Mycelial networks knit forests together, connecting root systems and enabling the sharing of information and nutrition between trees and plants.
Like trees and plants, people are at their healthiest and strongest when interconnected, working collaboratively with others to solve shared challenges.
We exist to serve organisations that realise that the burnout epidemic gripping our workplaces is complex.
Existing workplace wellbeing narrative asks us to consider ourselves like plants lined up side by side in individual plastic pots. The ‘pots’ represent our individualism, our isolation, and the artificiality of what contains us. Through this lens, I as a struggling individual am asked to work on solving ‘my stress’, ‘my anxiety’, and ‘my burnout’.
The next paradigm of workplace wellbeing requires its leaders to undergo a lens shift, to view their workforce not as static, individual ‘potted plants’ but instead as a forest of fauna. Such complex ecosystems are profoundly interconnected, passing each other information and nutrients via a complex network of subterranean fungi called Mycelium. In this context, if a single plant doesn’t flourish, the best (indeed, only) strategy would be to optimise the environment in which the plant is growing – not just the plant itself.
Lasting wellbeing, resilience and performance arises through a holistic combination of interventions – an intricate blend of individual, team, leadership and operational change – collectively working on solving for the subtly yet powerfully reframed problem of ‘our stress’, ‘our anxiety’, and ‘our burnout’. Solutions emerge through driving new conversations, team practises, cultural norms, leadership tools and organisational design. The role of the Wellbeing Leaders of the future is to steward this process. To learn more, read our thought piece: Plant Pot Wellness: the blind spot in modern workplace wellbeing strategy.
Mycelium began its life six years ago under a different name – Tough Cookie – a social impact company that researched, consulted and delivered training within the emerging field of human resilience.
Tough Cookie was founded by Michael Matania, a survivor of PTSD, addiction and Psychosis, who dedicated his life to sharing what he had discovered through his recovery with others.
Michael’s previous achievements included co-creating Mindkit, the UK’s biggest peer-led mental resilience programme, establishing the ‘Workplace Mental Health Champions’ professional network for Time to Change, the UK’s biggest national mental health campaign, and co-designing Mind’s national mental health strategy for schools.
Led by Michael, Tough Cookie became the market leader in personal resilience building, achieving industry recognition and awards for its flagship curriculum Mixed Mental Arts.
Tough Cookie was driven by a philosophy that cultures change when lots of individuals within that culture change. However, the more organisations Tough Cookie supported, the more obvious it became that individual resilience was only part of a wider, more complex picture, that health and wellbeing was intricately tied to the arena in which the individual operates within – the world of systems, norms and culture. Tough Cookie increasingly found itself having to develop services that focused on the system as a whole, rather than the individual it had in mind when the organisation was founded.
Eventually, our organisational philosophy and services outgrew our original name, no longer viewing the term ‘Tough Cookie’ and its individualist connotations as capable of representing best practise in cultivating lasting workplace wellbeing. It was from this hard won insight that Mycelium was launched.
Tough Cookie was founded by Michael Matania, a survivor of PTSD, addiction and Psychosis, who dedicated his life to sharing what he had discovered through his recovery with others.
Michael’s previous achievements included co-creating Mindkit, the UK’s biggest peer-led mental resilience programme, establishing the ‘Workplace Mental Health Champions’ professional network for Time to Change, the UK’s biggest national mental health campaign, and co-designing Mind’s national mental health strategy for schools.
Led by Michael, Tough Cookie became the market leader in personal resilience building, achieving industry recognition and awards for its flagship curriculum Mixed Mental Arts.
Tough Cookie was driven by a philosophy that cultures change when lots of individuals within that culture change. However, the more organisations Tough Cookie supported, the more obvious it became that individual resilience was only part of a wider, more complex picture, that health and wellbeing was intricately tied to the arena in which the individual operates within – the world of systems, norms and culture. Tough Cookie increasingly found itself having to develop services that focused on the system as a whole, rather than the individual it had in mind when the organisation was founded.
Eventually, our organisational philosophy and services outgrew our original name, no longer viewing the term ‘Tough Cookie’ and its individualist connotations as capable of representing best practise in cultivating lasting workplace wellbeing. It was from this hard won insight that Mycelium was launched.
Our services are designed to solve for the problems that arise from poor mental health in the workplace. Burnout and unhealthy working culture costs most organisations at least 2.2-3.3k GBP per person per year.
Mycelium services mitigate much of this cost through effective programmes, expert consultation and long-term strategy.
The outcomes Mycelium achieves are at 3 levels
The People
The Teams
The Business
Everything we do rests on 5 core principles
Our expertise is in creating spaces where clients feel psychologically safe to ‘think out loud’ together and collectively make sense of what is going on ‘under the hood’.
We’re here to provide candid, data-driven reflections on the current state of your people and culture, and if things aren’t right, to help you and your colleagues meet that head on.
Our services are bespoke, designed to meet your unique organisational context. We co-create the solutions that bring true value, at a scale which offers lasting cultural & business impact.
Burnout and poor wellbeing cannot be solved by focusing on the individual alone, but through systemic & cultural approaches. Collective solutions are what we offer.
We know real change within organisations takes time, and we’re here for that. We deliver on strategic, phased roadmaps, with each phase adding standalone, demonstrable value.
Please use the form to connect with us or send us an email at: info@myceliumgroup.co
We look forward to connecting with you.
Mycelium Group Ltd,
86-90 Paul Street,
London EC2A 4NE
Mycelium Group Ltd
Company number 12026869
