Workplace wellbeing – tried & tested top tips for the long-term

Every day when I log on to social media, it seems like the proportion of posts talking about employee mental health and wellbeing is increasing exponentially, and my feelings are torn on this. Of course, I’m delighted this crucial topic is getting the attention it deserves. On the flip side, I’m disappointed it took so long and worried it will still be a relative ‘flash in the pan’ as we hopefully return to “normal” working in the coming months.

Clearly the pandemic has negatively impacted mental wellbeing across the board, so the recent focus is understandable. According to a Qualtrics study, 66.9% have reported higher stress, and 57.2% higher anxiety since Covid. Additionally, 44.4% of those who are, or have been, working from home say their mental health has declined.

However, all this isn’t completely new. Did you know that back in 2018, it was reported by the NHS that 1 in 6 employees experienced mental health problems within the workplace; 15.4 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety; and it was estimated that poor mental health carried an economic and social cost of £105 billion a year in England alone. Following this trend, in 2019 we saw an increase in registered suicides in England and Wales, seeing more than 15 people taking their own lives every single day.

Furthermore, these numbers are likely to continue to grow well after we’ve taken the face masks off, so we can’t afford to stop. We must take advantage of the culture shift this pandemic has prompted. There’s no single answer on how to go about creating a lasting cultural change, but I’d like to offer up some of the best practices I’ve personally seen in place with clients and contacts.

  1. Developing an understanding of mental health across the team– whether that’s investing in developing Mental Health First Aiders or simply taking the time to educate team members that mental health is something we all have and that it changes over time; helping them to recognise the common signs of stress, depression or anxiety; and giving them the confidence to initiate a conversation. Revisiting the aforementioned Qualtrics study, 58% of workers state they are comfortable with their manager discussing mental health, and 41.0% want their manager to proactively ask them about it, so providing appropriate tools and knowledge to best deal with these conversations would be a great place to start.
  2. Promoting an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – many organisations have these in place without fully utilising them, which is such a shame given the important role they can play in providing professional support to individuals when they need it most. One of our clients recognised the low usage of their EAP back in 2018 and made a concerted effort to signpost employees to it. They went from 60 colleagues calling the EAP line for advice in 2018 to 480 calls in 2019; and from 12% of callers being male in 2018 up to 25% in 2019. Who knows how many potential serious mental health issues they stopped in their tracks or perhaps even how many lives they saved.
  3. Encouraging self-help– one of the most powerful actions I’ve seen is encouraging individuals to help themselves where possible, by identifying activities that enhance their wellbeing. We personally direct clients to use the NHS-recommended “5 steps to mental wellbeing” and have found (through use within our own team!) that creating personal and team action plans for each step is a simple and effective way to stay focussed. The action plans must be dynamic for this to work though, so we review them at weekly team meetings to challenge each other where we aren’t meeting the commitment we made to ourselves, and to update our plans.
  4. ‘Good old-fashioned’ leadership development – we’ve found that a wider look at leadership plays a key role, as the two are intrinsically linked. Investing in developing leaders for the modern work environment and today’s workforce will have a significant impact on employee wellbeing. CIPD reports that workplaces and managers that focus on staff wellbeing see an increase in employee morale and engagement (44%), a healthier and more inclusive culture (35%) and a lower sickness absence (31%). We’ve found four areas in particular to have the greatest impact – Flexibility, Authenticity, Connection, and Encouragement so we often talk about ‘leading with F.A.C.E.’ within our leadership programmes.
  5. Creating psychological safety – a work environment where everyone feels safe to be themselves – the good, the bad and the ugly – is essential to employee wellbeing. In addition to displaying leadership behaviours for the modern workplace, as addressed above, a focus on inclusion is critical. An environment where everyone in the team is respected, where their ideas are listened to and where they are allowed to make mistakes sends the most powerful of messages about how much they are valued by the organisation, and in turn helps to build psychological contracts and build commitment to the business.

I sincerely hope that one positive outcome of such a challenging year is a mindset shift which positively changes the way we look after our people for the long haul, and I hope these tips help some of you to begin that journey.

Contact us at hello@peopleunboxed.co.uk if you’d like to discuss other ways to support the wellbeing of your teams or find out about our accredited Mental Health First Aid courses.

The 4Ps of Candid Conversations

eLearning

The “Four Ps” model can help us to plan for a difficult or candid conversation so that both parties find it beneficial.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn how to plan for a difficult or candid conversation so that both parties find it beneficial
  • Understand how to use the 4Ps to deliver a difficult message
  • Consider how this can help manage under-performance in a structured manner

Assertive Disagreement

eLearning

When you disagree with someone, it is often best to be direct and clear, as it avoids an unfortunate misunderstanding. People can shy away from disagreement as it can sometimes feel confrontational. The assertive approach introduced in this module helps you to express your disagreement in a professional, constructive manner.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn what assertiveness is
  • Learn a process to put your case across without getting emotional
  • Provide context for how to use the model in a real-world environment

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

eLearning

Because no two individuals have exactly the same expectations and desires, conflict is a natural part of our interactions with others. This self-test assessment will tell you more about your predominant style of handling conflict and what this means.

Learning Outcomes

  • Provide a starting point for your development
  • Identify your conflict handling style
  • Learn about the five conflict handling modes

AID Feedback Model

eLearning

Providing feedback that encourages open dialogue and communication enhances your credibility as both a teammate and as a leader. AID is a simple feedback model that can be used for positive moments and those that need corrective action.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn a simple model for providing feedback
  • Identify your own role in each of the stages
  • Discover the benefits of creating a feedback culture

Action-Centred Leadership

eLearning

Good managers and leaders should have full command of the three main areas of the Action-Centred Leadership model and should use each of the elements according to the situation.

Learning Outcomes

  • Discover John Adair’s action-centred leadership model
  • Learn how to adapt the model for your own work situation
  • Investigate the danger of becoming out of balance

Question Types

eLearning

Asking the right question is at the heart of effective communication and information exchange. Using the right questions can improve a whole range of communication skills; the information we receive back (the answer) will depend very much on the type of question we ask.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn why asking the right question is at the heart of effective communication and information exchange
  • Discover why the right questions in a particular situation can improve a whole range of communication skills

Dr. Mehrabian’s Communication Model

eLearning

We are always communicating, even when we are not speaking. Other factors communicate what we really think and feel, which can be explained by looking at Albert Mehrabian’s communication model.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn the impact of mixed messages when communicating
  • Understand that communication is a blend of words, body language and tone

Situational Leadership

eLearning

Leaders need to tailor their approach based on the person they are coaching, their experience at the task and their level of enthusiasm for completing it.

The ability to adapt your leadership style to cater to different tasks and your people’s needs is called situational leadership.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership model
  • Recognise directive and supportive behaviours
  • Understand the four leadership styles in line with situational leadership
  • Understand the development levels of team members, based on competence and commitment
  • Become confident with flexing your leadership style to the individual and the situation