hiding stress in the workplace

Two articles in the 2022 March edition of the CIPD’s People Magazine stood out for me.  The first was a poll by BHSF of 2000+ employees who said that only 41% would raise mental health concerns with the manager.  Only 36% would feel comfortable discussing physical health, 28% financial concerns or 22% around grief.  In other words, personal issues are not brought to the table, when it’s often those which are impeding productivity.
 
The second was another survey by Champion Health which found that 67% were experiencing moderate to high levels of stress and more than 28% had seen their productivity negatively impacted because of stress.  More than half of employees felt fatigued and 53% reported that tiredness was impacting their productivity at work.
 
The articles indicated that creating a workplace that was mental health friendly has to start from the top – from the leadership.  Companies needed to invest in their wellbeing strategies.  There has to be a clear direction, understanding and training for proper support.
 
So, before you raise your eyebrows and sigh, putting away the data and ignoring it because it’s too hard, it’d cost too much, you don’t have time; remember that you’re a leader and it’s the leader’s job to take note of these things and do something about it.
 
What can you do then?  You might have an understanding Board, a strong leadership team that recognises the issue and can give you a high level of support in any strategy you come up with.  If you have then you’re privileged.  It makes life easier but also places a burden on you to be a pathfinder and show the rest of the business world what could and should be done.
 
There will be others, and I suspect the majority of you, who have a team who know that there’s an issue but, ‘it’s how things are’ or ‘we don’t have money to throw at the problem’ or ‘bring it to the next meeting’ and then fizzles out.
 
Regardless of where you sit, what can you do?  What can you put in place that doesn’t cost anything to start off with, shows a new approach to working, and brings almost instant results?
 
Listen.  Listen without interrupting.  Give attention to what is being said in your team, by individuals and show appreciation of their thoughts.  It can be two minutes whilst you’re queuing for coffee, or 2 minutes in a Board meeting, it doesn’t matter.  Listen.  Listen without interrupting.  Give them your full attention.
 
It’s the cornerstone of Nancy Kline’s Thinking Environment (TE) and the promise, letting them know you’re going to do this, the promise of not interrupting, is world changing.  It’s a seed that will grow if it’s nurtured and one that releases tension, reduces stress, improves productivity.
I’ve been doing a lot of work with NHS front-line staff, teaching them about the Thinking Environment.  At every session they attend in a high anxiety, highly stressed state and within 20 minutes of being in a Thinking Environment they are visibly eased, able to think clearly.  I can see their bodies relaxing, the worry lines easing and their breathing slowing.  They treasure the attention that others are giving them, knowing that they won’t be interrupted and that their thoughts are valued.  Seemingly insurmountable problems now have solutions that they’ve found because they’ve been able to be at ease and think generatively.
 
For those in a leadership role, whether that’s at Board level or on the shopfloor, do one simple thing to start the journey back to mental wellbeing.  Let people know you will listen to them, listen without interrupting.  It truly is the promise that changes everything.
If you want to find out more about how the Thinking Environment can help you as a leader, or as an individual then get in touch or click on this link.