit Share.
There’s been an openness about sharing how we feel with each other.

Make communication better.

Agile and informal, harness technology, user-generated, social, inclusive and relevant. Having a Monthly Townhall.
Microsoft Teams channels (Wellbeing, Fail wall, Feedback, Insights), OfficeVibe for team engagement & Surveys
This has meant the team are informed on how the business is doing and feel part of things.

It’s still very much a work in progress, but we’ve not looked back! Currently the company’s eNPS score is 75% with no detractors and 100% participation in our anonymous people-first employee experience platform.

So post-Pandemic we are stronger than ever! We support Mental Health Awareness Week. 9-15 May 2022. Started 21 years ago it’s now one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK & globally. Find out more at mentalhealth.org.uk

#mentalhealth #wfh #marketing #agencylife #mentalhealthawareness