Wellbeing by Design
Global spending on workplace wellbeing is projected to exceed $94.6 billion in 2026 yet stress, burnout and disengagement keep rising.
How can you make sure your investment delivers real results?
The Full Picture
Harvard Business School research published in 2024 found that despite corporate wellness spending heading towards $94.6 billion per year, stress, burnout and mental health challenges continue to rise.
Their finding: most investment focuses on individual support, while the leadership and organisational conditions that shape how people experience work are left largely unchanged.
In Ireland, the HSA has identified work-related stress and burnout as a major and growing occupational health risk - one directly linked to how work is designed and managed.
Individual support has real value. But it is only one part of the full picture.
The greatest gains come from addressing all three levels together - leadership, culture and systems, and individual capacity - so that wellbeing is built into how work gets done, not just offered alongside it.
The leadership effect
of employees say their manager has as much impact on their mental health as their spouse or partner and more than their doctor or therapist.
Workforce Institute at UKG, 2023Average employee engagement across Europe sits at around 13%. Yet some companies hit 70%. Gallup's research says that 70% of that difference is down to the managers.
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace 2025
When Google studied what made teams perform at their best, psychological safety - the confidence to speak up, take risks and be yourself - was the single most important factor. More than talent, tools or strategy.
Google Project Aristotle
Leaders shape psychological safety every day - through how they work and communicate, how they respond under pressure and what they make safe to say.
When leaders are stretched, that pressure moves through their teams. People feel it - and it has an impact.
When leaders show up well, people feel it. Teams open up, ideas flow, and performance follows.
Leadership has the greatest impact on team wellbeing and performance - both positively and negatively - depending on how your leaders are showing up.
Culture and Systems
The best organisations are high support and high challenge. When you create an environment where people are psychologically safe and appreciated, they will do their best work.
When people feel cared for, they bring their minds and hearts into the business. They offer better ideas, give stronger suggestions for improvement and innovation, and support your clients with more energy and attention.
This is what grows your business and your people.
The question isn't whether wellbeing is a good investment. It's where to direct that investment to make the most difference - for people and for performance.
- • How do your people feel on Sunday night knowing they’re going to work on Monday morning?
- • What does a typical week actually feel like for them?
- • How does everyone interact?
- • How are communications shared?
- • How are decisions made?
- • Are ideas listened to and followed up on?
- • Is there space to think?
When people have ongoing work-related frustrations - and demands consistently outpace what they can sustain - focus, energy and collaboration all suffer.
How people feel at work isn’t just about the work. It’s about everything that goes with it.
The 'Wellbeing by Design' approach
This methodology grew from almost 30 years of experience working in very demanding environments around the world - leading humanitarian operations in Africa and Asia, and now working with organisations and leadership teams in Ireland and beyond.
Every organisation and industry is different. My work is always tailored to your people, your culture and your goals, across all three levels: leadership, culture and systems, and individual capacity.
Discovery & Diagnosis
Understand your organisation, your goals, your people and where the pressure points are.
Design & Alignment
Design the best approach for your organisation, aligned with your people and your goals.
Implementation & Follow up
Embed wellbeing into how leaders lead, how work gets done and how people are supported.
If you would like to learn more about how Wellbeing by Design could work in your organisation, I would be glad to speak with you.
The difference it makes
Organisations I work with experience:
Leaders who are more self-aware - and attuned to the real needs of their teams.
Leaders who handle stress without passing it on.
Improved culture and systems.
Teams that are better prepared for demanding periods - and recover faster.
People who feel more supported, valued and engaged.
Less reliance on individuals being heroically resilient.
These changes strengthen both wellbeing and performance, creating conditions where people thrive and your business grows.
Who I work with
I work with leadership teams in:
Growing SMEs.
Larger organisations where leaders are stretched or running at or beyond capacity.
Mission-driven organisations - humanitarian, healthcare, education, community and development - where the work matters deeply and the needs never stop.
Sectors where the stakes are high and the pace is demanding.
Whether you're considering your first investment in wellbeing or refining an existing programme, I'd love to help you explore the best way forward.
Why work with me
For 14 years I led humanitarian operations across Africa and Asia - through war, drought, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and epidemics. I learned first-hand what sustained pressure does to people and teams - and what enables them to keep going and thrive.
For the past 15 years I have brought that understanding to people, organisations and leadership teams across Ireland and beyond.
Wellbeing is the foundation of sustainable performance. When people are well, they perform well - in their work, their leadership and their lives.
The work is grounded, person-centred and practical. Designed to support and grow the business - and the people who drive it.
Let's talk
If this resonates, I'd love to speak with you. Whether you're taking your first steps or refining what you already have, a conversation will help you see clearly how to move forward.