NSFW? Part 4: Great wellbeing leaders aren’t born. They’re trained

So far in this series, we’ve gone big on mental health strategies that build sustainable high performance. 

Like whether single-point solutions actually work (answer: yes and no). A better approach to the EAP (the ESP). And if you can really trust mental health companies (it depends)

Why? To separate falsehood from scientific fact, so you can unlock human potential. 

After all, workplace wellbeing isn’t just about altruism: mental health investment pays back. 

Josh Bersin Group research shows companies that stitch workplace wellbeing into their culture are:

• 20x more likely to exceed their financial targets,
• 5x more likely to satisfy and retain customers,
• 15x more likely to engage and retain staff,
• 10x more likely to have lower absenteeism,
• and, on average, enjoy a 12% spike in productivity.

Of course, given the option, pretty much every organization on Earth would choose this reality. And, in actual reality, there’s good and bad news to be had.

The bad is that workplace cultures built on excellent wellbeing are not an off-the-shelf solution. Sorry. But wait. 

The good is that the people you need to help drive towards a better culture already exist. Best of all? As luck would have it, every single one already works for you.

In a 2023 review of 556 academic studies, researchers showed just how much work can impact wellbeing. 

This ranged from obvious factors (employees who face bullying are more likely to have poor mental health), to lesser-known ones (there’s a clear link between role clarity and mental wellbeing). 

Also hidden among the data is the finding that, for all the many ways to nurture and improve employee mental health, one sure-fire solution exists everywhere: HR. From hiring and role design to job descriptions and flexible work schemes, People leaders have a hands-on role in shaping company culture.

What might this look like in practice: not hiring the applicant who is A+ in every way but seems like they could be a bully. Feels obvious, but in fast-paced, highly-competitive industries, it’s a bold call. And given the outsize impact bullying and harassment has on employee wellbeing, this one act could make a positive difference, company-wide.

The sprawling review also picked out managers as having huge power in setting the organizational tone. It said that the manager who actively supports their team, and creates space for workmates to help each other, can have a direct bearing on employee mental health.

Mentally healthy cultures don’t just happen on their own.

While it’s true that managers and HR can drive workplace wellbeing, to make a meaningful difference, these skills must be earned.

82% of newly appointed managers find themselves thrust into leadership roles without adequate training. These ‘accidental managers’ are promoted based on competency. We then hope they’ll transition smoothly – because they’re smart enough, right? Hope isn’t a strategy. Modern teams have complex needs.

Bad management costs big – it tanks employee wellbeing, productivity, motivation, satisfaction and revenue. Good managers, on the other hand, are force multipliers – they make work better for everyone. They inspire creativity, loyalty and joy.  

Managers are up against it. They need support more than anyone – but it needs to meet them where they are, and it needs to focus on the right things. The soft skills that are the hardest to learn. Delivered in a way that’s accessible, engaging and memorable. 

At Unmind, we designed manager training programs to make it easy for you and your agents of change:

1. Built for high performance

Give managers the skills they neeed to nurture high-performing, psychologically safe teams. Leaders should learn skills like how to have difficult conversations, how to support colleagues, and how to master the art of self-care 

1. Meets managers in their flow of life and work 

Busy leaders will only engage with wellbeing training if it meets them where they are. Training should integrate with the toole your managers use every day, like Slack and Teams. 

1. Continuous and bitesize 

No one has time or inclination to attend lengthy, dry training sessions. That’s what’s given workplace training a bad rap in the first place. Make sure you use nano-content that gives managers an incentive to learn and return, at whatever pace suits them. 

Studies show that quality mental health training “may lead to significant behavioral change,” and the opportunity for the wider business is clear. By giving your leaders the tools they need, they can not only support their team with confidence, but drive company-wide change from within.

Like we said up top, workplace culture is a feeling. And your people can feel when things are bad, as well as good. In Mind Share Partners’ 2023 ‘Mental Health at Work’ report, 59% of employees said a healthy work culture was ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ helpful to their mental health.

Our advice: upskilling your leaders can only bring positive benefits. 

Like a more knowledgeable workforce. 

Better wellbeing – in themselves and their colleagues. 

And a company culture that turns good vibes into great results, long term.

Thanks for reading part 4 of NSFW?. But don’t stop now. Next up, Part 5: 3.4x ROI - How wellbeing investment pays back