Leading by Example with CEO Andrea Davey

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Tour de Office interviewed Andrea Davey, CEO of Scout Talent Group, to discuss how she instils health and wellbeing in her team through leading by example.

What are your thoughts on creating a healthy work environment for the people you work with?

Encouraging the people I work with to be healthier makes so much sense because it makes them happier, and at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing. Being healthier also gives the people in my team more energy and that means that they can perform better at work. It’s a positive cycle and I view ‘prioritising healthy workplace practices’ as a leadership tool to support my people to be the best they can be.

How do you implement this?

I try to lead by example. For example, working out during my lunch break and eating well… also keeping my alcohol intake in moderation!

I am conducting more and more ‘walking meetings’ with my team. If I have a meeting booked with someone where the topics we’re discussing don’t require us to be in front of our laptops, I’ll ask them the day before if they’d like to make our meeting a ‘walking meeting’. If they’re keen we bring comfortable walking shoes and during the meeting time we go for a walk along the river for half an hour instead of just sitting down. My team members seem to be really enjoying these meetings. We get some extra steps into our day, and the fresh air helps clear our heads. Some of the best creative thinking is done during walking meetings!

I’ve also had some team members ask for flexibility in their 8:20am-5pm day, to make room for exercise. Some people exercise during their lunch break, but that doesn’t always work if someone has a meeting with a client or an interview with a candidate in the afternoon. For many people, working out at lunchtime means they need to shower afterwards and some people want to do their hair or re-apply makeup before afternoon meetings. All of these things create barriers to getting exercise done at lunch. It can all seem a bit ‘too hard’. So, something that’s working well is giving team members the flexibility to work through the traditional lunch hour and take an hour off at 4 pm, for example, to exercise.

Do you encourage bonding over healthy living practices as a team outside of work?

Absolutely. Over the years, health and fitness events (e.g. fun runs like Bridge to Brisbane) have been popular. We often sign up as a team and our business pays half of the entry fee for all participants. 

How do you lead by example when it comes to mental health and wellbeing?

Earlier this year I read ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear and ever since then I’ve been ‘habit tracking’. Essentially I choose a few key daily habits I want to develop and I use a diary to mark each day that I follow each habit. Over the last 6 months, one of my habits has been to ‘down the tools at 5 pm’. This means I have time for my family, for myself, and ultimately makes me more productive during the time I do spend working. I track this habit on a daily basis and share my results with my team pretty regularly. I encourage anyone in my team who wants to do the same (keeping their work hours in check) to do so. Burnout is a serious thing, it’s on the rise, and it has such a toll on your mental and physical health. I want the people who work in my team to be able to ‘down the tools’ and go and enjoy the other wonderful aspects of their lives.

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10 Apples a Day Keeps the Doctor Away (and Makes You More Productive at Work)

Everyone is looking for ways to be less tired, more productive and healthier. I’m here to let you know that there is a way to avoid your afternoon slump, fly through the stack of papers at your desk while being a healthier person and it involves eating.

So, you already know about 5 fruits and vegetables a day but are you ready for 10? Yes, 10 fruits and vegetables a day, 10 times more than just your apple a day to keep the doctor away. New research has shown that eating 10 servings of fruit and veg a day can greatly reduce the risks of heart disease and cancer while giving you a better sleep – it’s a win-win. 

Now 10 servings may sound like a lot (especially if you’re not hitting your 5 already) but the serving size is 80 grams, it’s achievable. It’s not all spinach and brussels sprouts either – though they are recommended – but citrus fruits, apples and pears as well as carrots, beans and broccoli are included in the mix that should regularly be consumed. 

Though consuming the classic 5 a day is still highly beneficial, try to slowly increase your intake until you hit 10. You can add another fruit or veg in each week and remember that it’s not all boring bowls of salad or steaming plates of boiled vegetables. It’s as simple as swapping out an unhealthy snack (like the biscuits that always seem to be in the breakroom) for a banana or carrot. Or try swapping your secret stash of muesli bars in your desk for some fresh fruit. 

Some risks were lowered by as much as 31% though, which does make consuming 10 servings feel worthwhile. Why would you not want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure and boosts your immune system? This means less sick days and less stress about falling behind on your work.

But aside from life-changing health benefits, you’ll have more sustainable energy to get you through the day. This will increase your productivity and concentration so you can pull through your work-day with no afternoon slump. Eating a higher intake of fruit and vegetables has also been shown to increase your creativity – your problem-solving skills will be at an all-time high.

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Take Time to Smell the Roses

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Nature is good for you.

There are many benefits of spending some time each day immersed in the sound of trees blowing in the breeze, birds chirping, the scent of dewy grass.

You see, spending 17 minutes a day – 2 hours a week in total – outside in nature has health benefits similar to what you would achieve through physical exercise. This short amount of time spent in nature can help relieve stress while boosting your mood and self-esteem. This is why holidays on the beach or at the ski slopes tend to leave people in such a good mood.

But you don’t need to go climb a mountain or trek through a forest to achieve this joyous feeling. Just spend some uninterrupted time in your backyard or in a park with no technology to distract yourself. 

Take time to smell the roses.

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0 Degrees? 0 Excuses! How to Beat the Cold and Keep Moving This Winter

It’s winter, which means it’s cold, possibly snowing, you wish you could eat a few pounds of food and hibernate in your cozy bed. Sadly, you’re not a bear who doesn’t need to go to work and pay the bills. Yet getting out of bed to go to work seems too much of an effort when it’s so cold outside, you want to pretend you don’t have to exercise in winter. Maybe you just won’t exercise, it’s too cold, what would you even be able to do? 

Well, I’m here to burst your bubble and let you know about all the wonderful exercises you can do in the winter. And to make it worse, most of them are free which means you have no excuse to order in food while you stay in the comfort of your bed re-watching Harry Potter for the hundredth time. 

First off, make sure you’re doing some stretches before you start exercising (these you can do in bed). You want to get your body warm and ready for some exercise. 

If you’ve got some spare money lying around, you could consider signing up to a gym even if just for winter so no matter sun, rain or snow, you’ll be able to fit in your workout without getting frostbite. Or you could try out your local pool as many are heated or will have an indoor option, that way you can swim laps in what you can pretend is an oversized bathtub. 

But maybe you’re a team sports person yet can’t commit to the cold outdoors that football and soccer require. Luckily there are many indoor sports options like basketball, netball and volleyball. 

Though maybe you’re using all and any savings you have on the heater this weekend so it would make sense to make the most of your warm house. So to help you save your pennies and keep you active and healthy through winter, I’ve researched the best exercises you can do at home with equipment you may already have or just some clear floor space.

Pull out your old skipping rope and get jumping. Skipping for a few minutes make you think you’ve been running for the last ten minutes. But maybe skipping isn’t your thing or you can’t find your skipping rope. Chances are though you have a phone or a computer (how else would you be reading this?) and those wonderful pieces of technology have all sorts of workout videos you can follow that can all be done in your lounge room. 

It might be winter but unless you’re a bear, you have no excuse but to get up, get moving and quit the sit.

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What You Eat Can Be Ruining Your Sleep

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This is a story about a person many of us know (maybe too well). This story could be triggering for some readers who need a coffee in the morning and can’t resist a bickie when it’s there.

Your alarm goes off, you groan as you roll onto your side to turn it off. Your eyelids feel too heavy to open and you feel like calling in sick for work so you can stay in bed. It’s warm and comfortable but you know you need to get up. You know if you just get a coffee…

And your first mistake for the day is made.

Coffee contains caffeine, which does have some health benefits and the bonus of making you feel more alert. But did you know that caffeine can keep you awake at night and that this process can be delayed for up to 10 to 12 hours for some? A morning coffee can be the first downfall of the day.

But it’s just one coffee and you need it, so it’s fine.

You then lap up a bowl of chocolate cereal, a nutritional breakfast as the box says.

But it’s not. It has minimal health benefits, no matter what it claims. It’s heavily processed and the sugar content is so high it’s no wonder your kids are so hyper (and somewhat annoying) in the morning.

Breakfast is done though. There was nothing else in the house. You’ll redeem yourself the rest of the day. You get changed into your work clothes and think ‘these feel a little tight’. You leave it at that though even though this is due to your unhealthy eating and sleeping habits. Those habits lead to weight gain and make it difficult to lose that weight later on.

You’re in the office, there are a few biscuits out on the table to share. You grab one or two (or five). A few biscuits won’t do that much harm. Little do you know you’ve just eaten away thirty minutes worth of good sleep tonight. Food with high-sugar can damage your sleep, no matter what time of day they were consumed.

Lunch comes around, you were in a rush this morning so you forgot to pack your own. You’re left to pick something up nearby. You don’t want to spend too much or take too long. You grab a meat pie and a fizzy drink.

BAM. More caffeine mixed with a buttload of unnecessary carbohydrates. Have you even eaten a vegetable today?

It’s fine. You’ll have some veggies for dinner. But wait, you’re tired. Because you got no sleep last night and the food you’ve eaten isn’t proving to be a sufficient energy source. So what’s for dinner…?

You grab Subway for the family. They’ve got salads in them. It’s fine (except you got white bread and extra cheese and nearly a few extra squirts of mayo). 

Later on, you look at the clock, it’s time for bed. You know if you don’t fall asleep now you’ll be tired tomorrow. Little do you know that you won’t fall asleep straight away, you’ll lay there tossing and turning even though you feel tired. Tomorrow won’t get any better though, lack of sleep leads to poor food choices which leads to an endless cycle. 

 

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Take the Initiative to a Healthier Workplace

Keeping a fit and healthy lifestyle can be tough, it feels like you don’t have the time between family, friends and work. Work can be the hardest, you find yourself always sitting down even on lunch breaks and not being able to resist heading out for lunch with a workmate or the sweet snacks lying around the office. But there are steps you can take to move towards a healthier workplace by engaging a few workmates.

The first initiative is to create a healthy eating lunch group between yourself and some workmates. This only requires a bit of preparation and will help you save money in the long run. Bring a healthy meal along and enjoy while possibly collecting some recipe ideas from your colleagues. This way you won’t be tempted to steal fries off your workmate’s plate while you order a salad.

Try walking. It’s so easy, go for a walk while on your lunch break, even just for half of it. Bring some workmates along and catch up while getting in a good dose of fresh air. It’s refreshing to get moving and stretch your legs and will help you avoid the afternoon slump. You can even take your healthy lunches with you and enjoy them outside in the sunshine.

The third initiative is to look into getting some stand-up desks for the office. Sitting down for more than four hours a day is costly to your health but when you work more than four hours a day you don’t have much of a choice. Stand up desks are a great way to get on your feet and still get your work done. Organise for you and your workmates to actively use one whenever you can and if you can’t get your hands on many they are easy to share. Take turns throughout the day to minimise the time you spend sitting.

Once you’re on a roll try and engage your whole business in these health initiatives. Eventually, you’ll have everyone on board for an event like Tour de Office to help push healthy workplaces.

So give it a go and kickstart your workplace with these health initiatives to create a better and healthier environment for all. It won’t take long and you’ll have all your co-workers eating better, walking more and riding in Tour de Office.

 

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Trend Alert: Walking Meetings

So you can walk the walk but can you walk and talk? Walking meetings are the new stand-up desks. You can do them inside your long hallways or better yet outside in the fresh air. They’re hip, they’re cool and they are so good for employee health. But if you’re not hip and cool and following the trends then let me give you some other reasons you should start walking and talking.

More bang for your buck

By getting employees up and moving, wiggling their toes and raising their heart rate you are helping them improve their health and your business. Active and healthy employees are shown to take considerably less time off work for illness leading to a higher productivity rate.

Bigger and better ideas

Did you want more of your employees thinking outside of the box instead of sitting inside one? Then you’ll definitely want to start walking meetings as walking has proven to produce more creative thoughts and problem-solving. No need to pull your hair out when you can’t solve a problem, just go for a walk.

No more repeating yourself

You’re breathing in the fresh air, you’re feeling more relaxed and more engaged. There are no distracting phones or computers in front of you. You’re listening in the meeting, taking in every word. This is because your heart rate is up, increasing your blood flow and allowing more oxygen into your wonderful brain. Exercise is truly amazing.

Paid exercise

It’s hard finding thirty minutes a day to commit to raising that heart rate but with walking meetings, you can easily knock out at least ten minutes of this. And you’re paid for it! It’s the exercise adults have been needing to get a kickstart on their health.

Who knew your business could get such a big boost from just getting out of your seat? Well… we did.

 

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#TakeTheStairs on #NoElevatorsDay

In the lead up to International No Elevators Day, we would like to discuss stairs! Don’t be alarmed, I’m not going to make you walk up any… yet (insert evil laugh). I know they seem terribly daunting, having to lift one leg up and then another – I’m exhausted just typing this. It’s just so much easier moving a few floors in a metal capsule suspended by some rope.

Oh, wait, no it’s not. Stairs have been around since 6000BC. Do you know how long elevators have been around? The answer is not much longer than the soup cans in your grandmother’s pantry. Elevators have only been around since the middle of the 19th century.

Did you also know there are great health benefits to taking the stairs instead of the elevator? It’s insane that physical exercise is good for you. By taking the stairs you’re burning more calories and building up your fitness. As for your mental health, exercise helps stress and anxiety, and helps you avoid Joe who always takes the elevator and doesn’t seem to know what deodorant is. It’s a win-win-win.

Now I understand that buildings have become much larger and you don’t want to waste half your day just to get into your office on the 20th floor. But… so many people who have access to stairs and only have to move a few levels up still choose to take the elevator.

Don’t worry though, I know you’re smart and you take the stairs because you understand the benefits of physical activity and care about your impact on the environment. Though maybe you know someone who still takes the silly, old elevator even though they run the risk of running into Joe. How do you help these people?

Studies have shown putting signs near elevators and stairs like ‘Don’t lose time, lose weight. Use the stairs’ and ‘Don’t waste time, trim your waistline. Take the stairs’ had a great impact. Other phrases to try are:

 

No time for activity. Your opportunity is now. #TakeTheStairs on #NoElevatorsDay

 

The entire world is climbing the stairs on #NoElevatorsDay How many stairs have you climbed today? #TakeTheStairs

 

There is no elevator to success – you have to #TakeTheStairs. Take that first step today on #NoElevatorsDay

 

If this doesn’t work though you can also try putting up a sign that the elevator is broken or that Joe stunk it up and now it’s shut down. Or tell them that it’s turned into a portal to Narnia and they’ll have to take the stairs (this one can backfire as employees may want to skip work and go to Narnia instead).

Now feel free to take the stairs and help us #quitthesit  #TakeTheStairs #NoElevatorsDay

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Solved: Keeping Healthy on the Holidays

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Problem: Keeping Healthy on the Holidays

Another holiday approaches, and though thankful for the break, it’s hard to keep a routine at what has turned into such a busy time of year. Luckily Easter doesn’t drag itself out as long as Christmas but it’s too easy to consume your body weight in food, particularly gloriously, sugary chocolates that seem to just be lying everywhere around the house.

So how do you keep up some sort of healthy routine when you feel like those chocolate bunnies in the fridge are staring you down saying ‘eat me, eat me’?

If you’re staying home for the break but don’t have much time in between family visiting and bathing your child for the millionth time because they have melted chocolate in their hair then try exer-cleaning. Yes, exer-cleaning, the cleaning version of jazz-ercise. You’re bound to be tidying up the house over this time so amp it up a bit and make it a workout. Try vacuuming your house that little bit faster or adding in a few squats while picking items up from the floor.

If your holiday involves some travelling, possibly some road tripping, make sure to take regular stops to stretch your legs. Walk around for five minutes or do some jumping jacks to get your blood pumping. Once you’ve reached your destination, try and walk everywhere you need to go if possible. Not only good for your health but you’ll notice things that would have been missed while driving.

Even with some little extra bursts of exercise, it can be hard to balance out your eating habits. So try out an Easter Egg Hunt: Squat Edition. Every time you go to pick up an egg, perform a proper squat or 5 if you feel so inclined.

Don’t let these holidays get the best of you, you don’t want to have to buy new work pants just after a few days off.

Status: Solved

 

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No Excuses: Event Leader, Mum and Runner

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Welcome to the No Excuses Series where different active lifestyles are explored to show there really is no excuse. In this interview, we speak with Helen, Event Leader for Tour de Office, mother of three and runner. 

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m the Event Leader for the Tour de Office Event, I work with a fantastic team to deliver the in-office cycling relay experience for companies around Australia. I work four days a week which gives me time to spend with my two young children.

What does a basic rundown of your day look like? 

I usually get jumped on by an energetic toddler or hear the unmistakable call of a waking baby around 5 am each day. We all head downstairs for a family breakfast and then depending on the season/light we’ll have a sneaky swim together, a walk outside or a dance party inside. It’s safe to say sitting down and eating a leisurely breakfast is a thing of the past. The positive is that I get my body moving from the moment I wake up, albeit involuntarily.

From there, its dressing and daycare drop off followed by a drive into work. I’m lucky to have a stand-up desk which helps to increase my time standing – and honestly does great things for my back and posture. Some work lends itself really well to walking and standing – like talking on the phone or creative thinking while I prefer to sit when I need to smash out a pile of written work or respond to emails. I take a small break for lunch and finish earlier in the afternoon so I can exercise outside and avoid the heat and strong sun. I’m lucky to work in an office on the Brisbane river so it’s easy to jump on to the riverside path and do a short run before heading out to pick up the kids.

The evening routine is pretty hectic with dinner, baths, books and bed so I usually fall at the same time as my children (sometimes mid-bed time story much to my 3-year-old’s disappointment). Then we do this all over again – cue 5 am wake up call!

How do you stay motivated and continue to do this (nearly) every day?

My children and husband motivate me. It is hard to sit on the sidelines when we are such an active family. I need my body to be strong and healthy so I can play with my children and have the energy to run the Tour de Office event!

What do you find the most challenging about keeping an active and healthy lifestyle?

As much as my children motivate me – they are also my biggest obstacle to keeping fit. Before them, I ran marathons and participated in loads of team sports in the evening. Now it is harder to find the time and freedom to head out for a 3-hour training run – and then give my body the necessary recovery.

Do you ever change it up?

I hope to soon – but this is a pretty standard routine. The weekends we start our Saturday with a local park run and include a family bike ride at one point.

What is your tip for others?

Find every opportunity to move – you don’t have to have a designated time or place. Once you start you can’t stop.

What is your favourite exercise?

Competitive sport! I lived in Canada for several years and loved playing ball hockey, while in Australia I grew up playing netball and touch football.

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