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Open Letter: Dear CEOs,

I’m reposting my open letter to CEOs because I want the word out. We as managers, as directors, as presidents, as chiefs, we as leaders of all types have a responsibility to not only do right by our customers but also, and possibly more importantly, to do right by our employees. Employee well-being and customer satisfaction are inextricably linked. Happy employees, happy company, happy customers. Please pass this on and embrace it yourself, as we’re all leaders in one form or another…

 

Dear CEOs,

If it’s true that actively disengaged workers are costing the US $550 billion (Gallup) in economic activity annually and stress is costing American businesses $300 billion per year (World Health Organization), doesn’t it follow that even if we make slight improvements in employees’ lives, the net savings or contributions to economic activity could be in the hundreds of millions, if not in the billions?

How do we do this? There’s no pill…no single solution; however, small steps add up to big changes. One small step is tweaking how we view our employees. Whole beings who have whole lives walk through the office doors each morning with whole stuff going on…stuff from home, stuff from yesterday at work…emotional stuff, mental stuff, physical stuff, spiritual stuff, social stuff (some add environmental). How can you, as a CEO, address each of these facets of health in each of your employees?

You cannot. What can you do?

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In Medicine and in Business Doctors and Bosses Hold the Key to Real Change

What if a visit to the doctor looked like this…

Sally: Dr. Martin, I have headaches all the time; and now I’m depressed.

Doctor (after a full history and exam has revealed no life-threatening issues): Sally, this is what I recommend: Every day, regardless of the weather, spend 30 minutes walking outside and observing the nature around you, eat at least 2 fresh vegetables, drink at least 3 glasses of water, listen to your favorite music for 20 minutes, write 3 things that you’re grateful for, close your eyes and focus only on deep breathing for 15 minutes and have fun with friends at least once per week and come back and see me in 30 days when I know you’ll feel better.

Likewise, what if a visit to your boss looked like this…

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