"Happy wife, happy life." Who on earth said THAT?

I run programmes that help people thrive* - personally and professionally. Recently, I’ve been working on my elevator pitch for Thrive in Business.

To me, it’s really simple. This is what I’d like to say: “A thriving person is going to be a much better employee!”.

But that doesn’t cut it. I can understand that. It’s a bit untethered. If money is to be spent, there needs to be a direct line to business outcomes. The HR Director or CEO wants to know why participants will become better employees. But the list of benefits is endless so it no longer is a simple statement that just rolls off the tongue as an elevator pitch. Dilemma.

If I am thriving in every aspect of my life, it’s going to translate into me being a happier and more successful contributor to the business.

Let’s take one step back.

1. What are all the aspects of one’s life?

Everyone will have a slightly different version of this but here’s one version: physical health, nutritional health, mental health, career, financial, home, family, friends, community, education/learning, sense of purpose/spiritual, and social life/relationships.

2. The next question is whether these aspects standalone or whether one or more impacts the others.

Yes, of course there’s impact. Here are just a few examples:

• Less than optimal (LTO) nutritional health may impact physical health
• LTO relationships may impact mental health
• LTO physical health may impact career or financial
• LTO education/learning may impact career or financial or sense of purpose
• LTO family life may impact mental health which may impact career
• LTO mental health may impact all others
• LTO sense of purpose may impact mental health which may impact career
• LTO social life may impact mental health which may impact career
• LTO career may impact family life

And the list goes on.

3. We can then look at the strengths and/or behaviours that develop and grow when a person is thriving in all aspects of their life.

You will develop and hone strengths such as fairness, leadership, teamwork, bravery, perseverance, honesty, energy, social intelligence, innovation, curiosity, perspective, gratitude, self-regulation, and kindness. Wow.

4. And all those strengths just listed, are they good to have in business?

I think that would be a yes. I’ve led large teams during my career so I’m acutely aware of the damage that takes place when you have the opposite behaviours acting out. I’m holding a mirror up to myself when I make that statement too.

Thriving in all aspects of one’s life = new strengths/behaviours = thriving organisations

So if an individual is not thriving in every aspect of their life, then trouble is potentially just around the corner. And not just for them personally, but for their employer as well. For very good reason, mental health is a topic on the lips of every organisation now. But is it on their action plan?

Educating individuals within the corporate setting on how to manage their thinking isn’t something that should be on the B list. Educating individuals to THRIVE or FLOURISH in every aspect of their lives will deliver to organisations employees that are highly engaged; investing in their future and yours. They won’t just be productive and happy, they’ll be flourishing and awesome. So now for another crack at that elevator pitch.

And as for “happy wife, happy life” - I’d prefer it to be “thriving thoughts, thriving people, thriving communities, thriving world”. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue though, does it?

*To thrive is to flourish, prosper, grow, develop, bloom. To be healthy, successful, advancing, progressing ...