FRESH FEED

As I drove away from Brighton this year, a car full of yoga mats, and my legs exhausted from the walking my mind was whirring and full of conversations and snippets of information I’d heard. All permiating a little piece of something that would no doubt pop out later in the year as a eureka moment for Fresh Seed. The atmosphere was accepting. The heat may have helped - we all sweltered and melted in the tropical temperatures - but something has shifted. We are all making the best of what remains and looking to build community and connection in new ways. Networks buzzed, the side events seemed busier than ever, the conversations all talked to what now, what next? And it was, as always brilliant. This year we launched our first fully programmed Wellbeing Hub in the Quiet Room. This was a huge step towards welfare for the industry. Our mission to provide a space for the wellbeing and welfare of those who work in the industry and attend events. So it was a delight to see it being so well received and supported. As the people flowed through the hub, making the most of the soundbaths, lego play, meditation or yin yoga there was a sense that somehow people could air what they were feeling in safely facilitated way. This hub and its energy are growing and over the next year we will be extending its services to offer onsite welfare for everyone, as well as running retreats and starting a walking community. This for us is key to people feeling safe, supported and that their welfare matters. That way studios can get on with the business of making games whilst we take care of the people. Develop is a spectacle of talent, a showcase of the best of the industry. Everywhere you go there’s side events, awards and the exhibition all celebrating our brilliance. But beneath that veneer there’s a sadness. The people who have left, the talent that wasnt retained, the people who were brutally discarded from the industry and those still feeling the impact of the loses who managed to stay on but are now repairing from years of change and challenge. If we are to recover we must remember that the people who make the games matter, their voices should be heard and their welfare should matter. We can’t continue to ride the waves of changes year on year, which is lets face it predictable, and not consider the human cost People talk of future worries but without their collective voice being heard we will continue to neglect them in persuit of the next briliant game and highest profit margin. If we can achieve one thing it is to put people at the heart of the industry by providing them with a space to be heard, supported and their welfare be looked after. I always leave Develop feeling like I know only a few people, yet last week and the post event tiredness would certainly tell me differently. There’s so much energy and positivity, always a buzz and always optimism. Was this year different, no? But did this year have something new to show? Yes. Acceptance has become knowledge. AI has become a weapon. Union memberships are growing and people are sharing stories. There is talk and the end of an era has been marked in the sand. Recognising the change is how we accept and move on to the next era of games.

When we talk about men's well-being, the conversation often feels predictable. We hear that men don't ask for help, don't talk about their feelings and are more likely to suffer in silence. Whilst there's truth in those messages, repeating them year after year risks oversimplifying a much more complex issue.

Our lives these days revolve around being "on" all the time. Responding to emails late at night, checking our phones constantly for messages and waking in the early hours as our brains suddenly ping back into life. And that's in everyday life, before we even add conferences, networking events and the constant pressure to deliver.

Most organisations can point to the work they've done around DE&I. There are awareness days in the calendar, training sessions, employee resource groups (ERGs), inclusion statements on careers pages and sometimes some form of strategy sitting behind it all. Yet we’re seeing that Managers are still finding inclusion and belonging conversations increasingly difficult to navigate. So why do some employees still feel disconnected from the company despite all of the activity taking place? The answer may be that inclusion and belonging aren't quite the same thing. Many organisations are struggling here because they’re focusing on activity without always understanding how that activity translates into the everyday experience of their people. The feeling of belonging isn't something you can launch, announce or add to a policy. People experience this through the decisions leaders make, the conversations managers have and the culture that's created day after day. The difference between inclusion and belonging DE&I conversations often focus on representation, policies and initiatives which are all important things, but belonging is different. Belonging is the feeling that: You can contribute without masking who you are. Your perspective is genuinely valued. You’re treated fairly. You feel respected, even when people disagree with you. You know what's expected of you and believe you have a fair opportunity to succeed. In creative businesses, belonging can show up in different ways - does your quiet designer feel comfortable challenging an idea in a brainstorming session, or do they tend to go along with things just because?; does a producer returning from maternity leave still see a future for themselves in leadership?; does a neurodivergent developer feel able to ask for support without worrying they may be labelled as being ‘difficult’?; do your team feel safe to speak up when they’re struggling with burnout? The belonging gap One of the biggest challenges leaders are navigating right now and something that we discussed as part of our most recent HR Clinic on “Modern Inclusion Challenges: What Leaders & HR Need to Navigate in 2026”, is balancing increasingly diverse individual needs with fairness across the wider team. Whether it's neurodiversity, menopause support, flexibility requests, religious beliefs, gender identity, caring responsibilities or workplace adjustments, organisations are being asked to accommodate a broader range of experiences than ever before. The challenge isn't whether support should exist but how to provide that support while maintaining fairness, accountability and consistency for everyone else. One of the biggest misconceptions about belonging is that it means making everyone happy - it doesn't. Sometimes belonging looks like having difficult conversations, sometimes it means saying no to a request because it would create an unsustainable impact on the wider team, and sometimes it means helping colleagues navigate disagreement respectfully rather than trying to eliminate disagreement altogether. Belonging isn't the absence of challenge but creating an environment where people feel respected while navigating it. Stop measuring activity and start measuring experience A common trap we see organisations fall into is measuring inclusion by what they've done rather than what has changed. For example, “we ran four awareness campaigns last year”, “we launched a brand new neuroinclusion policy”, “we celebrated Pride month”, “we completed our annual employee engagement survey” Great, but what happened next? How did these initiatives make an impact? How were they measured? How were they meaningful to the company and importantly to its employees? The question you should be asking isn't whether employees are engaged with DE&I, but whether employees can see how DE&I is making a meaningful difference to their working lives. When organisations talk about inclusion fatigue, it's worth considering whether people are actually tired of inclusion itself, or whether they're tired of inclusion that feels disconnected from their day to day experience. Most employees aren't questioning the importance of fairness, accessibility or creating workplaces where people can thrive. What they're often questioning is whether another awareness campaign, policy launch or themed event is addressing the challenges they face at work. People are far more likely to experience a sense of belonging when inclusion feels practical and relevant. That might mean having a manager who is confident discussing reasonable adjustments, clearer progression opportunities, more flexibility where it's needed, or simply feeling able to speak up without worrying about how they'll be perceived. Activities need to have a purpose and a desired outcome and more importantly, employees need to understand how those activities connect to their experience at work. Belonging isn't created because an organisation is seen to be doing something - it's created when people genuinely feel supported, valued and able to contribute. We've worked with organisations that can tell us exactly how many awareness events they ran last year but can't answer: Who's leaving the business and why? Which managers are struggling with difficult conversations? Do people feel safe challenging decisions? Do employees actually understand what support is available to them? Are promotion opportunities genuinely accessible? Are people from different backgrounds progressing? Do employees feel respected, even when views differ? Belonging isn't measured by the number of initiatives you run but whether people want to stay, contribute and grow. The real inclusion challenge? Managers. This might be controversial, but many organisations don't actually have an inclusion problem, they have a manager capability problem. Most inclusion challenges show up through everyday management conversations around giving feedback, managing performance, discussing reasonable adjustments, navigating conflict, supporting wellbeing and balancing flexibility with business needs. Managers need to have the skills and confidence to say “I want to understand your perspective and support you” whilst also being very clear about what’s expected. So really they’re the foundation of belonging because people are far more likely to trust managers and leaders who are emotionally intelligent, compassionate and clear. Creating workplaces where people belong So, think outside of bringing in new initiatives and instead focus on the following: What barriers are currently being experienced in the company and how can these be realistically removed. Fully train and equip managers to navigate complexity amongst their team. Not just with a generic 20 minute online training session because you have a tight budget, but investing in your management team to support them with their day to day. Create space for everyone to feel as though they’re able to speak up and contribute as well as creating space for respectful disagreement. Balance empathy with accountability. Focus on fairness rather than sameness. Make decisions transparently. Treat inclusion as part of everyday leadership, not a standalone programme. Remember that belonging is built through people’s experience of meetings, feedback conversations, promotion decisions, how managers respond when support is needed, whether people feel heard, respected and able to contribute. People don't remember policies, they remember how they were treated and that's what belonging is really built on. If you'd like support developing manager confidence around inclusion, wellbeing and belonging, Fresh Seed offers a range of training for managers and leaders in this space. Reach out to us at info@freshseed.co.uk for a chat or to find out more.

During a training session on Handling Difficult Conversations recently, a question was raised: "We all respond differently to conflict. Why is that?" There are many reasons we respond differently. Some relate to our life experiences and how they shape the way we interact with the world around us, particularly when conflict arises . Some of it, however, goes deeper. It is less about psychology and more about physiology. Whether it is the menopause, neurodiversity or another factor, there are times when we cannot control our responses to conflict or our environment in the same way others do. This is where strengths profiles can be incredibly useful and insightful. When we understand our "why" and our "what", that information becomes as valuable as code in a game. It forms the backbone of our self-awareness and helps us understand how we interact with the world around us, particularly our colleagues. One of the richest areas of information within a strengths profile is the insight into what energises and motivates us: our realised strengths . These insights help us and others understand what we do best, while also highlighting the areas where we are still developing. This is not about arbitrary personality profiling with typing that puts us in boxes. It is evidence based, grounded in positive psychology and focused on understanding ourselves through the lens of our strengths. These are the strengths we use every day, the ones that bring us to life in our working lives. They help us understand what motivates us, what gives us energy and what enables us to perform at our best. Getting the best from our teams seems like a natural thing to focus on, but in the busyness of everyday work we do not always stop to consider how. It is easy to assume that technical skills alone are enough to make someone successful in their role. But we are not machines, and we are not all the same. Our skills are only one part of who we are. The way we think, communicate, respond to challenges and interact with others is unique. Each of us comes with our own set of instructions, strengths and preferences. Understanding our strengths and development areas helps us navigate the complex web of interactions that make up working life, whether that is communication, workplace expectations, collaboration or line management. When we view these elements through then lens of our strengths, we gain a better understanding of what motivates people, what helps them thrive and where they may need additional support. This insight creates a shared language that enables individuals, line managers and leaders to better understand one another. It p rovides a roadmap for how people can work at their best, maximise their potential and continue to grow. For more information about our strengths profiles, get in touch with us at info@freshseed.co.uk .

Workplace wellbeing has become a bigger conversation in recent years and rightly so. Organisations are more aware than ever of the impact stress, burnout, poor mental health and disconnection can have on people and performance. However, despite the increase in wellbeing initiatives, many employees still don’t feel well supported. Let’s be honest a wellbeing strategy isn’t simply about offering benefits, awareness days or wellbeing perks. Whilst those things may have value, they don’t automatically create environments where people feel psychologically safe, supported or able to function sustainably and this is where many organisations find themselves stuck. The intention is there, the investment is there, but the lived experience of work often tells a different story as highlighted in the Mental Health UK annual Report 2026. https://mhukcdn.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/15144951/Mental-Health-UK_The-Burnout-Report-2026-final.pdf Why Wellbeing Strategies Often Fall Short Many wellbeing strategies focus on visible interventions mental health apps, wellness sessions, resilience workshops, EAPs, awareness campaigns. Wellbeing is shaped just as much by the everyday experience of work itself, how pressure is managed, how people are spoken to, how mistakes are handled, whether boundaries are respected and whether support feels safe to access without judgement or consequence. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, wellbeing strategies can unintentionally become reactive rather than preventative. Support is offered once people are already overwhelmed, disengaged or struggling. Increasingly people can tell the difference between wellbeing that is embedded into culture and wellbeing that sits separately from it. A sustainable strategy has to go deeper than surface level interventions. Psychological Safety Is Part of the Foundation One of the biggest indicators of workplace wellbeing is psychological safety, not in the overused, diluted sense of the phrase, but in its actual meaning. Psychological safety is the felt sense that people can contribute, ask questions, admit mistakes or express concerns without fear of humiliation, punishment or exclusion. It allows people to engage honestly rather than defensively. Research from Harvard Business Review highlights psychological safety as one of the strongest predictors of team effectiveness, learning and performance: https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/four-steps-to-build-the-psychological-safety-that-high-performing-teams-need-today This matters because when people don’t feel safe, performance changes. People become quieter, more guarded, less likely to challenge ideas, ask for help or admit when they are struggling. Teams can begin operating from protection rather than collaboration, which often gets labelled as disengagement, resistance or poor communication. Often, what sits underneath is something more complex, a nervous system responding to stress, uncertainty or a perceived lack of safety. The Nervous System Is Always at Work One of the missing pieces in many wellbeing conversations is nervous system awareness. We often speak about wellbeing as though people operate purely from logic and conscious choice, but human behaviour is heavily influenced by whether the nervous system perceives safety or threat. When people feel psychologically unsafe, whether through chronic stress, inconsistent leadership, conflict, unrealistic demands or fear of judgement the body responds accordingly. This can show up in different ways, including withdrawal, silence, irritability, defensiveness, overworking, perfectionism, difficulty concentrating or increased emotional reactivity. These responses are not always simply attitude or performance issues. Often, they are forms of protection shaped by stress, pressure and past experiences. In some cases, previous environments, unresolved experiences or trauma can also influence how safe someone feels and how their nervous system responds in moments of challenge, uncertainty or perceived threat. Research into Polyvagal Theory and nervous system regulation continues to demonstrate the connection between stress, safety and social engagement https://www.rccs.org.uk/post/the-polyvagal-theory-understanding-the-science-of-safety-and-connection From a trauma-informed perspective, the body adapts to environments over time, people develop ways of coping, managing or staying safe based on previous experiences and current pressures. This doesn’t mean workplaces should become therapeutic spaces, nor does every reaction stem from trauma, but understanding that people’s responses are often shaped by nervous system states, not just mindset, creates a more informed and compassionate approach to wellbeing. Why Strategy Matters More Than One-Off Support A wellbeing strategy matters because wellbeing cannot rely solely on individual effort, people cannot meditate their way out of unsustainable workloads. They cannot self-care their way through environments where communication lacks clarity, boundaries are poor, or stress is constant. This is why organisations need a strategy rather than isolated initiatives. A strong wellbeing strategy creates consistency; it helps organisations move from reactive support to proactive culture building. It embeds wellbeing into leadership, communication, workload management and team dynamics. Importantly, it also creates clarity around responsibility, managers are not therapists, nor are our colleagues mental health professionals, however, everyone plays a role in contributing to environments that feel safer, healthier and more human. That role might include recognising when someone may be struggling, knowing how to approach supportive conversations with confidence and care, encouraging access to appropriate support, understanding the boundaries and limitations of their role and contributing to a culture where people feel able to speak honestly without fear of judgement. These are all practical, learnable skills and are becoming increasingly important ones. Research from Mind also continues to highlight the importance of workplace culture, management capability, and early intervention in supporting employee mental health https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/my-mental-health-at-work/ The Cost of Ignoring It Without a meaningful wellbeing strategy, organisations often begin to see the impact in other areas, including increased absence and burnout, higher turnover, reduced engagement, communication breakdowns, presenteeism, emotional exhaustion and growing pressure on managers and teams. Beyond the business impact, there is also a very HUMAN one! People spend a significant part of their lives at work and the environments they spend time in shape nervous system health, stress levels, confidence, connection and overall wellbeing, far more than many organisations realise. In a time where people are already carrying increasing levels of stress and uncertainty, workplace culture matters more than ever. Recent research from Gallup found that employees who feel supported in their wellbeing are significantly more engaged and less likely to experience burnout. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx  Building Something More Sustainable A sustainable wellbeing strategy isn’t about perfection, nor is it about removing all stress or discomfort from work. It’s about creating conditions where people can function well enough to think clearly, communicate openly, recover appropriately and ask for support when needed. That starts with awareness, but it also requires action. It requires organisations to look beyond performative wellbeing and ask deeper questions: What does it actually feel like to work here? Do people feel safe enough to speak honestly? Are managers equipped to support conversations confidently and appropriately? Is wellbeing embedded into culture or added as an afterthought? Wellbeing is not built through perks alone, it’s built through consistency, trust, communication, leadership, boundaries and environments that support people as humans, not just productivity. That’s not just good for people, it’s essential for sustainable organisations too. If you’d like to explore some of these ideas further, including trauma-informed approaches to workplace wellbeing and how to build more regulated, responsive environments, you can find more here www.silvanagreenfield.com

The theme for Mental Health Week 2026 is ‘Taking Action.’ This topic may feel daunting, as there are innumerable barriers to us being able to actively support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. That’s why this week we’re focussing on easy, free things you can do now to take action for mental health. 1. Mind your language: it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. As simple as it sounds, communication is a vital step toward supporting mental health in work. Building mental health conversations into your day-to-day can help to reduce stigma and foster an environment in which everyone feels able to speak up when they need support. Perhaps you might build in time to ask people how they are more often. This is especially important in remote or hybrid environments as online meetings often miss out on valuable team-building chat that would happen naturally in an office environment. You may also want to remind people of available resources in your regular team meetings or update emails - for example, reminding people of an Employee Assistance Programme, or sharing Safe In Our World’s Helplines . 2. Do what you say you’ll do: be someone your team can trust. There are several studies that suggest one of the biggest barriers to trust in workplaces is ‘corporate hypocrisy’, or the perception that leaders in an organisation may say one thing, but do another. This loss of trust can have a massive impact on team wellbeing, so consider what you’re saying or promising to your team, and how you can follow through on that. Of course, there will always be times when plans change, projects fall through, or longer periods of uncertainty where it’s difficult to communicate openly with your team. In these instances, you can still avoid perceived hypocrisy by maintaining open lines of communication: even if the update is that there’s no update , saying that alone can be enough to dissuade anxiety caused by uncertainty. Learn more about communication in our recent blog post! 3. Start small: don’t underestimate the value of informal support. Supporting your team’s mental health can feel like a mammoth task, with so many different threads to pull at. Barriers like time and budget are extremely common in all sizes of organisation, and they can prevent companies from getting mental health support started in the first place. Health insurance or an Employee Assistance Programme might be too costly, or you might not have time to write up a comprehensive mental health policy and list of resources. But you don’t have to start with these big, formal building blocks. Many small to medium organisations in the creative sectors excel at offering ‘informal’ support - things like open communication, compassionate leadership, and flexibility can have just as positive an impact on your team’s wellbeing. There are all sorts of places you can access free support, too. Safe In Our World’s Level Up Mental Health initiative is available to any company in the global games industry, and offers a wealth of free resources, training, and support that you can access at any time. This Mental Health Week, think about the small (or big!) ways you can take action to support the mental health of your teams. Think about how you can continue these actions past this one awareness week, and build them into everyday practice. Learn more at safeinourworld.org or by emailing hello@safeinourworld.com .

The world feels LOUD right now. Between escalating global conflict, political instability, economic anxiety and the constant stream of online commentary around it all, people are carrying a lot mentally before they even log into work each morning. 

You might be checking in regularly, running stand-ups, or sharing updates across the business. But if teams are still working in silos, unclear on priorities, or pulling in different directions, something isn’t quite clicking.