No one wants to be fired by their family. That’s just awkward. And when an employee leaves, their manager shouldn’t act like one of their kids is abandoning them. That’s just unhealthy.  

Instead, leaders should promote a culture of belonging—one where employees feel safe, accepted and valued and also receive opportunities to both grow and risk. And employees should have the bandwidth and initiative to build rich, full lives outside of the office. A job shouldn’t be requiring so much of an employee that it feels impossible to do so—if that’s the case, then a toxic culture red flag is waving.   

In this article, we’ll share tips for leaders to build healthy organizational cultures where community is encouraged both in and outside of the office, and also, we’ll speak to the individual employee with recommendations on how to establish a healthy work-life balance that allows for a full and well-rounded life.

How a Leader Can Build a Healthy Organizational Culture

• Encourage people to use their PTO. But they have to see you using it first. You can unintentionally create an environment where people don’t feel the freedom to use their paid time off if they don’t see their leader ever taking a break or if they don’t feel like someone can cover their work when they’re out. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to make sure there is enough bandwidth on your team for someone to be sick or take a vacation. Cross-train on job functions to ensure that work will get done when someone is out. And step in when needed. Be the sort of manager who is happy to cover job functions so an employee can use their company-given PTO.

• Create space for stretch assignments. Collaborate with other department leads and discuss how you might create opportunities for your employees to learn new skills within your organization. This is called reskilling—when you teach people new skills for a different job. For younger employees, a stretch assignment could be a gift. You are giving them the opportunity to find out more about their skills, abilities and interests. If the workload is too much, then delegate or take some tasks off of their plate so they feel permission to jump at an opportunity. If stretch assignments are given with end dates and expectations are clearly communicated to all parties involved, they could be a great way to improve organizational culture where employees seize development opportunities—without them leading to burnout.

• Schedule time for team building and bonding. Even though a “workplace family culture” can unintentionally be harmful, there should still be camaraderie amongst teammates. You can foster a healthy organizational culture through team building events and workshops. If possible, schedule in-person events; but if your company is remote, then virtual events done well can facilitate team building too. It’s important to put these events on the calendar (we recommend quarterly) or they might not happen. Exercise intentional curiosity and invite your teammates to share topics they’d like to focus on or feel are important to discuss. You can provide structure with these team days, but there should still be room for fun. Build those events into your budget and create space for team bonding.

How an Employee Can Find Work-Life Balance

• Remember, your job is not your identity. This is the most important point, one to really let sink in deep. Do not tie your identity to anything that can be taken away. It’s vital to your well-being to understand how identifying factors about you do not actually make up your identity. Figure out who you are, what makes you unique and what gives you purpose and meaning. A job could very well be a vehicle for you to use your gifts and experience joy, meaning and purpose—but it is just one way, one method for you to exercise your abilities. There are often many paths that lead to the same place. If you lose your job, for whatever reason, keep your perspective in a healthy space. A new door will open, maybe an even better one, and you will find purpose again.

• Invest in your own personal growth and development. You may have to schedule time for this to happen, but don’t miss out on how beneficial this time can be for you. This could look like a cooking class, a writing group or an indoor soccer team. It could be running, hiking, going to the gym or doing yoga. Or perhaps it’s time to go back to school. You could look into adult degree online options and devote specific weekday evenings to your pursuit of lifelong learning. Most of us have an idea as to what this is for us, so invest in you. Lead yourself toward health and growth and you’ll experience fulfilling parts of life outside of your 9-5.

• Make time for people who don’t work with you. Office buddies are great—and sometimes they become lifelong friends. But make sure that you have community outside of your workplace. If you are investing in your own personal growth (as mentioned above) then you may very well meet people with similar hobbies to you that don’t work directly with you. Not only is it important to have friends outside of your job in case things change and you find yourself no longer working there, but also, these friends can offer new and different perspectives for you. And it is so healthy to learn from people who think differently than you. As an adult, it can be difficult to find community, especially if life feels full with the demands of work and home, but it can be incredibly rewarding to prioritize community in your life.

Foster a culture of belonging within your organization and you’ll get a healthy perspective on community—and with a healthy view of workplace community, people will have the time and feel the freedom to grow and develop their own communities outside of the office. And leaders, if you want some help creating a healthy culture within your company, our Building a Coaching Culture Guide is a great resource for you. We’re here to help.