Managing Mental Health Issues In The Workplace

In our daily lives we have important responsibilities. Many of us work very hard in order to make a living so that we can fulfil personal or professional goals. Unfortunately depression doesn't work to a schedule. It can strike at any time and when it does it can be very disruptive and incredibly isolating. Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and I can’t help but think about the 4 close friends I have lost. I have seen directly how crippling dealing with mental health issues can be, the stigma that still exists around it and the impact it can have on your work. 

Whilst I have been exposed to tragedy, I have also seen the upside of mental health problems (there is an up-side? What is this guy talking about??). For those that have overcome these issues and it is possible, many have used it as an opportunity to become more self aware and more mindful. If you can understand the root of these issues, how the cycle can initiate and then escalate, it allows you to better understand yourself and critically develop the emotional intelligence to understand others. 

Through the years I have received some incredible advice:

• Don’t expect other people to change – change the way YOU interact with them
• The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results – Einstein gave me that one!

There is a theme here. Human behaviour – your own and sometimes other people's and understanding how that affects your mood. When you manage people, you are ultimately managing their growth and development as an employee and as a person. You cannot treat everyone the same way because we are not all the same. My management style tends to differ in terms of who I am dealing with. Sometimes, you need to challenge someone ("I bet you can't do this – prove me wrong"). Sometimes you need to put your arm round someone's shoulder ("you can do it, I believe in you"). Sometimes you need to offer support ("How can I help you overcome this obstacle?"). And sometimes you just need to leave people alone and let them get on with it. 

When managing people who may or may not have mental health issues, it is very important to assess whether someone is ready to talk about their problems or whether they just need empathy and an ear to bend. Over the years, I have done both with members of my team and its critical in my view that I always make myself available to work colleagues whether they need professional or personal support. I am never intrusive but I hope they know they can come to me with anything without fear of judgement. The growth of my business is extremely important to me but then so are the people who put their heart and souls into their job. To me they are more than just work colleagues, they are family and I care about them deeply as individuals. 

Of course, there are lines you need to be cautious of and if I feel certain issues are beyond my control and perhaps a particular cause for concern, a good manager needs to know the differences between their responsibilities to the business and their responsibility toward their colleagues. I would never betray someones trust, but I would not hesitate in ensuring that safety and personal health is the number one priority. It is critical for managers to work very closely with their HR departments or seek advice through the right channels in learning how to deal with mental health issues. Not everyone has experienced these problems themselves and its all too easy to mis-interpret some employees behaviours thinking them lazy, disruptive or a negative influence. This is why education is absolutely key and showing a willingness to learn human behaviours that don’t necessarily comply with your own. Personally, I find empathy and listening the two most effective management tools. If they don’t come naturally, learn them, they also help in your personal life. As a manager or leader, it is important to lead by example but don’t be afraid to show vulnerability. Business is all about people, and the more real you are with your colleagues or customers, the more people will respond to what you're selling. 

On a final note, one of today’s buzz words is ‘Mindfulness’ or being aware of ourselves and the world around us. The theory being that the more mindful you are, the more it can positively impact both your personal and professional life. Arianna Huffington looks at Mindfulness in her brilliant book ‘Thrive’ delving more deeply into what she calls the 3rd metric of success (well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving) in order to lead a healthy, productive, and meaningful life. She talks about the importance of sleep, practicing mindfulness by taking breaks and focusing on your breathing, meditating, giving, learning to say no and disconnecting digitally.  I do not support the argument that employees who work the longest hours deliver the best and most productive work. It is essential to have an engaged, energised and dynamic work force and working long hours, being run down or stressed is in the interests of absolutely no-one. Employers have a responsibility towards their people to provide a workplace conducive to personal development and growth as well as driving business performance. In this day and age, its almost impossible to get the best out of your people unless you create an environment of authentic leadership, open communication and one that cares about both personal AND professional growth.