Glencore

The Australian mining industry is undergoing a significant period of transformation, with evolving energy demands, technological advancements, and increasing focus on mental health and well-being in the workplace. The General Manager of Health, Safety, Environment, and Community Relations recognised that to navigate this period of change effectively, her team needed to address the growing pressures on both performance and mental health. The challenge was to improve psychological safety, social connection, and resilience within a team working in one of the most high-pressure environments, while also boosting productivity and innovation.

“Our team was facing immense pressure from changing working conditions, and we needed new ways of thinking to improve mental well-being and performance.”

To tackle these challenges, the General Manager led the implementation of a Six-Month Brain Rewiring Program. This initiative focused on leveraging neuroscience-backed techniques to improve mental health, well-being, and stakeholder engagement. The goal was to enable the team to think strategically, communicate better, and create new habits that aligned with the company’s evolving vision.

The program consisted of:

• Workshops and Training Sessions: Focused on brain-based behaviours to increase psychological safety, social connectedness, and strategic thinking.
• Coaching Sessions: Tailored coaching helped the team embed new neural pathways and develop resilience through neuroplasticity.
• Emotional Regulation Techniques: Helping individuals better manage their emotions to improve communication, motivation, and collaboration.

The Six-Month Brain Rewiring Program provided the team with tools to enhance mental resilience and create high-performance habits. Key components of the solution included:

• Neuroplasticity Techniques: Through workshops and coaching, the team learned how to build new brain pathways to enable fresh thinking and problem-solving.
• Holistic Approach to Well-being: The program helped individuals regulate stress, increase social connection, and foster creativity by focusing on the brain’s role in overall health.
• Strategic Alignment with Company Vision: By embedding new thinking and mental habits, the team aligned more closely with the company’s evolving goals and improved their capacity to handle challenges in a fast-paced environment.

The impact of the program was transformative. By understanding how their brains worked, team members became better equipped to manage stress, communicate more effectively, and support each other through periods of change. The focus on mental well-being led to increased productivity, deeper social connections, and a stronger sense of psychological safety within the team.

“We saw a significant shift in how our team connected, communicated, and handled challenges. The focus on well-being and brain health helped us not only survive the changes but thrive.”

By incorporating neuroscience into daily practices, the team created long-lasting, high-performance habits. They became more resilient, adaptable, and collaborative, contributing to a more positive and productive work environment.