“We tried that, and it didn’t work.”
It’s a phrase I’ve heard more times than I can count. A company launches a wellbeing strategy, it doesn’t deliver the expected results, and the whole idea is written off as a failure. The issue isn’t the strategy itself, it’s the lack of follow-through.
This is where consultants like me often find ourselves in an impossible position. Organisations bring us in to design a wellbeing strategy, but once the plan is in place, we’re sent on our way. The strategy is left in the hands of leaders who may be under-resourced, disengaged, or simply not given the authority to implement real change. Then, when the programme doesn’t achieve its full potential, wellbeing gets the blame.
Imagine hiring a personal trainer
They spend time with you, listen and observe, gather information, give you a bespoke fitness plan designed specifically for you, and then you never actually do any of the workouts. Would you turn around and say, “Fitness doesn’t work”? Of course not. But that’s exactly what happens with workplace wellbeing. Strategies are designed, but they aren’t embedded, championed, or given the support needed to succeed.
I’ve seen it happen with companies that invest in a stress risk assessment but don’t empower managers to act on the findings. Or businesses that launch a mental health programme but don’t give leaders the training to support employees properly. Wellbeing initiatives fail not because they’re ineffective, but because they’re treated as a tick-box exercise rather than an ongoing cultural commitment.
According to a CIPD survey, 80% of UK organisations have seen stress-related absences increase, yet only 50% have a wellbeing strategy in place, and even fewer have one that’s properly integrated. Wellbeing isn’t a quick fix; it’s a long-term investment that requires leadership buy-in, resources, and accountability.
How Can We Ensure Wellbeing Strategies Work?
- Give People the Licence to Act: If managers and employees aren’t given the authority, training, or genuine permission to implement wellbeing strategies, they will fail. Full stop.
- Move Beyond One-Off Initiatives: Wellbeing isn’t a project; it’s a process. It needs to be integrated into the culture rather than treated as a one-time campaign.
- Hold Leadership Accountable: Senior leaders should be role models, not bystanders. If wellbeing is just HR’s responsibility, it’s doomed to fail.
- Measure the Right Metrics: If success is only defined by quick wins, the real impact will never be seen. Wellbeing needs to be measured over time, with clear, realistic goals.
Let’s Talk
If an organisation brings in a consultant but then doesn’t enable people to act, it’s not the wellbeing strategy that’s the problem – it’s the execution. So, if wellbeing “didn’t work” last time, ask why. Was it really a failure, or was it never given a proper chance to succeed?
Let’s stop writing off wellbeing because of half-measures and start making it work for real, sustainable change.
#Wellbeing #Leadership #OrganisationalCulture #EmployeeEngagement #MentalHealth #HR #Burnout #Stress
