This is the first installment in our blog series for Employee Mental Health & Wellness
You can control what you can control. We have all heard that phrase countless times. When it comes to building an environment that fosters employee resiliency, no truer statement has ever been uttered. We as human beings at our core need to feel safe. That is as fundamental a need as clothing and shelter. When we fear for our own safety, all our internal resources are expelled on self-fortification. An extended period of self-protection can undoubtably lead to both mental and physical exhaustion. In the workplace this can be displayed as employee burnout. On the other hand, when we feel secure, our attention can be focused in other directions. Our survival is not in danger, so we have the luxury of being creative or funny. We can think and imagine. Or, in the business world, we can focus on our tasks at hand and be more productive.
A business culture that supports positive mental health can provide employees with resiliency against life’s stressors and uncertainties. We cannot control the outside world, but we can, however, create an oasis of peace where employees may unplug and re-center. Being fortified against the rampant negativity that accompany the times we are now living in can help an employee feel centered, safe and remain productive.
This proposition often seems simple enough. Rare is the business owner or manager who desires an environment where an employee feels threatened. Clearly, that would be counter-intuitive and certainly lead to the dreaded high rates of employee turnover. What I am proposing moves beyond an OSHA compliant workplace. It involves equipping the employee with the tools they need to survive in an era of uncertainty. It requires a new type of leadership; one that fosters strength and acceptance. It involves supporting an employee as a whole person who needs not only financial security, but emotional security. Employees need to be taught personal techniques that will help them to combat life’s many stressors.
The modern workforce is complicated. Their needs are in flux and are being shaped as the world continues to evolve. Businesses not only have to acknowledge that but be one step ahead of the changes and anticipate the needs of their staff. Allow them to react, to grow and to adapt. Allow them to pause and guide them through periods of uncertainty with sound leadership and patience. Companies that are willing to adapt and change as their employees require will be rewarded with increased levels of employee loyalty, lower turnover and decreased levels of presenteeism. After all, we can only control what we can control.