The Harvard Business Review recently published a research study on stressors affecting the mental health of employees, People Want Their Employers to Talk About Mental Health, K. Greenwood, et al. Prior to the pandemic, the focus to address mental health at work included reducing the stigma of talking about existing mental health conditions. Increasingly, since the pandemic began, the focus has shifted to the company’s role in everyone’s mental health. Several factors had an impact on mental health including:
Emotionally draining work
Work life balance
Poor communication practices
Lack of connection
31% of respondents reported they most desired a more open culture around mental health. This begs the question, how can this be achieved?
Those who lead are now required to think about the mental health of their teams. Now more than ever, listening skills are essential, as well as coaching with empathy. Historically, those trained in behavioral sciences have been trained with these skills. For success in leadership for the 21st Century, it is necessary for leaders to upskill to be able to facilitate educated conversations about mental health.
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