A Cure for the Common Company

9Culture Killers: Watch Out for the Speed Bumps

I'M NOT MUCH OF AN artist. But I can recall a time in middle school art class when our teacher gave us a hunk of clay and instructed us to make something to go in the kiln. The final product would be a Mother's Day gift. My first thought was that my gift would end up being one more thing for my mom to politely guffaw over before placing it in the basement when I wasn't looking.

When beginning to build a culture of health, it can sometimes feel like you've been handed a hunk of clay. You know you are supposed to create something beautiful, maybe even meaningful, and yet the task at hand is intimidating, and figuring out where to start is challenging. And like my middle school project, it can also be a little messy.

Many companies have made failed attempts at improving their organization's collective well‐being. That's a lot of failed art projects in the basement. But these failures aren't because you don't have a $5 billion‐dollar park‐like campus, like Apple in Cupertino, California (although it doesn't hurt to have beautiful surroundings).¹ You can still get fresh air and trees elsewhere and even bring them inside if needed. Yes, plants, fishponds, all kinds of natural elements have been connected to well‐being at work. But nature is only one piece of an intricate web of ingredients.

It's understandable that, with so many possible ways to support well‐being, you may have previously struggled to make a plan, stay focused, and ...