What does wellbeing really mean to you and how has this evolved over time?

Yesterday I was asked this question whilst speaking at the CA ANZ Canterbury Conference, Beyond Limits. It made me reflect on how much my own thinking has changed since the early days of my career, back then the word wellbeing wasn't even present in my workplace vernacular!

Roll forward (quite) a few years and I now see it as a critical part of performance infrastructure. Just like systems or technology, it's a strategic investment with real commercial returns: higher engagement, better retention, stronger innovation, and trust. The data backs this up, and so does our lived experience at Tax Traders.

Here are four shifts I've made in my thinking over the years:

Flip the script.
Stop asking "Can we afford to prioritise wellbeing?" and start asking "Can we afford not to?" Engaged teams deliver better results, and when your people thrive, your business thrives too.

Small acts, big impact.
One of our team members Lee Stace planned a sports-themed dress-up day today. It took minutes to organise and cost nothing, but sparked laughter and connection across the team. I even learned something new, Logan Jessop (pictured) has played against my partner's football team before.

Systems level thinking.
Business doesn't operate in a vacuum. Well people are better partners and parents, and strong families build stronger communities. The reverse is also true: poor workplace wellbeing passes costs and impacts onto society.

Authentic integration is where it's at.
You can't just slap a wellbeing initiative on top if the everyday experience still wears people down. Real wellbeing is built, or broken, in the daily moments, not sporadic initiatives.

Wellbeing doesn’t just make human sense; it makes business sense. And if we want to build high-performing teams for the long haul, it's time we treated it that way.

How have your views on wellbeing evolved over time?