Caring for the mental wellbeing of your teams has never been more important.
Not sure how? Here are some tips to help you take care of your team.
In a recent global study by Qualtrics (see here), 40% of people said that their employer had not asked how they are doing since the pandemic began. 38% of people in this group were more likely to say their mental health had declined during this time. It is important to check in with your people. An easy way is to ask is “How are you today, out of ten?”. People are much more comfortable expressing how they are feeling about their mental health with a number out of ten.
We all know how to look after our physical health, but we are less knowledgeable about what drives our mental wellbeing. Sleep; exercise; stress management; social connections; helping others; nutrition; financial wellbeing; sense of purpose all drive our wellbeing. As employers, we can help employees gain this knowledge to better understand areas they may not be doing so well in.
As leaders of people, we can help create a culture that is conducive to promoting positive mental wellbeing. If leaders can demonstrate that they are prioritising their own mental wellbeing, then this gives permission and encouragement for others to follow suit. Sharing the fact that you have prioritised sleep, planned exercise, or taken time to connect with family is all great practice here.
During these uncertain times, regular authentic and open communications is so important. Leaders will not have all of the answers but providing reassurance where you can and being open and vulnerable about the challenges, they and the business faces is helpful. Good examples include the CEO’s of the Marriot Group and Air BnB.
Leaders will have a huge number of strategic priorities to focus on right now. It is highly likely that the businesses that come out of the pandemic with high levels of employee confidence and tryst will be the ones that treat their mental wellbeing as a strategic priority. Your people will remember how you made them feel.