I worked with our cross-functional Well@Work team to create Sharing Stories, an internal video series featuring our people sharing their personal emotional health experiences. The goal of the series was to help normalize conversations about mental health and well-being at our firm.
More common than we think
The videos addressed a range of emotional health topics, including anxiety, depression, addiction, infertility, and hidden disabilities. It was important to show that experiences like this are more common than we think and that even people who we perceive as being very successful have often managed emotional health challenges as part of their journey. We wanted to ensure the series did not solely focus on the issue that the individual faced, as to not define them by this experience. Therefore, each story featured achievements, proudest moments, and the impact each person had at AlixPartners or in their personal lives. Hearing these stories from a range of our brilliant and talented colleagues, including several Managing Directors and team leaders, resonated with our people. One of the most fulfilling aspects about working on this series was hearing about the conversations it created. People across our firm contacted the participants to thank them for their courage, to offer support, and to share their own personal story. It was a reminder that it can be difficult when you feel like you must struggle alone. But, when you know that your experience is shared by others, it creates a support network and a coping mechanism.
A holistic approach to learning & development
Development and growth at our firm are multifaceted. We invest in developing people in the flow of life; architecting personalized experiences that reflect who we are as individuals, the lives we lead and the work we do. Sharing Stories is a great example of our people-centric culture and how we see well-being as being a pivotal enabler of performance. Helping develop this series has been one of the highlights of my time at AlixPartners. I knew that I worked with truly talented and expert individuals but seeing the courage that it took for the participants to raise their hand, tell a personal story—in some cases for the first time at work—and do it on camera was inspiring and a privilege to be a part of.