How Leaders Can Transform Workplace Mental Health Culture

Source: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the heck is water?” This quote from David Foster Wallace does a good job explaining culture: It can be hard to define because it’s all around us all the time.

A more official definition is that culture is the set of values, beliefs, attitudes, systems, and rules that outline and influence employee behavior within an organization.

Leaders play a big role in culture because they can convey appropriate and inappropriate behavior. If leaders share their recharging activities with their team, they are role modeling it through their own behaviors. This type of role modeling has a powerful impact on a team because it gives employees permission to recharge their own batteries. Otherwise, what is being signaled is that employees should take care of themselves, but that if they want to get to the top, they need to sacrifice their health.

Creating a culture that values wellness and recharging helps employees and the bottom line. Leaders will get a lot more productivity from team members if they create a culture of recharging. They will retain top talent and spend less time recruiting, hiring, and training new staff. Younger generations also see this as essential in their decisions about who to work for; they want to know their leaders care about their mental health.

Use New Language: Batteries and Stress Thermometers

Tersm like “battery” and “stress thermometer” describe mental health checks without the stigma of clinical language. It is important to normalize the conversation about batteries and thermometers by making it a regular topic of conversation. Regular meetings like daily check-ins, weekly team meetings, or one-on-ones are good places to start. Lead by being the first to share your battery and thermometer. This is the most important way to model that this is important behavior.

Leaders often ask me: How do I bring it up with an employee if I think they’re struggling? If you’ve never asked them how they are, and this is the first time you’re talking about it, it’s definitely going to be an awkward conversation. By normalizing the conversation as a regular check-in, it’s much easier to have the discussion when someone is struggling.

Conclusion

Creating a positive workplace culture is an ongoing effort. Leaders’ behavior sets the tone for what is acceptable and valued within an organization. By modeling recharging, using accessible language to discuss mental health, and normalizing those conversations, leaders can foster a culture that supports the well-being of employees and the success of the organization.