Get it out of your head that this is just team building. Get it out of your head that this is just team engagement.

In today’s always busy Alberta world of work, team building, staff engagement, fun at work will NEVER be a priority for leaders when up against “Work to be done” and “We have a lot going on”. For just over 16 years now, my conversations with leaders ultimately comes down to this – Team Building. Staff Engagement. Fun at Work…will always be viewed as a distraction, as something that gets in the way of “Work to be done” and “We have a lot going on”. 

Let’s call this a “Work First/Business First” world of work attitude by leaders of organizations large and small, for profit and not for profit. When I reflect upon how many amazing leaders in Alberta world of work that I have met over the years, I continue to be surprised at the fact that these same leaders often do not recognize the value of team building, staff engagement, and fun at work as a positive workplace mental health strategy. 

What will you typically hear me saying in response to this?

“Get it out of your head that this is JUST team building. Get it out of your head that this is JUST staff engagement and fun at work. And maybe, just maybe, get it out of your head that there’s no value here because it gets in the way of work to be done.”

Fact: “Work to be done” requires positive mental health – positive workplace mental health. 

And at the end of the day, if you’re raising positive workplace mental health levels, how could this not spill over into productivity? How could this not spill over into shifting the relationships between everyone at work? How could this not result in more happy at work?

Isn’t it really all about everyone’s daily mental health in today’s always busy, always stressful Alberta world of work? Sure it is! Isn’t it really all about taking a leadership position of responsibility to build happier and healthier workplaces? When we’re not well, it affects everything we do at work, at home, at play. We spend so much of our daily hours at work. This alone should send the message that we need to give attention to workplace mental health. 

My best advice? All that I’m asking of leaders is to shift their thinking and recognize the value of team building, staff engagement, and fun at work as a positive workplace mental health strategy when up against “Work to be done” and “We have a lot going on”. Simple? Yes. Easy? Well, I’ll leave that one up to you to reflect upon and ponder for a while. 

Leaders, shift your thinking and recognize the value of team building, staff engagement, and fun at work as a positive workplace mental health strategy.

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About the Author

For over 16 years now, Robert has travelled throughout Alberta facilitating the most amazing team development workshop experiences with amazing levels of fun, energy, and plenty of happy & joy. No sit and listen, stand and deliver power point presentations here! In Person & Online!

Robert’s message is simple. “Business Leaders! Step Up! Embrace the value of Fun At Work & Building A Culture Of Highly Engaged And Happy Teams! It’s the #1 strategy to raise positive mental health levels, Home l Office l Remote. Let’s be real here! No one person is immune to the daily mental health challenges that we all are facing. We all need to prioritize our daily mental health both in work and in life.”

As an avid Mental Health Champion and a Canadian Mental Health Association ( CMHA ) Certified Psychological Health and Safety Advisor, Robert is quite comfortable sharing his personal story of living with and managing depression and anxiety. His goal? To be a role model for men everywhere who need to get comfortable with talking about their daily mental health and choose to be authentic, brave & vulnerable.

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