<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/69089ac01e0ce309cf3fc044_651d7ee065d2457ae63d7bfa_615ec2cce4ec5235e5e5ea9e_Wellbeing%252520with%252520Forty1.png" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Event · Expression</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Forty1: Wellbeing ThinkTank</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>21 October 2021</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>1 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-event-meta gn-reveal"><div class="gn-event-meta__block"> <span class="gn-event-meta__label">When</span> <span class="gn-event-meta__value gn-date">Thu, 21 Oct 2021 · 14:30</span> </div><div class="gn-event-meta__block"> <span class="gn-event-meta__label">Where</span> <span class="gn-event-meta__value">Online</span> </div><div class="gn-event-meta__block"> <span class="gn-event-meta__label">Status</span> <span class="gn-event-status gn-event-status--recording">Past · Recording</span> </div></div> <div class="gn-body"> <p>Wellbeing has become one of the most talked-about topics in agency life, yet many agencies still struggle to move beyond surface-level perks and into programmes that create genuine, lasting change. A ThinkTank session hosted by The GO Network in partnership with Forty1 brought agency leaders together in a confidential virtual focus group to do exactly that: appraise the current landscape honestly, surface the real challenges, and start shaping solutions that go beyond the ping-pong table.</p> <p>What emerged was a clearer picture of where agencies are succeeding, where they are falling short, and what a credible approach to wellbeing actually looks like in practice. The insights below reflect the core themes from that session and offer a practical framework any agency can apply to its own wellbeing planning.</p> <h2>The Gap Between Intention and Impact</h2> <p>Most agencies acknowledge that employee wellbeing matters. Fewer can point to evidence that their wellbeing initiatives are actually working. This gap between intention and impact is one of the defining challenges in agency wellbeing right now.</p> <p>Part of the problem is measurement. Agencies often invest in wellbeing programmes without defining upfront what success looks like. Without clear metrics, it becomes impossible to know whether a new initiative is shifting the needle or simply generating goodwill in the short term. The result is that wellbeing budgets get renewed on sentiment rather than substance, and genuine problems go unresolved.</p> <p>A second challenge is authenticity. Employees are quick to sense when wellbeing efforts are performative rather than structural. A subsidised gym membership does not address a culture of chronic overwork. A mental health awareness week does not compensate for a management style that normalises burnout. Agencies that want to build trust around wellbeing need to address the structural conditions that affect people's working lives, not just layer benefits on top of a broken baseline.</p> <h2>What Agencies Are Actually Facing</h2> <p>The focus group format created space for honest peer conversation, and the challenges that surfaced were consistent across organisations of different sizes and disciplines. Common themes included:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Pressure to always be available.</strong> The blurring of work and personal time, accelerated by remote and hybrid working, has made it harder for agency staff to properly switch off. Leadership teams are grappling with how to model healthy boundaries without losing responsiveness to clients.</li> <li><strong>Line manager capability.</strong> Many agencies have invested in policies and benefits, but the experience of individual employees often comes down to the quality of their direct manager. Where line managers lack the confidence or training to have sensitive conversations, wellbeing support does not reach the people who need it most.</li> <li><strong>Reluctance to talk openly.</strong> In competitive, high-performance agency cultures, there is still stigma around admitting to stress, anxiety, or burnout. Psychological safety cannot be mandated, but it can be cultivated deliberately through leadership behaviour, anonymised feedback channels, and visible examples of senior people speaking honestly about their own experiences.</li> <li><strong>Resource constraints.</strong> Smaller agencies in particular face the challenge of wanting to invest in wellbeing without having a dedicated HR function or a large budget. Practical, low-cost interventions matter as much as comprehensive programmes for this audience.</li> </ul> <h2>Shaping Solutions That Drive Authentic Change</h2> <p>The most useful outcome of a session like this is not a list of problems but a clearer sense of where to focus. Based on the themes raised, several practical approaches stand out for agencies looking to make progress.</p> <h3>Start with a honest audit</h3> <p>Before adding new initiatives, take stock of what is already in place and whether it is being used. Low uptake on existing benefits is often a signal that they are not addressing the right problems, that people do not know about them, or that there is a cultural barrier to accessing support. An anonymous survey or a structured focus group within your own agency can surface this quickly.</p> <h3>Define your measures of success before you launch anything</h3> <p>Decide in advance what you are trying to change. That might be employee retention rates, sickness absence, scores on internal engagement surveys, or qualitative feedback in exit interviews. Having baseline data and a defined target gives wellbeing investment the same rigour you would apply to a new business campaign.</p> <h3>Invest in line manager training</h3> <p>Equipping managers to recognise signs of stress, hold supportive one-to-one conversations, and signpost people to available resources is one of the highest-leverage investments an agency can make. This does not require an expensive external programme. Peer learning, shared case studies from other agencies, and simple conversation frameworks can make a meaningful difference.</p> <h3>Make leadership behaviour visible</h3> <p>Wellbeing culture is set from the top. If senior leaders talk openly about protecting their own boundaries, taking annual leave in full, and prioritising their mental health, it shifts the cultural permission for everyone else to do the same. Formal policy matters less than the informal signals people receive every day about what is actually valued.</p> <h2>A Practical Next Step</h2> <p>If your agency does not yet have a clear answer to the question "how do we know our wellbeing approach is working?", that is the place to start. Commission an internal audit, run an anonymous focus group with your own team, or benchmark your current provision against what peer agencies are doing.</p> <p>The GO Network continues to facilitate peer conversations like the Forty1 ThinkTank to help agency leaders learn from one another in a confidential, commercially neutral setting. If you want to explore what genuine wellbeing progress looks like for an agency at your stage, connecting with peers who are working through the same challenges is one of the most direct routes to practical answers.</p> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/how-integrated-ai-can-accelerate-your-brands-growth" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">How Integrated AI Can Accelerate Your Brand&#39;s Growth</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Access this on-demand session covering AI tools, real-world case studies, and the key metrics agencies need to drive ROI and scale faster.</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/design-that-delivers-leveraging-your-product-and-packaging-for-your-marketing-strategy" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Design that Delivers - Reinforcing your brand through Creative Packaging</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Over 70% of buyers are swayed by packaging. 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