How to help manager mental health

Recently we surveyed 2,000 junior to mid level managers across the UK, which revealed some worrying trends. 73% of managers say they’re being asked to do more with less resources. And while this may be a common feeling for people at all levels of a business, managers are in a unique position.

Not only do they need to support the wellbeing of the people they manage — and 62% of managers say their teams now need more help on non-work issues — but they're also under pressure from those above to get their teams performing for the business. Plus, managers are employees themselves, so they're likely to have many of the same wants, needs and struggles as other employees.

All of these pressures are having an impact on manager wellbeing — 59% say this has been affected by increasing role pressure, while almost half (49%) say their capacity to care for their own wellbeing has been reduced.

So how can you as a business leader help those all-important middle managers? We’ve put together some top tips below.

Start with the basics

We talk a lot about employee wellbeing, but make sure your managers are setting an example and taking care of themselves. Start simple — for example, are they taking their full lunch break? Are you making sure they don't work an excess number of hours?

Encourage a culture of 'courageous conversations' — where managers can be open with any struggles they're having. This also helps normalise talking about mental health in the workplace.

Finally, ask them if they're making use of the wellbeing resources your company provides. At the very least you should be promoting these to all staff on a regular basis, showing that the company isn’t just ticking a box by having these in place.

Have regular check-ins

Who's managing the managers? It's normally senior leaders, and they should be seen as confidantes, who middle managers  can turn to for non-work problems. One-to-one meetings should be a standard part of every week. That way, you’re creating regular communication, even if they’re working remotely. That in turn makes it easier to steer the conversation away from projects and deadlines, towards wellbeing and anything that might be impacting it.

It’s important to ask the question: “Do you feel overstretched at the moment?” This simple act shows managers that they’re genuinely cared about, and not just seen as a resource to help the business meet its KPIs.

Here are some other questions senior leaders should consider asking:

• How do you feel your workload is right now?
• Are there any issues with your team that I can assist with?
• What's one thing we could change about work for you that would help?
• What can I help you with between now and the next time we meet?
• Last time we spoke you said X was a challenge for you; how is that going?

 

Equip them with the right tools...

Our study revealed that 77% of managers have taken it upon themselves to develop new skills and competencies. While this is encouraging, it shouldn't just be on them. The business has a responsibility to equip them and right now it seems this isn't happening. Nearly two-thirds of managers (64%) said their leaders wanted them to support the wellbeing of their teams, but hadn't given them meaningful tools to do this.

We mentioned wellbeing resources earlier, and if this is something you're looking to bring into your business, here are some things you can offer:

• Discount schemes - 27% of managers also said this was the most effective tool for motivating their teams
• Health insurance
• Subsidised travel
• Employee Assistance Programmes
• Counselling sessions
• Meditation guides
• Access to gym and yoga sessions

...and training

Something managers are especially keen to be trained on is spotting the signs of struggling employees. Mental health issues are a lot harder to identify than physical problems, but they’re not always invisible. Here are some of the things you can tell managers to keep an eye out for:

• Someone’s tired when at work
• Someone takes more time off than usual (without a clear reason) or shows up constantly late
• Someone’s easily frustrated, gets angry, or responds in an irritated way
• Someone isn’t eating properly
• Someone’s productivity plummets
• Someone stops keeping up with their appearance or has poor hygiene
• Someone stops participating in social activities

Don’t make assumptions

It’s easy to jump into problem solving mode — it’s a common part of work. Think of how many job descriptions you see which ask for people to have “good problem solving skills”.

But when it comes to people’s wellbeing, a better approach is to ask what they need.

If a manager is having issues, ask if there’s anything you can do that’ll help them to look after their health better. By doing this instead of assuming, it opens the conversation up a bit more. Remember — everybody has their own individual needs and challenges.