| This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and, in our complex, uncertain world, at a time of increasing volatility and pressure, it is not surprising that mental health is increasingly being reported in the media and in our industry. Worryingly, the latest BIMA Tech and Inclusion report stated that people in tech are as stressed as those working in the health service. This is not people reporting periods of stress, 13% stated they are constantly stressed with symptoms such as headaches, anxiety attacks, sleeplessness, indigestion, and continual tiredness affecting their daily lives. Recent research by Mind (September 2018) showed that despite the increasing prevalence of mental health issues in our workplaces only half of those who had experienced problems with stress anxiety or low mood had talked to their employer about it. Fear, shame and job insecurity were just some of the reasons people choose to hide their worries. Poor relationships with line managers, along with workload, have the biggest negative impact on employees' mental health, the survey found - closely followed by poor relationships with colleagues. Yet too often line managers are unaware of mental health issues and unequipped to know how to appropriately respond and deal with them when they arise in the workplace. An Institute of Directors poll of 700 managers (in May 2018) found that less than one in five firms offered mental health training to their managers. Stephen Martin, director-general of the Institute of Directors, said directors needed to put as much importance on the mental health of their workforce as they would their physical health. |
| "The workplace shouldn't be somewhere that people feel they have to hide the problems they are facing. In fact, it should be one of the places where help is most easily found,"~ Stephen Martin, director-general of the Institute of Directors |
| Here at The Hobbs Consultancy we aim to be part of the solution. We have created a range of mental health programmes aimed at both staff and leaders, including a comprehensive mental health training for line managers to raise this awareness, equipping them with a practical toolkit to recognise and help stressed, anxious or depressed staff and, crucially, building the leadership behaviours necessary to create the openness, transparency and trust that is so needed in our workplaces. From recent experience delivering Resilience and Mental Health workshops to frontline staff (sharing practical ways to support their own mental wellbeing) to working with organisations to recognise and embrace neurodiversity in their workforce and coaching individuals living with these conditions, we know that if organisations are really serious about creating inclusive cultures to improve the mental health (and productivity and motivation) of their staff – they need to create conditions where people feel psychologically safe to show up as themselves and share their reality. And explore solutions to their issues. Psychological safety is defined as a climate in which people are comfortable expressing and being themselves. More specifically when people have psychological safety at work they feel comfortable sharing concerns or difficulties without fear of embarrassment, shame or retribution. They are comfortable that they can speak up and won’t be humiliated, ignored or blamed. Inclusive leadership plays a vital role here. Managers who are available and check in on their staff each day – who aren’t just work focused – simple things like asking how their day is going or what plans are for the weekend – helps to recognise staff as humans and not just task completers. Building stronger social ties – including managers showing up and sharing themselves authentically – increases trust so people are more likely to share any work stresses or anxieties. By creating an inclusive culture in which employees can grow, feel listened to and feel treated with empathic understanding organisations can boost employee productivity, motivation and mental wellbeing. In fact research has shown that people who are supported in this way are 60% more productive and committed at work. Reason enough to take action we think! To request a mental health / neurodiversity / inclusive leadership toolkit contact Derek@thehobbsconsultancy.com |