Workplace Tips | Workplace Mental Health Institute

The Balanced Leader: Why Leadership Skills Matter in Australia Today

01/09/2025

I once walked into a workplace where the atmosphere said more than the people did. No raised voices, no drama — just a quiet heaviness that hung in the air. You could see it in the way people glanced at the clock a little too often, or the way their shoulders slumped under invisible weight.

The company itself looked good on paper. They offered wellbeing leave, flexible schedules, even access to an employee assistance program. Their employee health and wellbeing strategy ticked all the right boxes. But policies don’t tell the whole story.

What set the tone each day wasn’t the benefits written in the handbook. It was leadership. The way managers showed up, the tone they set, the way they responded to stress — that was what shaped how people felt when they walked through the door.

The New Reality for Leaders

In Australia, leadership has shifted. Teams are more diverse, younger employees are more outspoken, and staff are less likely to stay quiet if something feels off. At the same time, many workplaces are stretched thinner, with fewer resources to spread across growing demands. Leaders are stuck in the middle — balancing staff expectations, organisational priorities, and their own pressures.

The old-school “command and control” approach doesn’t cut it anymore. People don’t want to be micromanaged. They want direction, but they also want freedom to do their work. They want leaders who will encourage them when things get tough, and who will back them up when the pressure rises.

It sounds simple, but in practice, it’s not. Because leadership today isn’t about just getting the job done — it’s about balancing people and performance at the same time.

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Why Balance Matters

Balance in leadership is the difference between a workplace that drains people and one that energises them.

It’s being clear about goals without being rigid.

It’s driving results without exhausting the team.

It’s caring about the people as much as the bottom line.

That balance doesn’t come naturally to everyone. It’s a skill, and like any skill, it has to be built. It takes self-awareness, practice, and often proper training to learn how to manage people in a way that brings out their best.

What Good Leaders Actually Do

When you look at leaders who make a real difference in their teams, they’re not always the loudest or the toughest. Often, it’s the quiet consistency that counts. The things that don’t look spectacular on the surface, but change how people feel every day.

Good leaders know how to:

Inspire instead of command. Staff want to be part of a bigger vision, not just follow instructions.

Lift morale when spirits are low. Sometimes a simple acknowledgement or encouragement can reset a whole team’s energy.

Help manage workloads. Leadership isn’t just handing out tasks. It’s guiding staff on what’s urgent, what can wait, and what really matters.

Communicate with respect. Recognition, gratitude, and trust go further than most people realise.

These aren’t add-ons to leadership — they are the core. And they sit at the centre of any strong employee health and wellbeing strategy.

Where Leadership and Wellbeing Meet

A workplace can offer free fruit in the kitchen, and access to apps that promote mindfulness. Those things aren’t bad. But if a staff member is drowning in deadlines, and their manager doesn’t even notice, none of those surface-level perks are going to fix it.

What changes the culture is when leaders bring empathy and accountability together. They listen, but they also provide direction. They create space for people to raise concerns, but they don’t let things drift. That balance tells employees that their wellbeing matters, but so does the quality of their work. And that’s when wellbeing becomes part of the daily experience — not just a policy on a page.

Are you a psychologically safe manager? Take the self assessment to find out.

The Australian Context

In Australia, workplaces are facing unique challenges. Remote and hybrid work have become normal in many industries, which means leaders are managing people they don’t see every day. That takes more trust, clearer communication, and an ability to keep teams connected even when they’re not in the same room.

There’s also the growing recognition of mental health in Australian workplaces. Staff expect it to be taken seriously. Leaders are no longer just project managers — they’re culture carriers. How they act each day sets the tone for whether employees feel supported or left behind.

The Takeaway

Workplace wellbeing doesn’t begin with free perks or surface-level programs. It begins with leadership: balanced, human leadership.

If your organisation is serious about building a strong employee health and wellbeing strategy, don’t stop at policy. Equip your leaders. Train them. Back them. Because the truth is simple: no wellbeing initiative can survive poor leadership. But the right leadership can make any wellbeing strategy thrive.

So the question for Australian workplaces is this: are you giving your leaders the support they need to strike that balance? Because if you are, the benefits flow right across the organisation — from stronger morale to better results.

Author: Peter Diaz

Peter Diaz is the CEO of Workplace Mental Health Institute. He’s an author and accredited mental health social worker with senior management experience. Having recovered from his own experience of bipolar depression, Peter is passionate about assisting organisations to address workplace mental health issues in a compassionate yet results-focussed way. He’s also a Dad, Husband, Trekkie and Thinker.

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The Rise of ‘Quiet Quitting’ and What It Reveals About Workplace Mental Health

25/06/2025

Back in the day, I found myself sitting at my desk, staring at my computer screen, feeling completely drained. I had been working late nights, skipping lunches, and saying “yes” to every request that came my way. On the surface, I was the model employee—reliable, hardworking, and always available. But inside, I was exhausted, disengaged, and quietly counting down the hours until I could log off. I wasn’t alone in this feeling, though I didn’t realise it at the time. What I was experiencing was an early version of what we now call “quiet quitting.”

For those who haven’t heard the term, quiet quitting doesn’t actually mean quitting your job. It’s about doing the bare minimum required by your role—no more going above and beyond, no more hustling for recognition, no more sacrificing personal time for work. It’s a subtle but powerful shift in how people approach their jobs, and it’s become a hot topic in conversations about workplace culture and mental health.

What’s Driving the Trend?

Quiet quitting isn’t just about laziness or disengagement. It’s often a response to burnout, lack of recognition, or the feeling that no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough. According to a 2022 Gallup survey*, only 21% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work, and 44% report experiencing high levels of stress. When people feel undervalued or overworked, they naturally pull back to protect their mental health.

Research also shows that the pandemic played a significant role in this shift. A study published in the Harvard Business Review (2021)* found that remote work blurred the boundaries between professional and personal life, leading to increased burnout. Many employees realized they were sacrificing too much for their jobs and decided to set firmer boundaries.

The Mental Health Connection

Quiet quitting is, at its core, a coping mechanism. It’s a way for employees to reclaim some sense of control over their lives. But it also highlights a deeper issue: workplaces aren’t doing enough to support mental health.

A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022* revealed that depression and anxiety cost the global economy an estimated $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Yet, many companies still treat mental health as a secondary concern. Employees are expected to push through stress, exhaustion, and even burnout without adequate support.

This lack of support can have serious consequences. A study by the American Psychological Association (APA)* found that chronic stress at work is linked to a host of health problems, including heart disease, depression, and weakened immune function. When employees feel unsupported, they’re more likely to disengage—or quietly quit.

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What Can Employers Do?

The rise of quiet quitting is a wake-up call for employers. It’s a sign that the old ways of working—long hours, constant availability, and a “hustle at all costs” mentality—are no longer sustainable. To address this, companies need to prioritize mental health and create a culture where employees feel valued and supported.

Here are a few steps employers can take:

Normalize Boundaries: Encourage employees to take regular breaks and disconnect after work hours if they need it.

Recognize Efforts: Acknowledge the work your employees do. Let them know what good performance looks like and praise them for it.

Set a Clear Vision: Ensure all employees understand the company’s goals and how their work fits into achieving them.

Provide Mental Health Resources: Offer counseling, stress management programs, and resilience training to help employees manage their mental health.

Foster Open Communication: Create a safe space where employees can express their concerns without fear of judgment or retaliation.

A Shift in Perspective

Quiet quitting isn’t just a trend—it’s a reflection of how work culture is evolving. Employees are no longer willing to sacrifice their well-being for the sake of their jobs. They’re demanding a healthier, more meaningful approach to work, and employers need to listen.

For me, that moment of staring at my computer screen was a turning point. I realized I needed to set clear goals, boundaries and prioritize my mental health. It wasn’t easy, but it made a world of difference. And while I’m no longer quietly quitting, I understand why so many people are.

The conversation around quiet quitting isn’t just about work—it’s about how we value ourselves and our time. It’s a reminder that we’re human beings, not machines, and that our well-being matters.

What are your thoughts on quiet quitting? Have you experienced it or seen it in your workplace? Let’s start a conversation.

At WMHI, we’re committed to supporting workplace mental health through our training solutions. Our programs are designed to help employees thrive by equipping them with the tools to manage stress, build resilience, and foster a healthier work-life balance. Because when employees feel supported, everyone benefits.

References:

Gallup (2022). State of the Global Workplace Report.
Harvard Business Review (2021). How the Pandemic Has Changed Workers’ Attitudes.
World Health Organization (2022). Mental Health in the Workplace.
American Psychological Association (APA). Stress in the Workplace.

Read the latest issue of the WorkLife magazine – Building Safe Workplaces

Creativity Fostering Transformation

08/02/2022

That erroneous quote, “Houston, we have a problem,” sums up 2021. Between a rampant global virus, climate change, economic distress, racial inequity, and social isolation, we have pressing problems to solve. Given this, we would do well to turn to our innate super power— creativity, as a mean for addressing our most salient concerns of the day.

Creativity can be defined as the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, and relationships. It entails the emergence of meaningful new methods and interpretations and uses imagination and originality as tools for transformation. By tapping into these to forge new paths, we improve mental health and the well-being of our society. As Einstein said, “Logic will take you from A to B, imagination will take you anywhere.”

Creativity is not the Frosting; it’s the Cake

Creativity is often viewed as the icing on the cake—meaning creativity isn’t essential or the highest priority in our personal or work lives. In fact, some people view it as a luxury or leisure activity reserved for the elite. Yet creativity isn’t something doled out to the chosen few. It’s a trait we all have and is a primary agent of growth and change. It allows us to:

Renew ourselves
Recharge our minds
Reclaim hope
Restore connections
Resolve problems

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Given this, it’s unfortunate that creativity isn’t always valued as a high priority. In fact, most of us are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It’s a theory in psychology that states humans have basic needs that are ranked in order of importance and priority. Our need for food, clothing, shelter, and safety is paramount, followed by the need for love and belonging. Creativity is ranked last. Obviously, if we’re starving and don’t have shelter, we might not be thinking about painting the Sistine Chapel or self-actualization. However, what if creativity, which is at the top of Maslow’s pyramid was viewed as the primary vehicle for meeting all of our needs?If this was the case and we tapped into this approach, we might:

Prioritize creativity within schools and organizations
Address economic problems and inequity to create a more just world
Foster empathy through arts programs in communities and businesses
Think outside the box and envision change and possibilities

With creativity, we see possibilities even when our current reality indicates otherwise. We need this vision or we will remain stuck in our circumstances. And while it can be hard to dream, if life hasn’t given us much reason to, creativity helps build the imagination muscle. It revises our viewpoints allowing us to “see again”. When this occurs, we have increased personal agency and these areas of our lives become enhanced: our vision and goals, systems, jobs, relationships, stories, issues and problems.

Misconceptions about Creativity

It’s interesting how we categorize creativity and tend to think only certain people or industries are creative. “I’m not creative,” someone might say, or “I’m not an artist.” In fact, we often deify people in the entertainment industry for their talents yet neglect to recognize creativity in the people around us.

Here are just some groups that also tend to be highly creative:

Children
Artists (painters, writers, dancers, actors & musicians)
Scientists
Leaders
Entrepreneurs

Parents
Teachers
Builders
Cooks
Gardeners

Another misconception is that there is a causal link between creativity and mental illness. While many individuals living with mental illness might be highly creative, there are equally as many who would not be described that way at all – by themselves or others.Instead, I would argue that creativity is healing and restorative whether we have a diagnosis or not. Creativity helps us transform our challenges into works of beauty and endows life with purpose. Not to mention the enormous contribution it makes to society and humanity.

Creativity in the Workplace and Education

Without a doubt, work and school environments have changed radically in the last year. We’ve all had to “pivot” and adapt to a new normal. Creativity increases flexibility and spontaneity as we learn new ways of doing things. In the work place it can help us navigate interpersonal conflict, balance budgets, innovate, market, produce, and make a profit.

That said, work and school environments often operate counter-intuitively. Instead of embracing approaches that enhance learning and productivity, sometimes these methods are stifled. We look to companies like Apple or Tesla and praise them for their innovation, yet creative strategies are often not supported in the work environment. And students at school who color outside the lines are sometimes frowned upon. Instead of being viewed as mavericks who can reach new heights, companies and schools often prefer folks keep to the status quo.

If creativity is to flourish in our communities, work and school environments must allow a degree of play, risk, connection, exploration, trial and error, and rest and reflection. These are the ingredients that foster new configurations and possibilities.

Jumping into the Void

Creating takes courage. It’s often a leap of faith and into the unknown. It can make us feel vulnerable as we wonder if we will succeed or fail. Do we dare dream? And can we step into something new and unfamiliar?

To begin revitalizing your creativity, why not take an on-line class, work with a mentor, or sit down with few distractions and focus on a task you’d like to work on. Feel free to take a little time out to explore and play. You will most likely begin to feel renewed.

Not only that, when we look at our lives from a creative vantage point, we start to see ourselves as characters within our own narrative. We can shape the story, honoring core scenes and events that have occurred while creating new ones too. This is really key because during the pandemic, most of us have been stuck in an unhappy narrative and we might feel a little short changed on hope. Yet creativity allows us to foster optimism and to rebuild. We can turn to the poetry of Emily Dickinson who wrote, “I dwell in possibility, a fairer house than prose…” And from this sense of possibility, we can soar to new heights and see things from a radically different view.

Lise Porter is a licensed marriage and family therapist, consultant, and trainer for the Workplace Mental Health Institute. She is based in Los Angeles and is also a working actor. Her book, Own Your Life: How Our Wounds Become Our Gifts is available on Amazon or through her website, liseporter.com.

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Returning To Work After The COVID Pandemic Crisis

19/01/2022

Millions are returning to the physical workplace after extended periods of time working from home. While the world is still dealing with the virus and its knock on effects, many people are now focused on what it will be like to get back to the workplace. There are many issues to be considered, that encompass work, family and mental health needs. Below we offer some tips to return to work successfully.

Tips For Employers:

Prepare your Team – what each person needs will depend on the individual. Talk to your people, understand their individual concerns. Help them feel safe and comfortable Negotiate and try to meet their emotional and physical needs. Communicate your expectations clearly.

Show Appreciation – Showing appreciation is still one of the most important things employers can do. People work best when they are acknowledged and appreciated.

Be Flexible – Each workplace will have different needs, but where you can, stay open to new ideas and be willing to experiment until you find what works for your team members and your organization.

Offer Employee Counseling – Whether they are having difficulty returning back to work or not, making counseling available lets your employees know you care about their wellbeing.

Be Available – Especially at the start. It will be normal for staff to have concerns and questions. These can usually be resolved quickly if you are available to reassure the person and address them.

Be Honest – You may not have the answers to everything, but be upfront about what information you know and don´t know. Demonstrating your transparency will go a long way to building trust with your team members, and minimizing any anxiety they may have.

Consider New Workers – Some staff may never have actually been on site at the workplace before, or never met their colleagues in person. They may need some time to adapt to a new rhythm and to learn the culture of the organization.

Have Patience – Employees will need to re-adjust. Don´t assume everything will go back to how it was before – the workplace may look and feel different. Be patient as people become comfortable with any new changes.

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Tips For Employees:

Take Care of Family – Ensuring that your children or other family members are safe and taken care of during working hours is essential to success in the workplace.

Re-Evaluate Your Skills – Are there any skills that need refreshing? Or new ones to be learned? This might be the right time to do so.

Keep the Balance – Returning to work may be accompanied with higher stress & anxiety. Make sure to take a little time during the day to de-stress. Move, stretch, walk up the stairs, or talk with positive co-workers.

Mental Health And Resilience Training – Learn about common signs of mental distress, develop tools to prevent them from arising, and know how to respond if they do. Your skills in this area can help you to manage stress, and also know how to assist someone else in distress.

The road back to normal after COVID might be tricky but there are things you can do to make it a more pleasant experience. Think things through, be positive and take the time to prepare for your return to work.

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Author: Peter Diaz

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The real dangers of Work-From-Home burnout and how to properly tackle them

28/08/2020

Work-from-home (WFH) burnout is a real, serious, and increasingly common risk for remote workers across the globe. Learn the signs of WFH burnout, how to combat it, and where employers/virtual managers and employees can reach out for help.

The world is grappling with the novel coronavirus pandemic that continues to take a toll on nearly all aspects of people’s lives. The vast majority of the workforce across the globe has willy-nilly adapted to a new work environment — the new “normal” in the context of the pandemic. But working from home has also opened a Pandora’s box of workaholic tendencies, anxieties and fears, proneness to overworking and burnout, and potential mental health problems.

While the virus itself poses a risk to our physical health, the impact of the whole unnerving situation on our mental health is anything but negligible, and this is especially true for remote workers whose home has transformed into their office. Between working harder and longer hours from home and juggling family responsibilities, people who have been working remotely due to government-imposed restrictions are facing an increased risk of WFH/ lockdown burnout, with potentially long-term repercussions.

Different Remote Workers in Different Industries, All Overworked and Burned Out

What used to exclusively be their own oasis of relaxation where they’d spent quality time with their loved ones and unwind has also become their work environment for several months now. In a recent BBC News video, three professionals working remotely in different industries share their WFH experiences in terms of feeling the signs of burnout and overworked during lockdown in the UK.

“When I used to work at the gym I’d finish my work at the gym and then get home and rest but this just feels like there’s no end”.

Ana, a young personal trainer living in the UK, has been intensely working from home since March. Stuck at home, she started posting more educational content and live streaming workouts on Instagram, which quickly increased the number of clients from different countries. To provide her services online to clients in different parts of the world, such as the US and Australia, she’s been working almost round the clock. “I’m constantly working”, confesses Ana. From 30 sessions per week, Ana now manages 50-60 sessions per week.

“Because I lost all the gig income, I had to really buckle down”.

For David Altweger, a middle-aged musician and owner of an independent record label, the pandemic has had a devasting impact on his gig income. Running a record label online requires a lot of hard work and longer hours, so it’s no wonder that David’s workload significantly increased. He starts his day at 5 a.m. with a strong coffee. David’s workday is around 16 hours, as he’s got to handle every aspect of his business himself, including design work, office work, and, with his distributor closed due to lockdown, even CD deliveries, which are quite time-consuming, taking him at least 2 hours a day.

“Sometimes I feel like Covid Father Christmas delivering music to people’s door”, confesses David. His Moka pot is his “secret weapon”, but at the end of the day, he feels “completely knackered”.

“Lockdown has brought out the workaholic in me”

Abbey, a young art director working remotely for an ad agency in the UK has been feeling the pressure to stay productive and has been experiencing the effects of overworking due to fear of losing her job too. “I’m doing ten times more because there’s so much uncertainty around jobs and everything”, laments Abbey, for whom “the need to keep working” at all costs is so strong and deeply embedded that she oftentimes refuses to tend to her physiological needs for food.

She finds it difficult to take a break just to have lunch because she “doesn’t know how to switch off”. A major contributor to her inability to switch off is the fact that work and relaxation take place in the same environment i.e her home. Separating the two is as difficult for Abbey as it is for other remote workers around the globe.

In America, where over 30 million people have filed unemployment claims since March, the pressure to stay productive and even be more productive than prior to the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to a dramatic rise in the number of overworked people working from their homes. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll , 45% of US adults say that this whole situation associated with the pandemic has had a negative impact on their mental health.

I find myself working all the time, even when I should be getting ready for bed”

41-year-old New Jersey resident and mother-of-two Alana Acosta-Lahullier is overworked and feels burned out to the bone. Alana says she feels “an obligation to get everything done right”, even if doing so is detrimental to her mental health and well-being. Between her full-time job, working remotely for an electrical contractor, parenting, and helping with the schooling of her daughter and son, who has ADHD on the autism spectrum, she’s “constantly on the verge of a panic attack”.

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Panic-Working Is a Manic Defense

Even Gianpiero Petriglieri, a psychiatrist, MD, and associate professor of organisational behavior at the Business School for the World (INSEAD) admitted in late March that “by the time I went to bed at 3 a.m., I was exhausted, edgy, and miserable” due to “panic-working” from home.

The obsession with staying productive at all costs is considered a “manic defense” by psychoanalysts. Panic-working gives us a false sense of security and the illusion of being in control. It numbs us in the short term but this defense comes at a high price – feeling disconnected from reality, our experiences, and other people, and completely burned out.

Fighting Fire with Fire: A Vicious Cycle

Remote workers are oftentimes pushing themselves too hard as a way of coping with their anxieties and fears caused by the pandemic and the recession. But overworking in an effort to stay productive does not serve them well; in fact, it’s akin to self-sabotage because it eventually leads to burnout, more anxiety, depression, and other repercussions on their mental and overall health.

Both employers/virtual managers and remote workers need to be aware of the increased risk of burnout associated with working from home, recognise the (early) signs, and effectively combat it as early as possible.

Working Harder and Longer Has Become the Norm

Transition to a work-from-home culture has been challenging for managers across the globe. Finding new ways to ensure that their remote teams stay productive is one of their main priorities. However, instead of worrying about their teams’ underperformance, virtual managers should be on the lookout for overperformance, which has been found to be productivity’s enemy rather than its ally.

According to a 2017 working paper published by researchers at Harvard Business School, task selection is a common way through which workers manage their increased workload. More specifically, they tend to complete easier tasks, a behavior labeled as Task Completion Bias (TCB). Although TCB has been found to improve short-term productivity, it negatively impacts long-term performance measured by revenue and speed alike. Workers who do not exhibit this behavior tend to be significantly more productive than those who exhibit TCB.

Research shows that the vast majority of remote workers are more productive than their in-office counterparts. They work harder and longer hours than ever before for different reasons, including the fact that employers apply increasingly more pressure for efficiency purposes. for financial rewards, and out of fear. Remote workers fear for many things – they fear for the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones; the economic fallout and uncertainty of the future; they fear for losing their livelihood/financial security and no longer being able to provide for themselves and their family, and more.

But the reality is that overworking makes a remote worker more prone to WFH burnout.

The Warning Signs of WFH Burnout

Work-from-home or lockdown burnout refers to a state of exhaustion on physical, emotional, and mental levels caused by prolonged and excessive stress associated with panic-working/overworking from home and disruption to the work-life balance.

Although burnout is still not classified as a medical disorder, the World Health Organisation (WHO) included it in ICD-11 last year as an occupational phenomenon and is defined as “a syndrome” that results from chronic and unsuccessfully managed workplace stress.

What to watch out for:

Chronic fatigue/exhaustion and apathy
Depression and/anxiety worsening over time
Constantly elevated stress levels and reduced energy levels
Feeling overwhelmed and mentally drained all the time
Inability to focus and forgetfulness/memory issues
Lack of motivation, feelings of negativism toward one’s job
Declining performance, avoiding work or inability to switch off
Chest pain, shortness of breath and/or heart palpitations
Irritability, anger, and sleep disorders (e.g. insomnia)
Dizziness and headaches/migraines
Loss of/reduced appetite and/or gastrointestinal issues

Early recognition of these signs via virtual channels such as chat apps and video calls is of the utmost importance. It’s worth noting that a worker who is affected by WFH/lockdown burnout does not necessarily have to exhibit all of the above signs, because it manifests differently in different people.

Burnout can also weaken a remote worker’s immune system, which in turn may increase the risk of getting infected with the novel coronavirus.

Tips To Combat Lockdown Burnout

Establish clear boundaries that separate work from personal life to prevent work-life balance disruption
Set office hours and create a schedule designating work, free and family time to regain control
Avoid the tendency of being the perfect worker, which adds extra pressure
Take time off to unwind and discover a new hobby
Maintain social interactions/connections to avoid social isolation and detachment
Don’t suffer in silence -Talk to your team, virtual manager and reach out for help
If you are a manager or supervisor, make sure you can provide first aid for mental health incidents involving anxiety, stress and burnout.
As an organisation, provide workplace mental health training and resilience building skills training for your managers, supervisors and leaders.

Reach Out For Professional Help From Therapists

It’s absolutely crucial for virtual managers to learn to recognise the telltale signs of work-from-home burnout as early as possible in order to minimize its long-term impact on remote workers’ mental well-being as well as to properly address it in a timely and efficient fashion. The Workplace Mental Health Institute ( WMHI) is here to help virtual managers across the globe with a suite of tailored, top-tier and results-driven telehealth training courses and services, counseling, and coaching sessions on mental health, well-being, and resilience of employees working remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you’re an employee working from home and you’ve been feeling the effects of burnout and overworked during lockdown, it’s in your best interest to take some time off to decompress and to speak with a qualified therapist. In case your job offers free counseling sessions through an employee assistance program (EAP), then do yourself a huge favor and take full advantage of it for the sake of your mental health and well-being in these uncertain and difficult times.

Author: Peter Diaz

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How to Support Mental Health in the Workplace

29/07/2019

What you can now copy from the TOP companies like PWC and AMP on how they boost their employees’ Mental Health while improving Corporate Culture, Engagement and Profitability

Most management teams these days don’t need to be convinced that taking care of their team’s mental health is a good idea. But many managers don’t know where to start to support their employees. Here we show you what some top companies are doing in this important space, so you can copy and use what you need.

These companies recognise the importance of investing in their employees’ mental health.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health disorders affect nearly one in four people each year. Depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders are among the top causes of disability worldwide.¹

Since people tend to spend most of their working life at work, it follows that mental health issues affect all areas of a person’s life, including work.

WHO estimates the global cost of depression and anxiety at more than $1.2 trillion per year in lost productivity.² Left untreated, depression and other issues can affect absenteeism, productivity, and put workers at an increased risk of suicide. In short, having a reactive (or non-existent) approach to supporting mental health at work is eating up massive amounts of profits in businesses everywhere.

Unfortunately, many people don’t get help for mental health problems. Most people won’t even tell their immediate boss that there’s a problem. Up to fifty percent of people will not disclose at work. And, even more concerning, two-thirds of people who have a mental disorder won’t seek any professional treatment. Some say that the very real fear of discrimination and stigma are two gigantic obstacles that prevent people from getting help.

Mental health has long been considered an off-limits topic in the workplace. Thankfully, smart business leaders are beginning to recognise the importance of helping their employees’ stay emotionally fit. Here are three ways that top companies put mental health and well-being first.

Learn more about Workplace Mental Health Strategies…

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They Teach Employees’ How To Help Struggling Co-Workers

Most people are not trained to comfortably or effectively talk to someone about their mental health, especially in the workplace. If you don’t know what you are doing, you could make matters worse. AMP, which is a global company and also one of Australia’s largest companies, helps their employees learn how to help co-workers struggling with mental health issues. The financial giant has implemented a training program, called Mental Health Essentials, that equips team members with the skills to recognise when a co-worker is struggling and to get that person appropriate help.³ To upskill their managers and executives they’ve also run the Workplace Mental Health Masterclass for Leaders. AMP has had this Masterclass training delivered all over Australia, the UK and the USA, with great results.

They Partner With Leading Mental Health Organisations And Don’t Try To Do It All Themselves

Another way that top companies help their employees is by collaborating with trusted mental health organisation’s. PWC, AMP and The Star Group partner with several well-known mental health groups, but in particular the Workplace Mental Health Institute. By working with leaders in mental health advocacy, support, and recovery, you too can learn how to proactively support your employees’ mental health, be better prepared organisationally to manage risk and safety, and be better equipped to help colleagues.³

They Promote A Culture Of Openness And Trust

A high level of stigma exists surrounding mental health issues. This is an ongoing problem. More than 40 percent of U.K employers believe that hiring a person with mental illness represents a significant risk to the company, according to a 2010 survey among employers. Workers with mental illness are seen as unreliable and hard to get along with.

These types of beliefs in the workplace can cause employees to be reluctant to get help. Workers who call in sick because of depression or anxiety may make up other reasons for their absence. They may believe that being honest will cause their employers to pass them over for job promotions.

This culture needs to change if employers want healthier, more productive employees. One Australian company that understands the importance of fostering an open culture when it comes to mental illness is EY. Ernst & Young has collated information of other companies that are doing well in this space and they report it’s important for companies to share knowledge and information with its managers, supervisors, and employees about mental illness. The company that does well promotes an open dialogue when it comes to talking about mental illness. According to EY, openness and proactive early intervention result in decreased mental-health related claims.

As an employer, there’s a lot that you can do to support your employees’ mental health. Try some of the things that the world’s top companies are doing to support workers’ mental health. You’ll see what a difference these changes can make to your organisation and your employees’ well-being.

References:

Author: Peter Diaz

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4 Leadership Styles Every Leader Needs to Know

31/01/2017

Have you ever given feedback to a team member and felt it wasn’t received well? Or communicated the outcome you want, and what’s eventually delivered doesn’t resemble what you asked for?

Giving constructive feedback and direction is a critical skill for all leaders, but it’s not always easy to do. You want to balance the need to achieve outcomes with maintaining a great relationship, knowing it’s inevitable that team members will get it wrong sometimes.

The key is to use the correct leadership style for the person you are leading. A great tool to help you do this is the Competence / Confidence Matrix, adapted from research done way back in the 70’s. But unlike your safari suit, this model has stood the test of time.

1. High commitment / Low competence: Guide and coach

This might a new person on the team – a recent graduate or even an experienced player who isn’t yet familiar with how your team goes about things.

Discuss and decide on ways of doing things
Identify and provide the training needed
Accept early mistakes as important opportunities for coaching
Give responsibility and authority for the aspects of tasks the person can do
Require frequent updates early in the project, but relax control as progress is shown

2. High commitment, High competence: Delegate & release

These are your proven performers. The worst thing you can do is make them feel micro-managed.

Involve the person in decision-making
Frequently as the person for opinions
Give responsibility and authority because the person is competent and committed
Ask for updates at important moments or when the person has questions

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3. Low commitment, Low competence: Direct & tell

You don’t want people in this category for long. You may be able to help them increase their competence or commitment, or it may be time to break up.

Discuss what would motivate the person and agree on what’s possible
Set clear rules, methods and deadlines
Give responsibility and authority for aspects of the task the person can do
Plan tasks in such a way that ensures the person has some success quickly
Identify & provide the training needed
Require frequent updates early in the project, but relax control as progress is shown

4. Low commitment, High competence: Excite & inspire

Your mission is to find out why their commitment is flagging. Are they looking for a new challenge, or are they disengaged with you, the team, or the company?

Discuss why the task is important and why the person is the right choice
Discuss what would motivate the person and what’s possible
Give responsibility and authority because the person is competent
Require frequent updates

Thinking back on recent interactions that went well, was there a relationship between the style you used and the competence and confidence of the team member? What about interactions that didn’t go well – might a different style have produced better results?

Delegating, directing and managing performance is something we all struggle with at times. Even highly experienced leaders come across people they just can’t figure out, or regardless of how consciously they try, where any interaction with the person just ends up pushing buttons! But know that engaging and developing the skills of team members is the cornerstone of good leadership and your genuine efforts today are influencing the next generation of leaders who are currently under your mentorship.

Author: Peter Diaz

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