In many workplaces, including the University of Oulu, a wide range of well-being-supporting services is available, but information about them does not always reach everyone. Well-being ambassadors help bridge this gap by highlighting existing services and sharing information about available opportunities within their own units. Since the needs of work communities vary, tailored approaches are essential.
The objectives of the well-being ambassador activity are to:
1. strengthen community spirit and an open discussion culture,
2. increase awareness of available services and practices and integrate them into daily work,
3. identify well-being-related needs within units and faculties.
Developing well-being and communicating about it have been found to be most effective at the team, unit, and faculty levels. In this work, well-being ambassadors play an important role in supporting both HR services and their own work communities. They help make well-being visible and approachable. When information flows effectively and reaches all staff, services are used more actively and overall well-being improves.
Well-being ambassadors help shape the everyday atmosphere and foster an open culture of dialogue. They encourage interaction, lower the threshold for raising concerns and ideas, and promote a positive and considerate work culture. Repetition of key themes and keeping well-being continuously visible are essential to ensure that messages and awareness reach all staff. Small actions – such as listening, encouraging, and creating shared moments – often have a surprisingly large impact. Well-being is a shared responsibility, and investing in it pays off through a better atmosphere, smoother collaboration, and greater joy at work.
Well-being ambassadors are closely connected to everyday work and have a clear view of what work communities need. They gather observations, listen to colleagues, and pass on information about challenges affecting well-being. This enables the organization to develop its practices based on real needs and to provide impactful models and services that support staff well-being. The focus is on preventive action and on developing solutions to challenges that affect the wider university community. The activity does not involve handling interpersonal conflicts or issues within specific teams.
The past year in the role of well-being ambassador has been both interesting and rewarding. Together with other ambassadors and HR services, I have had the opportunity to influence staff well-being at the university, develop new practices, tools, and services, and be among the first to test them. According to the results of a well-being pulse survey conducted in spring 2026, a positive trend across the organization is the increase in discussions about mental well-being and difficult topics. The well-being ambassador activity has contributed to building a more open culture of interaction.
In my own work community at the Kerttu Saalasti Institute, I have encouraged open discussion and regularly raised well-being-related topics, aiming to activate colleagues to make use of available services. I have also forwarded well-being-related themes and needs identified in our unit to support ongoing development work.
To strengthen community spirit, we participated in the well-being ambassadors’ team event “Together – Act of Kindness” in April 2026. In line with the university’s ethical principles, the purpose of the event was to inspire simple, everyday acts of kindness in the workplace. The day was filled with small gestures that nevertheless carry great significance in a work community.
The day began with Auntie’s webinar “Psychological Safety at Work.” Coffee rooms offered “Thank a Colleague” packages to brighten a coworker’s day, as well as “Kindness at Work” bookmarks. The texts on the bookmarks were compiled from responses to a staff survey asking, “What is a meaningful act of kindness for you at the workplace?”
Based on the survey, many small but meaningful actions emerged that we can do daily to promote respect and good manners at work:
• greet your colleague
• say thank you
• give positive feedback
• ask how someone is doing and listen
• invite others to join a break
• offer help without being asked
• keep shared spaces tidy
• bring treats to share
The day concluded with a relaxed and cheerful afternoon coffee moment with colleagues.
Well-being is a shared matter that we build every day through small actions. It grows from everyday encounters, caring, and taking a moment to ask one another, “How are you doing?” Often, these moments carry far. A kind question, genuine listening, a smile, or any small gesture can mean more than we realize. Invite a colleague to lunch or coffee or take a short walk together. Nurture and strengthen a sense of community – at the same time, you’ll also be taking an important break for your well-being.
Author and photo: Eija Korjonen, BBA, MBA Candidate, Executive Assistant, University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.