Prioritizing Health and Well-Being in Response to the Great Regret

The Great Resignation has been followed by the Great Regret. It turns out that people want to keep working — just not at the expense of their overall health and happiness. Microsoft’s annual Work Trend Index, a survey of thousands of workers worldwide shows that people around the world have a new “worth it” equation, with 53% of respondents saying they’re more likely to prioritize their mental health and well-being over work than before the pandemic. What people find de-energizing is not the volume of work, but the lack of meaning and the trade-offs they feel forced to make between their well-being and the demands of their jobs. If your team isn’t displaying the vibrant energy they previously had, there are a number of ways to help replenish it. Here are six energy sources: Initiate purposeful conversations about growth and career opportunities, create team rituals that foster bonding and mutual care, provide opportunities to connect with cross-functional peers, model prioritizing your own well-being, help structure their workload, and define your company’s criteria for a flourishing workforce, watching for signs when engagement seems to be waning.