While multiple studies show that we are experiencing mental health crises, burnout, and stress at alarming levels, I don't have to tell you that you're feeling it. It impacts your ability and your team's ability to perform at the highest level. To innovate, problem solve, and focus. Some workplace stress is a given, but what about the stress we can control? The stress caused by a culture and a leader who refuses to recognize our humanity? The leader who does not value empathy, connection, well-being, or psychological safety as a way to empower their people to achieve success.

Today, I talk with Marisol Solarte-Erlacher about the price you pay for toxic and psychologically unsafe cultures and how that impacts business performance. We discuss why chronic stress is an issue, how it impacts leadership and performance, and what it looks like to put employee well-being at the center of your business strategy. Marisol shares how to make the culture shift in your own team to prioritize well-being in meaningful ways, not just surface-level perks. She offers three questions you can ask your team to discern if they feel psychologically safe, and she shares how you can make the business case for well-being so your people can thrive and your company can achieve its goals.

To access the episode transcript, please scroll down below.

Key Takeaways:

• The pandemic gave everyone the ability to pause and actually question if the way we have always done things is the only or best way to do things.
• Being in a constant state of stress takes a long-term toll on our bodies and health.
• Do assessments with yourself and your team to understand what the biggest stressors are at any given point.
• To assess psychological safety, you can ask three questions: What are the things in the workplace that cause you the most stress? How do you handle those? How do you ask for help?

"This is about the long-term investment of your culture for the overall well-being and sustainability of your organization." —  Marisol Solarte-Erlacher

Episode References:

• The Empathy Edge podcast:
• Rebecca Friese: How to Build a “Good” Culture
• Anna Liotta: Understanding Generational Codes

From Our Partner:

SparkEffect partners with organizations to unlock the full potential of their greatest asset: their people. Through their tailored assessments and expert coaching at every level, SparkEffect helps organizations manage change, sustain growth, and chart a path to a brighter future.

Go to sparkeffect.com/edge now and download your complimentary Professional and Organizational Alignment Review today.

About Marisol Solarte-Erlacher, Trauma Expert and Resilience Consultant

Named one of Colorado's Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business, Marisol Solarte-Erlacher is a trauma expert, resilience consultant, and licensed psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience helping organizations build cultures where both people and performance thrive, while hosting the award-nominated podcast 'Resilience and Resistance,' featuring successful Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color who have overcome trauma to become resilient leaders.

Connect with Marisol:

Email: [email protected] 

Website: marisolerlacher.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/marisol_resilience_expert  

Connect with Maria:

Get Maria's books on empathy: Red-Slice.com/books

Learn more about Maria's work: Red-Slice.com

Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take the LinkedIn Learning Course! Leading with Empathy

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

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