Connection and Living Well

As CEO of The Wealth Designers, I believe that connection is a vital part of what we do. As financial advisers and wealth planners, we need to connect with our clients to truly understand what living well means to them. But connection behind the scenes is equally important. Our business grew from the grassroots; the team were intrinsically connected because we had rolled up our sleeves and built TWD together. But then we grew fast and furiously and things changed. So we had to rethink and relearn connection.

This is how & why we did it.

Over the past year, we’ve grown exponentially as a business, which has resulted in many changes to our processes and culture. While these will undoubtedly benefit the business and the team in the long term, it has been a steep learning curve. The challenge of growth and change has disrupted our team dynamic, resulting in some feelings of team disconnection, which we’d never really experienced before as a small and close-knit team.

It was something I knew we needed to address urgently. As a social species, humans are hardwired to connect. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, love and belonging are the most important needs we must fulfil after food, water and safety.

This sense of belonging doesn’t just apply to our home and the relationships we foster in our personal lives, either. In fact, given that many of us spend a minimum of 38 hours each week at work, I would argue that a strong connection in the workplace is just as paramount to a person’s overall sense of well-being as strong personal relationships. And on the flipside, if a workplace is fractured and unsupportive, it can have a hugely detrimental effect on our mental health. I’m sure many of us have experienced the draining impact of working in a negative workplace environment.

As CEO, that’s the last kind of workplace I want to be at the helm of. That’s why the theme of connection was front and centre at this year’s TWD Day. For two days, we talked about how we can best foster and embrace it. The team soaked up valuable messages from guest speakers Julian Pace, Jim Stackpool, Dr Matt Hamilton, and Michael Back, and there was even a connection-themed music quiz thrown in for good measure.

I was thrilled to feel a genuine shift by the end of those two days. Together we listened, we laughed, we had moments of poignancy and clarity, and we came away feeling more in sync and united than ever.

Research tells us over and over that strong connection is key to lives that are happier, less stressed, healthier, more engaged. I want everyone who works here at The Wealth Designers to enjoy lives rich in these attributes.

I have so much gratitude for everyone who joined us last week, especially our incredible speakers whose words really hit home. A huge thanks must also go to my team for embracing it all with such gusto.

– Troy MacMillan