Why Effective Organizational Communication Matters for Mental Health At Work
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What I appreciate, deeply, about Mental Health Awareness Month is that countless organizations focus on why it's healthy and important to talk about mental health at work. And for the companies who are ahead of the curve, they also focus on building the skills to do that.
What I'm not seeing as much of, and would like to see more of, is organizations encouraging their employees and leaders to find the different ways that work for them individually to talk about mental health at work. Because that process can look different for everyone.
The method matters as much as the message, and we need to remember that.
Echoing my LinkedIn post from the other day, sometimes it's better to just focus on doing what we can, when we can with what we have. So I'm going to keep this short and sweet today, because with the heightened stress levels that everyone is feeling right now, the last thing you need is to read really long article about mental health.
WHY DOES EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION MATTER ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH?
When we talk about mental health conversations, we often focus on techniques and the 'in the moment stuff', like eye contact, paying attention to body language, active listening etc.
But is that all there is to it? Nope.
While those elements are really important for in the moment for conversations, what about encouraging people on how to find different avenues and methods that work for them when it comes to talking about mental health at work?
For companies to succeed in truly embedding mental health conversations throughout their organization in a meaningful way, it’s critical to not only break down the stigma of talking about mental health at work and to build the skills to do so but also understand and encourage the different ways people want to engage in that conversation.
Effective communication about mental health at work means aiming for open and clear communication about what the primary goal is when trying to create a change in how, when, and where people have these conversations. To encourage a productive dialogue about mental health, throughout all levels of the organization, in different ways that work for different people.
And making it explicitly clear that the organization is actually paying attention to the workforce’s mental health struggles, from a (hopefully) authentic and clear place.
When it comes to mental health at work, poor organizational communication about how the business wants to encourage workplace mental health conversations will often breed more misunderstanding than understanding, and often leave staff feeling like they don’t know how to respond or what to do with that information. Talk about a conversation barrier…
Organizations have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to demonstrate how they hope their workforce will engage in these discussions, and the channels and forums in which to constructively do it. This means looking at all methods of communication, because there's more than one way to do it.
Some people want to first absorb information at a town hall before having any conversations. Some folks may want a casual conversation in their 1:1 with their boss. Others may appreciate sharing in a group in a workshop. None of these are wrong, and companies need to provide encouragement for their staff to find methods that work for them.
People express themselves differently from one another, and each person has a preferred communication method. So the diversification of avenues for people to have that conversation, hopefully, means that each person can find the way that best works for them. Don't force anyone (or those conversations) into a box.
The two most important words to think of here are: multi-channel and sustainable.
OPEN FOR ALL: ESTABLISHING YOUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Let's explore some tips to get (or keep) conversations going1:
There are innumerable ways to communicate, so let's explore 6 easy ways to encourage (or start) these mental health conversations in your workplace, or even just to foster learning about the topic. Encourage people to find the methods of communication that fit them. Because the medium, time, and place matter.
For group conversations, offer multiple forums: encourage staff to engage in mental health communication and learning across multiple avenues, in whatever way works for them. Whether it's in all company events, manager trainings, workshops, town halls, and team meetings.
Emphasize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP): As we've established before, resources like EAPs often go unnoticed because employees don't know they exist, don't understand what they are, when to use them, or feel embarrassed to. If your company has a mental health resource like EAP or a counseling program, don't hesitate to promote (and explain) it. Some folks may really not want to talk to their colleagues or leaders, so talking to a therapist via the EAP (an objective external party) may be just what they need.
Encourage an 'open door policy' for casual conversations: not everyone wants to talk during mental health events, or in virtual mediums. Some people don't want to make it a 'formal thing' and just want to be able to feel like they can bring up mental health at work, as and when it's relevant or appropriate, and to the right people. Encouraging these daily embedded conversations is a great tool to foster open communication about mental health.
Embrace how technology can help conversations: there are more virtual ways to communicate than ever these days. Adapting to and adopting new communication styles is a must to ensure communication effectiveness. Some people may feel more comfortable using instant messaging, emails, internal message boards, text messaging, voice messaging, or other asynchronous communication methods as it allows them to organize their thoughts before expressing them.
Encourage conversations to happen anywhere, even if it's not at work: Record a video to address colleagues and employees at work encouraging mental health conversations to happen anywhere and with whomever people feel they would be useful (or needed) to have them with. This active approach is a game changer because it shows that an organization wants the conversations to happen period, even if that means only outside of work. The aim here is to make sure the conversations are happening so people can get the support they need, and that the organization actually cares about this happening.
Encourage just learning about the topic, because that may breed conversations: not everyone is ready to talk about mental health at work, or even anywhere for that matter. Some people are still on their learning journey. For some, learning happens before the conversation, and for others, it's during. Sometimes progress isn't just about encouraging conversations, but just increasing knowledge about the topic. Give learning resources to your organization that will accomplish this, in whatever medium you're able to offer. For those of you who love reading, here's a written resource for you (yes, it's mine haha) Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here's Why and How To Do It Really Well). For those of you who prefer learning through visuals and storytelling, feel free to check out my two LinkedIn Learning courses: Realistic Strategies To Talk About Your Mental Health At Work and Talking About Mental Health As a Leader
CONCLUSION
Discussing mental health at work is already a challenge for countless people.
Effective communication on how this topic can be approached and encouraging people to find what works for them is critical to getting these conversations to happen when and where they need to.
So, explore all avenues and invite everyone to take part in the discussion, however they feel is best for them.
Check out Melissa’s book to learn more about effective communication skills in mental health discussions.
Source:
1: Doman, Melissa. Yes, You Can Talk about Mental Health at Work: Here's Why ... and How to Do It Really Well. Welbeck Publishing Group, 2021.
