To Promote Mental Health at Work, Focus on Good Management

Employers have a unique opportunity to improve the mental health of 157 million U.S. adults.

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Mental health is not a benefit; it’s a workplace imperative.

In response to mounting psychological distress among their workforces, employers have begun providing mental health days, sabbaticals, four-day workweeks, yoga rooms, and enhanced counseling benefits or apps.

As a clinical psychologist and business coach for over 30 years, I can assure you that, while these steps can be helpful, they aren’t enough. Companies risk offering topical treatments rather than effective solutions for endemic problems. What we need now is a reset and review of fundamental principles that strengthen interpersonal, managerial skills such that being human at work—relating to coworkers from a shared foundation of meaning and respect—becomes the norm, especially when operating under pressure during uncertain times.

In 2019, The CEO Roundtable declared that “As employers, dedicated to workplace health and well-being, we have an obligation to prioritize mental health on the same level, and with the same laser focus as physical health.” The statement underscored that employers have a unique opportunity to improve the mental health of 157 million U.S. adults who spend more time working than any other activity apart from sleeping.

Several months after the report’s release, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. In 2022, we are facing a tsunami of mental health challenges. The incidences of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress have more than tripled during the pandemic. With two years of workplace disruption and social distancing, comprehensive mental health support has become a true business imperative.

No one is immune – Surveys indicate that senior leaders are more burned-out than ever.

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Research assessing Millennials, Gen Z-ers, LGBTQ+, Black, and Latinx demographics, has revealed that these groups are significantly more likely to experience myriad mental health stress symptoms and leave their jobs because of these emotional challenges. To many workers, mental health is a DEI issue, though no one is immune to psychological challenges at work.

You can’t outsource mental health.

Employee assistance programs can connect people to treatment once problems have been identified. But what about prevention? How can organizations cultivate emotionally healthy work environments? Companies are increasingly investing in mental fitness. Some enterprises have even established a new position: Chief Wellness Officer.

While these measures may positively impact, I worry about delegating the accountability, cordoning it off, including it in someone else’s job specs, and failing to see that everyday actions often carry greater heft than well-meaning (and often costly) programs.

We can take a lesson from the trajectory of corporate social responsibility departments—until the goals are considered integral to the company's success, they remain on the margins, as an add-on to work, not the work itself. You can’t assign or outsource employee mental well-being or health—it is everyone’s obligation, especially management’s!

Good Management Promotes Good Mental Health

Management is exhausted. You can’t ask them to do more. You can offer tools and training, modeling, and encouragement to approach work with a different, more energizing mindset. As the world emerges from the pandemic, it’s time to expand the conversation beyond ventilation to valuing people; to shift from social distancing to fostering deeper interpersonal connection.

Unclear roles and responsibilities, unrealistic expectations, and rude behavior squash motivation and self-esteem. Conversely, daily interactions can imbue work with meaning. Calling colleagues by their names, being curious about their outside interests, pausing to really listen, stopping to see everyone (not only those who are familiar or powerful) all foster a sense of belonging—offering praise and taking time to acknowledge accomplishments links ongoing tasks to a higher goal.

Consistent and clear communication, providing the time and space to explore questions that have no obvious answers, and asking not only “How are you?” but “How can I help?” all contribute to a culture of respect and shared humanity.

Upon returning to the office, asking “How have you changed during the time you were working from home?” and then going one step deeper to find out, “And as a result of those personal changes, how do you think we as a team should change the way we work?” sets the stage for shared growth and acknowledges that you can't just declare, “We’re back!” and pretend nothing has shifted. Showing interest in “How can I help you succeed?" personalizes interactions and reinforces a culture of care.

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Setting firm boundaries and getting the basics right lay the foundation of trust from which conflicts can be cleared, and the inevitable mistakes that drive innovation can be made. You can call it mental health training, or you can call it good management.

The Future of Work

We all feel and do better work when our mental health is protected and promoted. There’s no replacement for strong human relationships, and no one is better placed to provide positive personal interactions than the coworkers and managers you interface with daily. Let’s leverage this mental health crisis to revalue your workforce’s well-being and put human-centered leadership at the core of all management training.