Fall is here in Southcentral, Alaska. The leaves are dropping, my garden is dwindling, the moose are sneaking every calorie they can get out of my snap peas and beet tops (stinkers), and there's a nice little sprinkling of termination dust in the Eagle River Valley.
This time of year has always been wild for me. In construction it was pushing everyone to their max to beat the snow and the ground freezing. In oil and gas it was getting prepped for ice road season. Now it's wild because my kid is in school and it's conference speaking season (never thought I'd say those words). It lights me up to get in front of people, share a little information, and hear what they're dealing with and what their ideas are.
Two weeks ago I spoke to the Alaska Business Education Compact about workforce retention, and I opened with one question:
Think of a job or training program you voluntarily left. Why did you leave?
52 people on the call. About 90% of the answers came back to leadership and the work environment, and plenty of people simply wrote "toxic work environment." That is right on track with the national data. Direct supervisors have an outsized impact on us, often more than money, schedule, or autonomy.
It cued up my presentation nicely, because that's the case I was there to make: culture and leadership are the highest impact investment you can make in workforce retention, satisfaction, and safety. We got into the 3 P's of Safety (physical, psychological, and psychosocial) and some very unique Alaska Factors that leaders should be ready to navigate with their people that may have nothing to do with the job but are innate in living and working here.
The conversation was rich and hopeful! People were talking about what becomes possible when we re-imagine our workplace and industry cultures, and when leaders are supported, trained, and resourced up for the challenges their people face up here. I hope it opens the door to many more, and not just because I like planting seeds (garden pun intended). I want to get to action. There's no awareness-level training, pay bump, or benefits package that overrides the culture and leadership people experience every day. Keep investing in those things! Culture and leadership behavior eats all the rest of our efforts for lunch most of the time.
We'll keep this conversation going, but it's time to switch gears. Many of you know there are three facets to my business: Live Well, Lead Well, and Work Well. Around here, we dance between business consulting, group leadership cohorts and workshops, and individual opportunities to engage
Here's an individual offer I don't want you to miss!
I'm hosting a Sober October Community Challenge and we start in 6 days! The folks who are registered already are INCREDIBLE: executives, teachers, fishermen, construction workers, and healthcare providers from all over the US and Canada. There's no us and them in this group. We're all in it together.
31 days free of alcohol and/or cannabis, live weekly coaching calls, a private group off social media, and a guidebook you make your own. Whether you're leveling up your health or you've been trying to stop on your own for a while, this is your chance to do it with structure and damn good company!
Prep call is Monday, September 28. Registration closes Sunday the 27th. As of today, there are 19 spots left and I want to see you there!
Register for Sober October 31 Day Challenge
If you're interested in posting a flyer for this at work or in your community, send me an email and I'll send it right over! [email protected]
Naomi DuCharme | [email protected]
Workforce Wellbeing Advisor | Facilitor | Coach
Integrating Wellness Solutions: Where safety, health, and wellbeing and recovery aren't one-off programs or initiatives; they're outcomes of well-designed, integrated, systems.
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