Leaders have a big job, and one of the many things they strive to do is to help team members be successful. However, surveys show that about half of our team members experience stress on a daily basis, making it difficult to focus and be innovative. These challenges translate to a lack of productivity and profitability. Many leaders struggle with knowing what to do.
Communication
The first step for leaders to make a difference is to communicate that you care to each team member. Sometimes leaders think we have to solve their problems or make them feel better. However, simply providing empathy and conveying that team members are important to us can go a long way.
Education
Leaders also need to educate themselves on the impact of stress, anxiety, or depression. All of these mental health issues have been on the rise and the more we know, the better we can recognize signs and empathize. Knowledge helps prevent a judgmental response about why someone is behaving the way they do or concluding that the person is just not trying to do their job. Instead, your knowledge will provide insight into how to guide the team member to being more successful.
Resources
Finally, leaders often struggle with knowing how to provide support when they were not trained to be counselors. In fact, leaders do not need to provide therapy, and there are some easy and cost-effective ways to help them. For example, having an Employee Assistance Program which includes counseling benefits allows team members to seek help without being embarrassed. Another great way to support team members is providing flexibility for a “mindfulness” break where staff can take a short walk, move away from their desk, or engage in other restorative activities for a few minutes.
There are many ways in which leaders can provide resources to support team members. Healthy team members create healthy teams which are more engaged, innovative, and solutions focused. Let’s be leaders that care, know, and do!
