Why I want a mentally fit business | Chris

HI CHRIS, HOW ARE YOU TODAY? AND HOW ARE YOU OUT OF 10? 

I am great thanks; a solid 8 I would say. 

WHERE DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT TALK CLUB AND HOW DID THIS PARTNERSHIP COME ABOUT?

They first came on my radar through Instagram I think and then they just kept popping up everywhere and seemed to be doing amazing things all the time so I reached out to Gavin and we met over a coffee and he shared the full story of Talk Club, how it started, the journey and where they want to take it which was inspiring and incredible what they have achieved in such a  short space of time both in terms of growth but more importantly impact. They are incredible. 

AS THE CEO OF SR2, WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IT'S CRUCIAL TO PRIORITISE THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE TEAM? 

Put simply, the better people feel the better people will perform so it should be a priority for any business. 

HOW DOES PRIORITISING MENTAL HEALTH POSITIVELY IMPACT THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE TEAM?

I hope it provides further evidence that we care no1. We have been the very first business to do this partnership with Talk Club and offer this support and service to our staff alongside many other health and well-being benefits we offer the team like weekly boot camps, HEKA Wellbeing allowance, unlimited holiday, and financial coaching. The 3 key pillars Talk Club focuses on for mental fitness are Sleep, Diet and Exercise. Whilst people need to take accountability for themselves and what they do day-day to positively impact those 3 key pillars, if we can create an environment that helps support, foster, and encourage good habits against those pillars then I have no doubt it will positively influence their lives and mental fitness as well as their performance and productivity at SR2. 

THE PILOT HAS BEEN GOING FOR TWO MONTHS NOW, HOW DO YOU THINK IT HAS GONE? WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE YOU HAD AND HAVE YOU SEEN ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE TEAM? 

I naturally haven’t had huge amounts of feedback as it’s a confidential service however the fact every week is booked out solidly tells its own story. We also provided extra sessions with our MHFA practitioners that we have in the business who are around every day. These have been hugely useful sessions and helped give some insightful feedback. Lots of businesses have MHFA’s in the team but so often overlook who is looking after them. MHFA’s are on the front line of your business and people naturally will speak with them in that role and share and unload a bit at times which can weigh heavy on that individual. We have had monthly sessions as a team of SR2 MHFA’s and these have been incredible to help support each other and share so without doubt this has been a positive step for the business. 

DID YOU HAVE A SESSION AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT YOU GOT INVOLVED?

I have yes. Not something I have ever done before, to be honest, but I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone a little as I am not a big talker in truth and see what it was like firsthand. Being a CEO can be a lonely place at times, to say the least, and having had my session I felt noticeably lighter and better for it. I had been attending the group MHFA’s sessions as I am a trained MHFA myself and those sessions were incredible and very reflective for me and then 121 was no different. Having never done anything like that before, I came away feeling super positive and I will book in future chats if I can squeeze in.

ARE THERE PLANS TO CONTINUE WITH THE TALK CLUB SESSIONS? 

100% we have piloted it for 3 months and I feel like it has been a huge success in what’s been a difficult year for everyone with the recession and cost of living crisis and everything else going on in the world right now it has been a hugely beneficial additional layer of support to our team. 

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THESE SESSIONS TO OTHER BUSINESSES AND WHY?

A total no-brainer if you genuinely care about your people.