Jennifer Cains is the Founder of Advice for Good, a consultancy focused on empowering the next generation of people managers to lead with compassion and thrive in a tech-driven world. As a Board Member of Wayahead Mental Health Association and former Executive in the tech industry spanning 25 years across Microsoft and Salesforce, Jen champions the notion of professional people management in organisations who want to create sustainable high performance cultures.
We are delighted that Jennifer 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 Jennifer, 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?
Today, I’m full of nervous energy, getting ready to facilitate a panel of amazing leaders on one of my favourite topics, Compassionate Leadership, as well as leading a session on how managers can have productive conversations on burnout with their teams.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing?
Notionally we all get it, it’s important, even critical to business success. The challenge lies in those moments where the pressure is on and we are reacting – how do we stay true to the intentions we have and make them real.
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?
It was great to see the theme of this year’s International Mental Health Day “It’s time to prioritise mental health at work” alongside NSW’s Mental Health Month theme “Let’s talk about it”. I’m seeing workplaces actively encouraging the conversation about health in all its forms, helping to normalise the topic of mental health alongside physical health, which is so critical to overcoming the very high levels of stigma we still see reported in workplaces.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
In our fast paced lives it’s easy to forget that we are human and that we have real, biological needs that we can’t automate or ignore. As a person who spent many years trying to do just that and ending up in a boom, bust, burnout cycle leading to my own poor mental health, I want to help people find ways to recognise their humanity and live a more sustainable worklife, still achieving their goals but without the pain of poor health outcomes.
What are you most looking forward to about the Summit in November?
I’m excited at what’s ahead next week – both as a speaker and as a learner. The agenda is full of great topics and I’m looking forward to contributing to the discussions and learning from other experts in their fields.
Tell us, what is your vision for the future workplace, in terms of engagement, health and wellbeing?
My vision is that organisations recognise the value of their human workforce in new ways. That they create workplaces that foster human potential in ways that recognise the opportunities and the realities of what it is to be human.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
Employers need to focus on providing ongoing enablement and support to their people managers to lead with compassion, both in terms of kindness as well as accountability. People managers are the lynchpin of organisation cultures and a primary determinant of an employees ability to perform at their best and, in turn, for the organisation to produce the results it desires. Focus efforts there and the benefits will flow in both directions.
How has your organisation been leading the way?
We work with organisations who want to future proof their organisational culture by investing in their people management capabilities and who recognise that compassionate leadership is required to navigate uncertainty and adapt to changing circumstances. We offer a range of services that engage & enable employees and leaders at all levels of the organisation to thrive in their roles. We bring evidence based research backed tools and approaches that are practical and effective in the real world.
Please click here to find out more about Advice for Good.
Jennifer will be speaking in Sydney at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Australia. Further details on the Summit can be found here.
