The last two years have thrown up in sharp relief for managers everywhere the need to understand mental health, how it affects our employees and what we can do to help. We have learned how fragile mental health is. We have also learned that we did not perhaps have the most effective ways of talking about this important, and frequently invisible, aspect of our employees’ well-being. Many companies have tried to address this urgent issue by providing counsellors who offered support over the phone, conducting yoga, wellness, and mindfulness sessions. The HR team of a client checked-in frequently with all their workers whose families were in faraway lands and were living alone so they did not feel isolated and helpless.
Even though the pandemic has somewhat receded, the need to stay vigilant about mental health in our employees has not gone away. Increased business opportunities can lead to increased stress levels at work which in turn can lead to mental health issues.
What can leaders do then to address this area of concern?
- Take care of yourself first
It is no secret that leaders are going through unprecedented stress themselves now. Your ability to help others depends on your own mental state. Try to eliminate blind-spots about your own behaviour and its impact on others by staying in touch with others, especially those who can point out any issues you may have without fear. - Learn to recognize signs of mental ill-health
One of the challenges of dealing with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness and isolation is that the symptoms are not apparent for a long time. Remote working conditions have exacerbated this problem. Spending time with your team members, talking to them, asking open-ended questions about what is going on with them and listening closely will let you know if any of them need help. You can also ask your junior managers if they have noticed any sudden withdrawal from social interactions, loss of motivation, decline in productivity or signs of substance abuse in any of their team members. - Learn to talk about mental health
JanSport’s ‘Lighten the Load’ and ITV’s ‘Get Talking’ campaigns have shown that when it comes to mental health, if you are not sharing it, it is a greater burden. While it is gratifying that youngsters today are more comfortable talking about mental health, senior managers may need some help. Professionals can give your company’s managers tips on how to talk about mental health in the workplace. Using the right words, especially when talking to someone who has received mental health treatment, can help reduce stigma attached with this condition. - Create an environment that promotes connection and psychological safety
Remember that your employees experience your company largely through their immediate supervisor. Some of these middle managers may not have fully imbibed the positive values of your organization, especially if they are new to your company. Can you create a culture of candour where employees feel safe to openly talk about the challenges they are facing? Skip-level meetings and other employee engagement measures can surface any hidden problems.
Ignoring mental health at the workplace can lead to human error, client dissatisfaction, loss of productivity and in extreme cases, loss of life and limb. But if we as leaders showed concern only because of the impact to our business, we will not be effective. If we instead paid attention to this issue because we genuinely cared for our team, we will gain credibility and be effective too. It is quite clear that awareness of mental health is a much-needed leadership trait. I would like to hear of how you have brought greater awareness of mental health to your organization.