Creating the Conditions for People to Do Their Best Work

Earlier this week I posted a poll on LinkedIn asking:

What has the biggest impact on helping people do their best work?

The responses validate what I've been noticing more and more in my own work.

As a mindfulness teacher, I help people connect more fully with their present moment experience. And as I practice what I teach, what I've been noticing lately is how hopeful I feel.

Increasingly, leaders and organizations are recognizing that employee wellbeing is not separate from performance.

It's part of performance.

When I was working as a litigator, my approach was often to grind it out. I believed I had to push through every deadline, answer every email, and get all of my work done before I could give myself permission to care for myself. Only then would I make time for a yoga class, a run around the city, or simply a few moments to slow down before heading home to my family.

What I now realize is that I saw my mental and physical wellbeing as something to fit in around work, rather than something that enabled me to do my best work in the first place. I viewed work and wellbeing as two separate things: first the work, then self-care.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

They can be interwoven. Taking care of ourselves while we do demanding work is what makes that work sustainable. In my experience, work and wellbeing are deeply connected.

Whether I'm working with attorneys, mediators, leadership teams, or organizations preparing for new workplace legislation, what I realize is that the healthiest organizations don't simply ask people to perform. They intentionally create the conditions that allow people to do their best work.

Corporate Mindfulness Retreats

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of leading a half-day corporate mindfulness retreat for the in-house legal team at Tanger.

I left incredibly encouraged - not simply because of the engagement in the room - but because of what it represented.

Jessica Norman, Tanger's Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel & Secretary, who invited me to work with their legal team, understood something that more organizations are beginning to recognize: supporting employee wellbeing doesn’t take time away from productivity or high performance. It's what actually enhances it and allows us to make the challenging work that so many of us do sustainable.

By creating space for her team to pause, reflect, strengthen communication, and reconnect with one another, she demonstrated the kind of leadership that helps people do their best work - not just today, but over the long term.

Those investments matter.

Workplace Protections

That same principle extends beyond legal departments.

Earlier this week, my friend and colleague Shonda Moralis, MSW, LCSW and I continued the conversation during our LinkedIn Live on Philadelphia's new workplace protections related to menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause.

While this new legislation certainly requires employers to prepare for compliance, we believe it also presents an opportunity to ask a broader question:

What kind of workplace are we creating?

One where people feel they have to struggle in silence?

Or one where leaders are equipped, conversations become easier, and employees feel supported during significant life transitions?

That's exactly why we've developed the PFPO Readiness Initiative.

Our goal isn't simply to help organizations understand the law. It's to help them create workplaces where people can continue to contribute, lead, and perform at their best through every stage of life.

The more I reflect on the conversations I've been having - with legal teams, mediators, organizational leaders, HR professionals, and business leaders - the more convinced I become that helping people do their best work isn't about asking them to do more.

It's about creating the conditions that make their best work possible.

That's the work that excites me most.

And if your organization is beginning to have these conversations, I'd love to connect.

Ways to Continue the Conversation

Ready to take the next step? Registration is now open for our 90-minute virtual Employer Readiness Workshop - Ready by 2027: Understanding Philadelphia's New Protections.

Designed for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and legal teams, we'll take a deeper dive into Philadelphia's new workplace protections, explore practical examples and real-world scenarios, answer your questions, and help you feel confident preparing before the January 1, 2027 deadline.

If you'd like to learn more about our Employer Readiness Workshop or the broader PFPO Readiness Initiative before registering, click here to explore our programs and approach.

We're also offering complimentary 20-minute strategy conversations to learn more about your organization, discuss your goals and potential challenges, and explore the type of support that would be the best fit for your team.

Whether that's our Employer Readiness Workshop, the broader PFPO Readiness Initiative, or a customized approach for your organization, we'd be happy to explore what's possible together.

Thank you, as always, for reading. I hope these reflections encourage you to think not only about how we can help people perform, but how we can create workplaces where they have the opportunity to do their best work.