How To Have A Work Life Well Lived with Kelly Mackin

Kelly Mackin is the author of Work Life Well-Lived and co-founder and CEO of the Motives Met Platform, which empowers people to build their most significant work life and workplace with actionable tools like the Human Needs AssessmentTM and Human Connection software. Kelly's transformation from illness to well-being at work inspired her to help others achieve health and happiness through her unique skills.

As a quantitative researcher, she analyzes human behavior, including values, stress, and emotions, to improve understanding and promote positive change. She is a qualified coach in mind management, psychological safety, and cognitive behavioral therapy and is constantly learning about the science of human thought. She utilizes mindfulness-based techniques from her meditation teaching expertise to enhance modern living at work and beyond. She assisted clients with anxiety, burnout avoidance, and attitude training in her coaching practice.

Kelly aims to establish a human work environment and founded Motives Met to promote a fulfilling work life for all. Kelly cites her proudest moments as summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and seeing Mount Everest Base Camp. She enjoys sunsets, beach volleyball, and boxing sparring in sunny San Diego, California.

website: motivesmet.com
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kelly-mackin-52793110/
Instagram: kellymackin_motivesmet

Summary
Kelly Mackin introduces herself and Motives Met @ 0:00 Kelly shares her background leading Motives Met, which empowers people to create thriving work lives through tools like their human needs assessment. Her work stems from witnessing her mother's declining well-being in a toxic work environment. The importance of understanding human needs at work @ 5:00 Kelly's journey through challenging work conditions led her to focus on well-being. Michael recalls turning around an organization with 86% annual turnover by listening to employees and addressing their individual needs. Kelly's personal journey that led to focusing on well-being at work @ 6:00 Kelly details how witnessing her mother's suffering and her own experiences with an unwell work culture motivated her research into cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation and well-being. She moved to improve conditions for all workers. Identifying the 28 human needs and developing the human needs assessment @ 10:20 Extensive research revealed 28 psychological, emotional and social needs at work, not just the 5 prior claims indicated. Motives Met developed an algorithm and assessment to uncover individual and team needs to build well-being plans. Applying the human needs framework to create healthy organizations @ 13:47 Michael dramatically improved a healthcare organization by understanding employees' unique needs and empowering their leadership. Kelly agrees understanding needs is key but leaders need practical tools, like their assessment, to effectively support all workers. Leaders must understand individual needs to effectively delegate and develop others @ 22:01 By comprehending motivations, leaders can delegate responsibilities and develop others' leadership. This shares the workload while cultivating an entity focused on collective success. Understanding different needs is essential for an inclusive environment. Well-being at work is co-created when all show up for one another @ 25:20 Well-being depends on individuals and colleagues supporting each other's needs. Leaders set the standard but all must contribute. The human needs framework fosters compassion and accountability across diverse needs within dynamic workplaces.
Michael and Kelly had a casual discussion before the official start of their interview. Kelly shared about her book, "Work, Life Well Lived," and her role as CEO and co-founder of Motives Met, a company that focuses on human needs assessment. Michael expressed his anticipation for the conversation and shared his admiration for people making a positive difference in others' lives. The interview was about to begin with Michael introducing Kelly to the audience.
Empowering People With Wellbeing Tools
Kelly shared her personal journey that led her to develop a mission of empowering people to create their ideal work-life with wellbeing tools, such as the human needs assessment. She discussed her mother's struggles with a toxic work environment, which inspired her to focus on wellbeing in her personal and professional life. Michael acknowledged the importance of her work and shared his insights on understanding individual human needs in the workplace. Kelly highlighted the discrepancy between the emphasis on wellbeing by CEOs and the actual state of it in workplaces, identifying the problem as a lack of clarity on the goal of wellbeing. She also introduced their Human Needs Assessment tool, designed to help individuals identify their top motives and create wellbeing action plans.
Turning Around a Healthcare Organization With Listening and Trust
Michael discussed his experience of turning around a healthcare organization that was experiencing high turnover rates. He emphasized that he listened to the staff and asked about their needs, which helped build trust and improve the working environment. His approach resulted in a significant reduction in turnover from 86% to 6% annually. Michael also noted that he didn't offer financial incentives but instead focused on creating a better work environment. He concluded that his efforts allowed the organization to not only retain employees but also to expand and attract new talent.
Improving Organizational Culture for Enhanced Productivity
Michael emphasized the importance of a healthy organizational culture and how it impacts productiveness, growth, and expansion. He suggested that even a 20% improvement in workplace health could significantly enhance new products and services. Kelly agreed with Michael's points, adding that leaders need to understand the human needs of their teams and that employees often lack opportunities to have meaningful conversations with their leaders. She suggested that leaders should use assessments to better understand their teams and encourage open, human discussions.
Improving Employee Retention and Job Satisfaction
Kelly and Michael discussed the importance of addressing the needs of employees to improve retention and job satisfaction. They emphasized the need for providing leaders with effective and meaningful tools to support this, such as insights from research that can be put into action. They also highlighted the value of delegation and empowering team members to take ownership of tasks, potentially improving on leaders' original approaches. Lastly, they acknowledged the challenges posed by remote work, particularly at the onset of the pandemic, and the need to adapt to make it work effectively.
Promoting Employee Wellbeing in the Workplace
Michael and Kelly discussed the importance of promoting employee wellbeing in the workplace. Michael emphasized the value of Kelly's work, highlighting its potential to reduce strain on departments and improve the overall work experience. Kelly agreed, stressing the significance of shared responsibility in creating a healthy work environment, one where individuals, peers, and leaders support each other and prioritize their own needs. Both agreed that this approach can shift the mindset within an organization, leading to better collaboration, understanding, and accountability.
Quick recap
Michael and Kelly discussed the importance of addressing human needs in the workplace and the role of Kelly's company, Motives Met, in promoting employee wellbeing. They explored the challenges of creating a healthy organizational culture and the potential benefits of doing so. The conversation concluded with an agreement on the need for effective tools to support employee wellbeing and the importance of promoting Kelly's work to a wider audience.