How and Why Senior Leadership Must Provide Emotional Support in the Age of COVID
A little stress can be a good thing in the workplace. Pressure tends to focus attention on the task at hand. It forces one to prioritize. It helps us prepare ourselves for difficult challenges. Stress can also fire the imagination, spur creativity, and lead to valuable innovations.
But over time, stress can quickly spiral out of control. When it does, it can lead to interpersonal conflicts, poor employee morale, an increase in worker sick days and workplace injuries, and overall lower productivity. In extreme circumstances, stress can even lead to employee suicides.
If a psychologist ever sought a “living laboratory” to study the effects of stress in the workplace, contemporary America would be it. Now one full year into the COVID-19 pandemic, American workers are stressed to the max from any number of directions.
For instance, healthcare workers continue to work double overtime, often to the point of exhaustion, just to keep up with the influx of new patients. So-called “essential workers,” from plumbers and electricians to restaurant workers and grocery store clerks, continue to work under conditions posing health risks. And although nearly half of all white-color workers are now working remotely from home, the stress of balancing professional responsibilities with domestic life — coupled with months and months of physical isolation — is taking a terrible toll on people’s hearts, minds, and nerves.
To this point, a recent survey by the Harvard Business Review found 85 percent of 1,500 individuals surveyed in 46 countries currently struggle with general and workplace well-being. The number-one symptom reported by respondents was “workplace burnout.” Folks have simply had enough. They’re not happy with their situation and they want out.
Of course, for most working people, simply quitting and spending the rest of the pandemic on some tropical beach is not an option. Most Americans are still living paycheck-to-paycheck and need a steady income just to pay the bills. And unfortunately, due to COVID, nearly 3 million women have dropped out of the workforce because they must take care of school-aged children. Those who are left feel compelled to muddle through, even if they feel like they’re dying inside.
Which is why it is now more important than ever for employers to take an active interest in their people’s psychological and emotional well-being. They need to support every member of their workforce, from the lowliest intern all the way up to members of the C-suite, as we all deal with this ongoing crisis.
Below are some simple yet powerful actions company CEOs, managers, and directors can do right now to help their workers get through the next few months and deliver better performance as a result.
Openly acknowledging you understand this is not “business as usual” and you recognize the need for greater flexibility in the workplace.
Regularly reach out to your direct reports to check on their mental and emotional status.
Set aside a time each week for workers to express their feelings and frustrations. (Also solicit suggestions for how schedules and policies might be improved.)
If many of your employees are working remotely, schedule time for regular video check-ins.
Offer to provide any items that may improve one’s working environment, such as a more comfortable chair or better lighting for ZOOM meetings.
Stay abreast of your workers’ mental health. (Do you have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with a counselor whom employees can talk to? If not, this is a very good time to start using the services of an EAP.)
Let’s return to regular check-ins. These especially matter from a psychological perspective. Keen observers should be able to pick up on signs of serious strains on mental health leading to potential suicide. I advise paying close attention to those displaying extreme mood swings, substance abuse, angry outbursts, or who suddenly seem withdrawn. If someone indicates he/she intends to harm themselves, reach out to their friends and family (if you know them) and do your best to connect them with a suicide prevention hotline. It is imperative you be alert to signs and cries for help and do all you can to help those in such a situation.
Ultimately, it helps to remember we are running a marathon, not a sprint, and to do all we can to support our people, any organization’s most valuable asset. Even before COVID, I was talking about this issue in a profile with Forbes. If you need help providing support to your workforce during these difficult times, we’re here to help. We’re business culture specialists. Email me at laura@conoverconsulting.com and let’s talk.