For the last eight years, I was known as a Workplace Wellbeing Consultant.
About a year ago, I stopped using that language and rebranded Ridgeflow Performance as a Performance, Leadership and Culture consultancy. Not because the outcomes I care about suddenly changed — but because the language I was using was limiting the conversations I could have, and the impact I could make.
Workplace wellbeing is one small part of a much bigger puzzle, yet it’s often used to describe almost everything.
Culture.
Engagement.
Leadership.
Performance.
Retention.
Energy.
“Wellbeing” gets stretched to cover all of it — and in doing so, I feel it has lost both clarity and influence.
The work didn’t really change — the framing did
Looking back, I don’t think I ever really did just workplace wellbeing work.
Even when I was brought in to help with:
- Stress
- Resilience
- Burnout
- Supporting team wellbeing
Once I spoke to leaders, understood the context, and looked at how the work actually functioned day to day, the work quickly moved elsewhere.
It became leadership work.
It became performance work.
It became culture work.
The real questions were always:
- What are we actually trying to achieve?
- What does good look like for this team?
- What kind of energy and standards do we want?
- How do we help people rock up ready to perform?
- Where does support end — and responsibility begin?
- How to we manage change effectively?
Those conversations rarely land well when framed as “wellbeing”. Now they land far better when framed as performance and leadership.
Why “Wellbeing” often loses power internally
Another semi-uncomfortable thing I have seen increasingly over the years: workplace wellbeing is often treated as a side issue.
It’s frequently owned by someone very junior.
It sits on smaller budgets.
It’s discussed on the edges of the organisation.
And crucially — it’s rarely what’s keeping senior leaders awake at night.
What does keep them awake is:
- Performance
- Culture
- Retention
- Energy
- Leadership capability
- Whether teams are actually delivering
When you talk about performance, leadership and culture, you’re suddenly in very different conversations:
- With more senior people
- With bigger budgets
- With genuine attention and urgency
Because this stuff matters.
Why performance framing changes the work itself
This shift in language also changes how the work is done.
In a “wellbeing session”, there’s often an unspoken hesitancy:
- Are we allowed to challenge people?
- Can we talk honestly about responsibility?
- Can we say that growth sometimes feels uncomfortable and requires discipline?
In a performance-focused conversation, those things are not only allowed — they’re expected.
You can say:
- If you want to perform in difficult conditions, you have to put the work in
- Support exists, but it isn’t a substitute for ownership
- Managing your energy, mindset, and behaviour is part of the job
You can’t really say that in a wellbeing workshop, right? You can say it in a performance one.
And that’s where I’ve personally seen the needle move most over the last year.
What I’ve seen change (fast)
Since reframing this work as performance, leadership and culture:
- Conversations go further, faster
- Senior leaders engage more deeply
- Budgets unlock more easily
- And the work actually sticks
Internally, I’ve also seen people who previously sat in “wellbeing” roles gain far more traction by reframing their work in the same way.
Same intent.
Same care for people.
Much more influence.
Why I’ve moved on from the term (not the outcome)
So when I say I don’t really use the term workplace wellbeing anymore, I’m not saying the goal has changed through the work I do at Ridgeflow Performance.
I still want people to:
- Feel good at work
- Feel supported
- Feel fulfilled
- Perform well without burning out
What I’ve moved away from is the idea that wellbeing should be the headline.
In my experience, when organisations focus on performance, leadership and culture — when expectations are clear, support is available, and people are treated like capable adults — wellbeing often follows anyway.
Not because it’s forced. But because the environment enables it.
So if you’re working internally in wellbeing and finding your efforts are often futile, here’s my genuine invitation:
Consider changing the language.
Start talking about:
- Performance
- Culture
- Leadership
- Energy
- Helping people win together
You might find — as I did — that the same work suddenly goes a lot further, a lot faster.
About the author:
Khalil Rener is the founder of Ridgeflow Performance and a top-tier leadership consultant, performance coach, and wellbeing expert. With a BSc and MSc in Sport and Exercise Science from Loughborough University, his work focuses on applying the principles of elite sport to help people and teams thrive at work. Khalil has supported organisations including DP World, Novartis, the NHS, JT Global, NatWest, Sport England, and many more—from global companies to schools, councils, and frontline teams. His breadth of experience spans industries, team sizes, and career stages, from senior leaders to students and early-career professionals.
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