I’ve enjoyed several recent conversations about employee mental health and the importance of creating a business culture that supports it.
Mental health can be addressed more subtly in a small business than in a large company. A positive work environment is a good starting point for creating a supportive culture. Recognising and celebrating teamwork and making the physical workspace comfortable and conducive to productivity are key. Encouraging open conversations about mental health helps to bring everything out into the open and reduce stigma.
Making time for regular informal one-to-one meetings to see how employees are doing helps to identify anything lurking in the back of their minds. Listening to their concerns and acting on feedback can make a significant difference.
Encourage employees to use their annual leave to give them regular breaks. It is not unusual for employees to ask to use annual leave for sick days to avoid losing pay; this should be avoided. Annual leave is a time to recharge batteries.
As a leader, the actions of a business owner sets the tone for the workplace. As a business owner, you must lead by example and be seen prioritising your own well-being and mental health. This can inspire employees to do the same.
Running a small business is tough, and mental health issues can easily be seen as yet another issue to add to the pile and not as important as many other issues. However, let’s consider the impact of ignoring mental health in the workplace.
Business owner – constantly feeling under pressure, stressed, and overloaded with daily challenges, including managing staff, finances, customers, transport and equipment. Not to mention keeping up to date with the regulatory issues.
Keep going and there is every chance your physical health will suffer, if you go down the business may go down too.
If you are stressed, you probably don’t make the best decisions. Carry on firefighting because you can’t see beyond this. The chances are that communication will be poor. Giving orders to employees is easier than getting them on board with decision-making, and you are unlikely to take the time to listen to them or recognise their efforts.
Employees will have their own personal issues, and when they don’t feel valued for the work they do, they can’t discuss ideas or speak to anyone to suggest better ways of working. Demotivation will lead to poor performance, time off, and low productivity, which, of course, impacts the company’s profitability.
The moral of the story? Mental health discussions don’t have to be all pink and fluffy. If you are a business owner, look after yourself and your employees. Create an environment where you can all thrive and be happy in your work.
For employees, be sure to look after your boss; without him or her, you may not have a job.
This is typical of the discussions that take place at ‘Those Who Lead’ group meetings. If you want to find out more about how you can become a better leader, please contact me.
