Rugby legend Sir John Kirwan: Businesses can change the world around wellbeing
That’s why the New Zealand All Blacks legend has founded a wellbeing startup called Groov.
Expert Insight
We are living in a mental health crisis, and it isn't getting any better.
This is a big issue that businesses need to solve for their people, that's the view of former New Zealand rugby player Sir John Kirwan.
Find out more about his new startup Groov, and its new client: the All Blacks.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a mental health crisis. Stress skyrocketed, and burnout reached new record highs, according to research from Gartner.
Speaking at a recent event in London, All Blacks rugby legend Sir John Kirwan (also known as JK) shared: “Mental health around the world is heading in the wrong direction”.
This is not just a problem for individuals, but also for businesses.
It is impossible for workers to perform at their best if their wellbeing is struggling, and they can’t look after themselves – but, unfortunately, that inbox will never be empty, so individuals need additional support from their employer to manage their stress and workload.
For Kirwan, the key to success is not letting mental health get to a crisis level – something he has personal experience of – and instead ensure “people are looking after themselves from a preventative point of view”.
He calls for everyone to ‘do one thing today’ for their mental health. Kirwan shared the example of having a shower, but it is personal, they are different for everybody.
To this end, Kirwan decided to create a preventative mental wellness platform called Groov.
“Mental wellness is unique to each individual so Groov tailors experiences to each individual”; it “integrates to their natural flow of work through common tools employees use every day”, Groov’s CEO Matt Krogstad tells UNLEASH.
Of course, the theory that employees can take time out of their day to care about their mental health is great; but does it work in reality?
For Kirwan, the key is leaders role modeling good behavior here, and Groov is very hot on encouraging this.
“For leaders, they get proactive nudges on when – and how – to help the people in their teams if they aren’t feeling good”, adds Krogstad.
“And this is powered by Groov’s real time data insights – the platform becomes an ‘always on’ sensor in your organization to measure team mood, engagement, and resilience, without waiting for the next [employee engagement] survey”.
Groov teams up with the All Blacks
Kirwan is very clear that “businesses are going to change the world [around wellbeing] by looking after their people”, and “we believe that if we can get business to actually…say, this is important”, and realize the link between good wellbeing and performance, that’ll help solve the mental health crisis.
Therefore, Groov is partnering with lots of companies in New Zealand and beyond. It is on a mission to reach 100 million people worldwide through their employer.
The newest partnership is very personal to Kirwan, New Zealand Rugby, the corporate entity behind the All Blacks.
Kirwan shared at the event that the All Blacks have been doing a great job around mental health for a long time – but Groov will help take this to another level.
Mark Robinson, CEO of New Zealand Rugby, “we pride ourselves on making sure our people are right at the center of everything we do”, but “we wanted to provide them with the right tools and environment to be able to succeed and be their best at all times”.
As Nelson Mandela said, “sport has the power to change the world”, so if sportspeople, and rugby players, talk about their mental health, then it really drives change, according to Kirwan.
Kirwan concluded: “I am incredibly proud of the All Blacks as men, but also as a brand; they are giving the world permission to talk it and say it’s OK” to have work-life balance.
From left to right: Sir John Kirwan, Sam Whitelock, Anton Lienert-Brown, and Beauden Barrett, MC and former England rugby player Danielle Waterman.
He then invited three All Blacks onto the stage – Sam Whitelock, Beauden Barrett and Anton Lienert-Brown. And they shared their ‘do one thing today’, and how it has transformed their mental health.
For Barrett, golfing is how he switches off from rugby. Lienert-Brown also golfs, and also meditates.
Whitelock joked that he is not a golfer. But he is trying to lead by example for the younger players by openly talking about mental health; “when you’re in a good spot mentally, normally you’re in a good spot physically”.
