In a significant move to enhance organisational wellbeing, WorkWell Leaders (WWL) has launched the WorkWell Leaders Impact Roadmap.
Developed with the National University of Singapore and supported by prominent partners such as the Bank of Singapore and the Health Promotion Board, the playbook identifies over 200 factors influencing both organisational wellbeing and performance.
Anthea Ong, founder and chairperson of WorkWell Leaders, emphasised the importance of this initiative: “Leaders want to make change and invest where it matters most – and now we know what matters most from this study. The Roadmap empowers CEOs and Boards to act with focus, accountability, and impact.”
The study reveals that organisational wellbeing is the foremost enabler of performance, challenging the notion that wellbeing is merely a “soft” benefit.
The findings are encapsulated in the Organisational Wellbeing-Performance IMPACT Framework, which includes six critical drivers: investing in leader wellbeing, making work empowering, promoting belonging, addressing whole-person needs, championing fairness, and turning values into action.
“This study overturns decades of conventional thinking on workplace wellbeing. The data are clear – what leaders do matters far more than what they say or delegate,” said Dr Reuben Ng, behavioural scientist at NUS.
Among the key insights, the report highlights that leader wellbeing is 56 times more impactful than stress management programmes. CEOs are urged to treat their wellbeing as a strategic priority, as their emotional climate significantly influences organisational culture.
“When leaders are well, they make better decisions and build more resilient, high-performing organisations,” stated Professor Chua Hong Choon, CEO of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
The Roadmap also addresses the needs of smaller businesses, offering tailored applications for trade and service-based environments.
Peter Yang, founder and CEO of Empact, expressed enthusiasm for this approach: “As the CEO of a smaller business, I’m excited to have a guide that is specific to my type of organisation.”
The findings suggest that clarity and role empowerment are 120 times more impactful than simply managing workload, and belonging is nine times more powerful than performance bonuses.
“Without CEOs ensuring a sense of belonging, ideas stay hidden, and people burn out trying to hide their true selves,” explained Sze Keed Wong, CEO of AIA Singapore.
Ultimately, the WorkWell Leaders Impact Roadmap represents a comprehensive framework for CEOs and Boards to foster a culture of wellbeing in Singapore’s workplaces.
“The wellbeing of our people is the wellbeing of our nation,” Ong concluded. “It’s time for leaders to stop outsourcing wellbeing and start embodying it.”
