What does it take to retain and attract great talent as the pandemic continues?
Jennifer Christian-Herman, interim vice president of MindBody Medicine at Blue Shield of California, spoke about the importance of supporting work-life balance and leading by example. She was a panelist in the Feb. 10 HLTH GoLive webinar, "From the 'Great Resignation' to the 'Great Inspiration': How Mental Health and Wellness Can Shape the Future of Work."
"When the pandemic hit and most of us transitioned to working from home, I recall that my dogs would bark during meetings. I felt embarrassed and apologized to my team for what I worried was a disruption. It was all new to us, juggling work while also taking care of our loved ones and kids doing schoolwork, family members sharing space, fur babies playing and barking.
"After a few meetings with my dogs barking, I had a check-in with my direct supervisor. They asked me to please stop apologizing when my dogs made noise, explaining that by doing so, I was sending the message to my team that I didn't want noise or disruptions during my meetings. This was an 'a-ha' moment for me and changed my perspective on what it meant to model behaviors as a leader during the pandemic."
Watch the full webinar video here.