Our approach
At ROW, we believe in real world wellbeing. It’s wellbeing that reflects the world we live in… It’s grounded in evidence and designed to make a positive impact on the workplaces we partner with, meeting them where they are.
This means that our work and our approach are guided by three core concepts: professional expertise, lived experience and human-centred design.
Here’s what we mean:
Professional expertise
The ROW team have a diverse professional background with qualifications and experience in psychology, organisation and leadership development, project and programme management, and communications.
We know the evidence base that underpins workplace wellbeing and, critically, we’re able to translate that evidence base into the real world – whether that’s workplace policies, internal communications for wellbeing initiatives, or delivering a wellbeing strategy that delivers on key business outcomes.
We can help you address the underlying workplace drivers of burnout and poor wellbeing, so you can combat issues at the source, rather than treating individuals once it’s too late.
Lived experience
We’ve been there, done that, and have the scars to prove it. We have lived experience of workplace burnout and mental health challenges, and we’ve supported people we love through mental illness.
We’ve been in workplaces that have done wellbeing really well…. And some not so well! We’ve walked the halls of corporate life and know the competing pressures and the opportunities well.
We also talk to wellbeing managers from across the world on a daily basis. We bring the benefit of that weight of experience with us into every client engagement.
Human-centred design
Human-centred design is a problem-solving technique that puts real people at the centre of the development process. This is a central component of our engagement methodology. We believe in the behaviour change phrase that ‘People support what they help create.’ This means that our engagement approach is centred on actively listening to our clients – and their workforces, to deeply understand what wellbeing means in the context of their own organisation or industry.
Another way that this is reflected in our approach is that we’re model agnostic. There are many evidence-based models of wellbeing out there, but not all will resonate with a particular client. We’re not out to sell you on a particular model, framework or piece of technology. We’re here to listen the needs of you and your people, and create something that is authentic to you.
I did want to drop a line through to say a huge thank you for your time and the session with us, after you left we ended up discussing the topic until well after 6pm and it was just awesome. The whole team took so much from it and really valued your time – thank you so, so much. worth absolutely every cent.
– janelle somerville, chief people officer, realnz
We meet you where you are
Real-world wellbeing means we meet you wherever you are on your wellbeing journey, whether you are still in the early phases of your approach and interventions, or you have a strategy already in place.
REcent client engagements
Wellbeing framework – corporate
We worked with one large organisation in the fisheries industry to deliver a comprehensive wellbeing strategy. This engagement started with undertaking quantitative and qualitative research with workers from across the business. The findings of this research were then distilled into a research report which was presented to the organisation’s leadership group. From there, we co-created a wellbeing framework that was authentic to the language and values of the organisation. This framework was then launched across the broader business.
Wellbeing framework – trust
We were engaged to support a trust to create a cohesive set of shared values that could be embedded across every facet of the organisation from recruitment and onboarding to learning and development and through to leadership and exit. The organisation had three existing brand (i.e. external) values, and so the challenge was to integrate these values with the personal values of the team to develop new, internal, values that captured the spirit and purpose of the organisation, with wellbeing woven in at the core.
The project involved a survey and a series of workshops with staff. The final version of the new internal values was presented to the wider team. From there, we supported the organisation to embed these values into the organisation, and shape how these values would be lived across the employee lifecycle.
Wellbeing framework – member-based organisation
We are currently working with one professional member-based organisation that wishes to better support the wellbeing of its members. To do this, we’re undertaking research to define what wellbeing means in the context of that profession, which will inform the development of a framework and supporting resources that will be rolled out across the profession to drive better wellbeing conversations and heightened awareness.
Wellbeing concierge – professional services
We are partnering with an organisation in the professional services industry that wishes to better support the wellbeing of their key customers, via our wellbeing concierge service. Their customers can access ROWs network of experts free of charge for whatever wellbeing issue they may need assistance with. We have worked with the client organsiation to define the business outcomes they are looking for, the service model, and how it may best be marketed and promoted.
Consulting – professional services
We have partnered with a client to assist them to re-align their wellbeing strategy based on the results of their latest employee engagement survey. The client has an established wellbeing strategy and a high level of organisational and leadership maturity, but the diversity of the organisation, coupled with the volume of survey data, prompted them to seek an objective perspective.
Executive workshop – legal industry
ROW recently delivered an executive workshop to the leadership group of a medium-sized law firm. Burnout and overwhelm were key mental health risks identified by the client in advance. The interactive session was customised to address the specific challenges and realities of legal practice, and practical solutions were offered that would enhance wellbeing at the organisational, team and individual level.
“ROW’s approach was built in a collaborative manner that emphasised the need for total business buy-in and the requirement to involve all hierarchical levels in the investigation phase. The overall approach fitted well with Sealord values.”
– Doug Paulin, CEO, Sealord
Your presentation was perfect for what I was hoping to achieve, and the team and I appreciated and learnt from your storytelling and vulnerability – thank you.“
– Katherine Swan, Country Director, Randstad
I love that ROW is at the end of the phone when I need them. The concierge service has helped us with numerous projects and I’ve greatly appreciated the help and expertise. It’s fast-tracked projects too, which means we’ve been able to keep the focus on wellbeing across the business and improve the visibility and engagement.
– Sheree Knight, Health Safety & Wellbeing Business Partner, nib
We’ll certainly be looking to work with Sarah again in the future and I couldn’t recommend her enough for businesses looking to either start their wellbeing journey or add to a program they already have.
– Pippa Kennedy, HR Business Partner, Schneider Electric