Kirsten is an organisational development and business consultant who helps businesses and organisations of all sizes refocus their goals, systems and connections to understand and respond to individuals, build long term relationships and empower people as a way of achieving financial and operational success.
With more than 25 years of experience in corporate coaching, business consulting, facilitation and career development across Australia and the Asia Pacific, Kirsten works with business leaders and teams to develop and implement strategies which encourage people to bring their whole self to work – including their life space, passions and interests, and their goals for the future.
We are delighted that Kirsten will be speaking in Sydney this November as part of our Wellbeing at Work Summit Australia. We caught up with her to find out how she’s feeling in the run up to the summit.
Hi Kirsten, we are thrilled you will be speaking at our Wellbeing at Work Summit Australia in November. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
I’m doing really well today, except for a little frustration – thanks for asking. I’m really excited about the Summit, and have been enthusiastically working on my summit topic today – bringing the whole of ourselves to our work. And I’ve had a string of distractions during the day getting in the way of me intensely focusing on that, hence the frustration.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing?
Without a doubt, the main challenge I see is that employee wellbeing is overwhelmingly still viewed as an employee benefit, a ‘nice to have’ and not simply as making good business sense. That when organisations authentically pay attention to employee wellbeing, not only can the bottom line be impacted positively, but wide-ranging and unexpected benefits can be realised across the whole organisation.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
The very topic I’ll be hosting a discussion about! Taking what I call a Whole of Person Approach to every person, both internal and external, to an organisation. How do we bring the whole of our selves to the workplace and how do we see other people, treat people and communicate with other people as a unique and whole person. How organisations can encourage and support individuals to bring their whole self to work, and encourage interactions between people to be relational, rather than transactional.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
Since the earliest point of my career, I have experienced firsthand organisations saying they treat their people well, and that the wellbeing of their people is paramount, when in fact, many of the organisational processes and the way managers led their people was in stark contrast to this. And I could see and feel myself, the (negative) impact this had on productivity and effectiveness of people, teams and ultimately the organisation. I’ve seen so much damage and distress caused to people when employee wellbeing is not at the heart of a leader or an organisation. It mattered so much to me that I co-founded a consulting company and set out to prove that if you focused on the wellbeing of people, that this would indeed make for a profitable consulting company. I made that a reality in my own company, and now I’m passionate and committed to help leaders and organisations pragmatically with how this can be achieved.
What are you most looking forward to about the Summit in November?
Being part of a growing community of people that are not just interested in wellbeing in the workplace, but committed to changing organisational approaches to the wellbeing of people. And doing this through meeting new people, listening to them and their stories and learning from them.
Tell us, what is your vision for the future workplace, in terms of engagement, health and wellbeing?
Oh wow! In a paragraph? My vision for the workplace of the future is where the focus is on the whole person, and everything stems from this place. That the outcomes of making a sale or providing a service, or whatever business an organisation is in, becomes an outcome of treating people as whole people. That employees are equipped to bring their whole self to work, collaborate with others and that the organisational systems and processes support and foster a Whole of Person Approach.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
Focus on identifying and implementing some simple and effective ways to bring a genuine Whole of Person Approach to their employees (allowing people to bring the whole of themselves to work). Measure them, and identify the benefits across the organisation, prove to themselves and the organisation that focusing on the wellbeing of their employees is a wonderful thing, both for the employee and the organisation.
How has your organisation been leading the way?
As a consulting and coaching practice in this space, we have been seeking to work with leaders and organisations who have a vision where the wellbeing of their employees and other people they come into contact with, is paramount, but they do not have the skills or knowhow within the organisation. We work in this way with our clients and model bringing the whole of ourselves to our relationships.
Kirsten will be speaking in Sydney at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Australia which takes place live and in-person in Sydney and Melbourne. Further details on the Summit can be found here.
