Successful change and transition with The Healthy Performance Programme
A case study of how to accelerate wellbeing in the workplace with Virgin Media Business and Positive Wellbeing.
A six month programme, across the backdrop of two national lockdowns during the Covid19 pandemic and a team which was on the forefront of supporting the delivery of the largest joint venture in a decade, worth £billions.
What we do
An award winning model, using Positive Psychology to enhance physical and mental wellbeing, as well as smarter leadership across the private and public sector, to deliver performance ahead of the curve.
Proactively protecting your workforce, by creating a safe environment for teams to share more about themselves to make better decisions, strengthening resilience and effectiveness, rather than waiting for something to break and trying to fix it.
With optimum mental wellness and a positive mindset, your team will be happier, perform better and support each other with increased teamplay.
The need
Virgin Media Business were in the process of implementing strategies to improve stability, culture and performance as they transitioned into a joint venture. With many changes having already occurred as a result of the Covid19 pandemic, they were looking for innovative and sustainable ways to inform best wellbeing practices, into the way they lead and develop their staff. They wanted to ensure that their workforce were fully equipped with the tools and techniques they needed to move themselves through to this new phase, smoothly, energetically and productively. The focus was on people and the desired outcome was success.
What we did
October 2020:
- Facilitated a wellbeing steering group to discuss current practices and next steps toward peak performance and mental health at work
- Identified the need for getting language right, aligning with values and existing methods, who to involve and sustainability of the approach.
- Offered an assessment report and recommendation options
- Decision made for a 3 phase approach (detailed below)
December 2020 – March 2021:
Phase 1
5 x 90 minute healthy performance sessions for the whole team (12 people), including:
- Introduction to session/topic/ice breaker/recap on last session where applicable
- Teaching of content – theory and scientific evidence base
- Activities/breakout groups – experiential learning
- Feedback/sharing of ideas/stories/questions – peer learning and support
- Practical additions to toolkit and pledge of positive action
Session 1 - Positive Mindset
Understanding the factors that make up resilience and how to boost your personal levels.
Session 2 - Being your Best
Exploring authenticity and vulnerability as natural human strengths.
Session 3 - Connections
Investigating the importance of effective relationships with others, with our environments and with ourselves.
Session 4 - Positive Emotions
Learning the science behind happy hormones generated by awe, gratitude and kindness.
Session 5 - Authentic Happiness
Bringing it all together to form heightened acceptance, curiosity and hope – drivers for success.
April 2021:
Phase 2
1:1 consultations (50 minutes each) of confidential coaching:
- Brief introduction to coaching/confidentiality statement
- Topics for personal reflection (chosen by the individual)
- If no topic chosen, the option of strengths profiling is given
- Explorative discussion of the ‘best self’ or ‘vision board’
- Practical additions to toolkit and pledge of positive action
Coaching encourages a deeper dive into the session topics covered, depending on personal and performance requirements and any reflections or questions that have arisen during the programme. The aim is to create an individualised positivity plan.
There is the opportunity to schedule further 1:1 consultations as required.
May 2021:
Phase 3
Follow up group session for the whole team:
A two hour review of session topics and reflections of progress, comments and questions for further enhancement of learning.
What we learned
- Commitment; Personal pledges work well because they’re driven by intrinsic motivation
- Empowerment; When given permission to control the things they can control, people take accountability for their own decisions and performance
- Positive Trip-Wires; Identifying individual manifestations of stress paves the way to self awareness and honest conversations around health and wellbeing
- Psychological Safety; Topics covered in the 5 healthy performance sessions enhanced trust, team play and increased output
- Maintaining Performance; Knowing when and how to refuel you own energy is equally important as managing time and stress
- Outcomes; The ability to work authentically brings purpose, meaning and passion into the team; soft skills produce hard results when supported by positive leadership
What changed?
- Group understanding of how to prevent mental ill-health and achieve success
- Learning a new language of mental health which is taken forward into the team ethos
- Understanding the science behind human emotion and behaviour
- Improved happiness and wellbeing
- Increased productivity, performance and morale
- The team join the ‘Positive Wellbeing movement’ – a promise and commitment to look after the mental health of themselves and each other
Team testimonials
“I believe that as a team, we’ve come out of this programme and Covid / lockdown professionally stronger, personally happier and with more momentum for the future”
“Your sessions were informally engaging, giving us the meaning behind why we do what we do, giving us purpose for the good things we do within our teams. We now know the theory behind the practices and what we can do each day to perform better”
“That session on happy hormones was a proper mind bomb!”
“For me, the programme is about providing you with the understanding and toolkits to help yourself happy. It isn't about denying difficult experiences, but instead it's about understanding how you might be inclined to experience things and how you can turn the dial on that experience to make it more positive, fruitful, and enjoyable”
Book a free consultation to learn how we can support your team through change and transition.