Jim Harter: Wellbeing at Work

Jim Harter is Chief Scientist for Gallup’s workplace management and wellbeing practices. He has led more than 1,000 studies of workplace effectiveness and is the bestselling coauthor of It’s the Manager, 12: The Elements of Great Managing, and Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements. Jim has also published articles in many prominent business and academic journals and he's the author with Jim Clifton of Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams*.

In this conversation, Jim and I discuss Gallup’s recent research findings on what managers and organizations can do to support wellbeing at work. We highlight the five key elements of wellbeing from the research and the obstacles that managers and organizations face in supporting these. Plus, we share practical steps that each of us can take to support wellbeing among the people in our organizations.

Key Points

People report that their strongest links to net thriving are “my job” and “my manager.”

The five key elements of wellbeing are, in this order: Career, Social, Financial, Physical, and Community.

Many people report that “time with a manager” is the worst part of the day.

To support better wellbeing, make it a part of regular career conversations.

Have open conversations about pay philosophies. Data shows this is even more important than the actual salary.

Giving meaningful feedback every week is a basic requirement of management.

Gallup’s data shows that only half of employees worldwide know what is expected of that at work, a significant contributor to stress and anxiety.

Resources Mentioned

Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams* by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter

Interview Notes

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