SUPPORTING WELL-BEING AS A HYBRID LEADER

Last week, I published an article about hybrid work and the three pain points I hear most about from leaders. I offered a few human-centric thought starters.

Since then, I have received more questions and comments. I am addressing each of them in a separate LinkedIn post.

Today's Question: "How might I ensure the (mental) health and safety of my employees?"

“We Have All Hit The Wall” titled the New York Times on April 03, 2021. We are human first and leaders second. That means we should begin with empathy and care – for ourselves. If we are stressed, we are at risk of burnout and can’t be there for our teams.

What to do? Studies show that the most successful leaders incorporate mindfulness practice into their daily routine. I realize this is easier said than done, especially for those of us who are Type A/Driver personalities. I believe we each must find what brings us joy and balance to the work we do. For me, that’s taking a walk or run by the lake, listening to my chillout playlist, and practicing yoga. Even watching my cat sleep brings me Zen. I acknowledge that I am a work in progress when it comes to practicing daily gratitude and mediation.

Next, extend that empathy to your team. According to Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trends Index, nearly one in five global survey respondents say their employer doesn’t care about their work-life balance. Fifty-four percent feel overworked. Thirty-nine percent feel exhausted.

We are amid a mental health crisis where burnout is rampant. A survey from the CDC and the Census Bureau found that the percentage of adults with symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorders increased from 36.4% to 41.5% from August 2020 to February 2021.

It’s important for you to have open and honest conversations about mental well-being to improve comfort levels. Normalize mental-health awareness by talking about it frequently at work.

A leader at a large professional services firm used this article on languishing by Wharton professor Adam Grant to encourage his team members to open up about how they feel. He shared his experience first and thus showed authenticity and vulnerability which in turn encouraged his team members to talk about their feelings.

One of the teams of our #HRvsVirus Hackathon took this one step further and came up with a solution they call Tap In, Tap Out! The program includes both a digital and manual engagement methodology for employees to openly acknowledge their need to temporarily tap out of work duties (“tap out”). “Tap in” is the counterpart component - encouraging leaders and managers to pay special attention to setting clear expectations during these not-normal times. Together, “Tap in, Tap Out” creates an easy-to-understand behavioral framework for leaders and employees that leverages what we know about successful anxiety mitigation: communicating clear expectations, supported by the flexibility to find personal time and space.

As a leader, you can create a culture where breaks are encouraged and respected. The Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trends Index found that employees who feel more productive are more likely to take exercise or stretch breaks. Breaks are even more important in a hybrid world.

Sandy Carter, Vice President at Amazon Web Services, is leading by example. She added this human-centric nudge to her emails:

“TRULY HUMAN NOTICE:??Getting this email out of normal working hours? We work at a digitally enabled relentless pace, which can disrupt our ability to sleep enough, eat right, exercise, and spend time with the people that matter most. I am sending you this email at a time that works for me. I only expect you to respond to it when convenient to you.”

Even before the pandemic, more than 55% of Americans did not use all of their allotted time off – one of the lowest rates when compared with other countries around the globe. In a post-pandemic world, this is taking its toll. Experts agree that the largest cause of burnout is not taking paid time off.

As a leader, encouraging your team members to take PTO is not enough. You and your superstar employees need to role model this behavior and be very public about it.

As you plan your return to the office, ask yourself: How will I behave when I am back in our office space? How will I acknowledge the collective trauma that might cause each of my employees to feel differently about safe interaction in the office? How might we co-create as a team how we want to interact when we are together in the office so everyone feels safe?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Dessain is the Founder and Chief Talent Experience Designer at talent.imperative inc, an employee experience design consultancy.

Nicole’s creative superpower is “connecting the dots” which she applies to her passion of bringing design thinking to the world of Human Resources through the HR.Hackathon Alliance.