It’s February…do you feel the Love? Many say, “No. Only stress.” COVID taught us how incredibly more capable workers are than previously believed to quickly adapt to changing workplace circumstances. However, this frequently leads to discussions around stress and employee burnout which, in many cases, contributed to the Great Resignation. The truth is, workers have significantly more stress in their day-to-day lives that often impacts our workplace. And while business owners acknowledge that impact, and acknowledge that times have changed since personal issues were out of the workplace, not all employers have embraced implementing employee wellbeing programs as being their responsibility.
Admittedly, managers are not therapists. But with everything from increased mental health issues to increased workloads to compensate for the loss of productivity, managers need to increasingly be aware of their employees well-being and become a source of support. Why? Because employees who feel more stressed, are much less likely to perform well at work. And employees who feel more supported at work are significantly more productive. So it becomes the manager’s role to create environments which will help people lead their best lives and reach their potential. How do you do this?
One of the top three causes of employee stress is said to be “management style”. So first consider your own management style and check your own biases. If your goal is to diffuse emotional distress (which can create job dissatisfaction and/or escalate into unnecessary conflict) make sure you’re delivering feedback in a positive manner–kindly and compassionately–and that it provides valuable, actionable input. Create a more collaborative work culture in which employees not only get feedback but also have opportunities to give feedback and to offer their input and ideas. Look for ways to have team members show support to each other. And make sure employees understand how they are connected to the company’s bigger goal/s. Also, more and more employers are targeting offerings for employees to learn empathy, resilience and mindfulness training. These are just a few of the options available to improve your workplace, employee mental health, job satisfaction and retention. There is compelling research, and it is time for employers to take seriously the need to develop a holistic strategy addressing this critical aspect of our workplace.