How can you help leaders support employee mental health during organizational change?

1 Assess the impact of change

The first step to help your employees cope with change is to understand how it affects them personally and professionally. Different types of change, such as restructuring, mergers, layoffs, or new systems, can have different impacts on your employees' motivation, performance, skills, relationships, and emotions. You can use various tools and methods to assess the impact of change, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or feedback sessions. The goal is to identify the potential benefits and challenges of change, the level of readiness and resistance among your employees, and the gaps and opportunities for learning and development.

3 Provide coaching and support

Another way to help your employees deal with change is to provide them with coaching and support. Coaching is a process of facilitating learning and growth, by helping your employees identify their strengths and areas for improvement, set realistic and meaningful goals, explore options and solutions, and take action and accountability. You can use coaching skills, such as asking open-ended questions, giving constructive feedback, and using active listening, to help your employees overcome challenges, develop new skills, and achieve their potential. You can also provide support by offering resources, guidance, recognition, and encouragement, and by creating a safe and supportive space for your employees to express their feelings and needs.

5 Prevent or address signs of distress

Finally, you need to be aware of the signs of distress that your employees may experience during change, such as burnout, anxiety, or depression. Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, which can result in reduced performance, motivation, and satisfaction. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, nervousness, or worry that interferes with normal functioning, which can result in impaired concentration, productivity, and decision-making. Depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent sadness, hopelessness, or loss of interest, which can result in low self-esteem, isolation, and suicidal thoughts. You can prevent or address these signs of distress by monitoring your employees' workload, stress level, and well-being, by providing flexible and reasonable work arrangements, by referring your employees to professional help if needed, and by showing compassion and care.