24/10/2023
In the past month, searches for mental health support have spiked as we move into the darker months and several socioeconomic factors including the cost of living put additional pressure on Brits.
60% of employees say they’d feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their organisation as a good place to work if their employer took action to support mental well-being.
As worldwide searches increased by 36% to 2.8m in October for ‘mental health’ support, including 316,000 Brits, experts from Healthcare Transformers have shared how those in leadership positions can help their employees by being supportive, which can have a beneficial effect on mental health.
10 ways to be a supportive leader
Empower employee engagement
Expand power out beyond the CEO and senior leadership so that positive change becomes everyone’s responsibility. Helping people shift their energy to one of contribution and impact can help raise employee engagement.
Be vulnerable
The pandemic helped normalise mental health challenges as everyone experienced some level of discomfort. Being honest about your mental health struggles can open the door for your staff to feel comfortable talking about their struggles to you.
Lead by example:
Model self-care and work-life balance. Show that taking care of one’s mental health is not only acceptable but encouraged. More often than not, leaders are more focused on taking care of everyone else so it’s important to share your own self-care practices.
Check-in regularly
Make it a habit to check in with your team members individually and intentionally. Ask how they are doing and genuinely listen to their responses. It is important to make space to hear how your staff are truly feeling.
Offer flexibility
Understand your and your staff’s needs will continue to change. Have frequent conversations, especially during times of transition. Being accommodating does not mean you have to lower the standard of care. On the contrary, it creates a more caring culture.
Communicate more and often
Beyond check-ins with your staff, it is paramount that you inform your team of organisational changes or updates. Be sure to set expectations about workloads, prioritisation of work, and performance standards.
Provide resources
Ensure that employees are aware of the mental health resources available to them. This includes Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and access to mental health professionals.
Measure and provide feedback
Hold people accountable for their performance by regularly measuring their performance and communicating how people are doing. Conduct pulse surveys that gather direct employee input that can inform better practices.
Update policies and procedures
As organisations, people, and the world evolve around us, it is essential to stay open and flexible to changing policies and procedures. Adapting to new innovations and technologies or ways of working requires you to review and make changes accordingly.
Invest in training
Providing mental health training for leaders, managers, and staff is important to fostering a culture that prioritises mental health. Helping your staff to build the necessary skills to be mentally fit and positive about their work and work environment.
About Healthcare Transformers
Healthcare Transformers is a content hub aimed at c-suite/executive leaders in healthcare.
The site is a place to showcase non-promotional, innovative, thought leadership material from experts in the field around topics of healthcare transformation.
Technology. Big Data. Artificial Intelligence. These are all terms that we are hearing more and more and that are changing the healthcare industry as we know it with the focus on where it matters most: the patients.
Healthcare Transformers is working to deliver valuable, cutting-edge content from the very leaders that are facing healthcare transformation head-on so that we can make effective decisions for organisations, personnel and patients.
Original Article: HRnews
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