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Creating a healthy workplace micro-climate
“I used to believe,” says Dr. Martin Shain, “that the impetus for a psychologically safe and healthy working environment must come from the top.” A mental health consultant and director and founder of the Neighbour@Work Centre, Shain now thinks differently. “Sometimes we can’t wait for senior
leadership to get it. Sometimes we have to assume leadership within our own work unit or team.”
Shain and The Neighbour@Work Centre help organizations protect the mental wellbeing of their employees by promoting a culture of fairness, civility and respect.
“Even in relatively unhealthy environments,” explains Shain, “you can create pockets of health. It’s like a property that’s gone wild. You can still create a healthy micro-environment where things will grow. You have to be careful because these pockets will be at risk of being invaded by the surrounding
environment. However, nurturing growth is possible.”
Mary Ann Baynton, a workplace mental health consultant (Mary Ann Baynton & Associates Consulting) and a member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Workforce Advisory Committee, often coaches people on finding ways to make meaningful changes to their environment without becoming overwhelmed at the prospect. “It can be too much for people to think that they’re going to be able to change the culture of an entire organization,” says Baynton. “Instead, I encourage the concept that every person is a leader in his or her own circle of influence. Whether you are a leader because you have the authority to be a leader or because people want to follow you, you have the ability to change the way people interact, and you can set a tone that changes the way people support each other.”
The implication: “if you recognize an opportunity,” says Baynton, “don’t wait for the CEO to issue a directive, or for HR to launch a program.”
Both Shain and Baynton point to the benefits that can accrue:
• greater productivity
• reduced absenteeism
• greater success in hiring and retaining employees
• lower disability costs
• better customer service
2 How to create a healthy micro-climate
Managers and team members can enhance their psychological environment through their own actions and their influence on others. For example:
• encourage report-to’s and team members to participate in decision-making
• demonstrate fairness in management style, application of policies, and dealings with others
• minimize perks based on hierarchy
• train and evaluate report-to’s on communication and people skills
• provide or encourage flexible work arrangements
• provide or encourage work-life balance policies and practices
• show appreciation for report-to and team member efforts
• ensure you and your team members are respectful to everyone
• measure employee satisfaction regularly, and act on findings
• provide report-to’s and team members with the information and resources they need to do their jobs well
• address or raise work overload issues
Resources
• A Leadership Framework for Advancing Workplace Mental Health, Mental Health Commission of Canada (www.mhccleadership.ca). Includes tools, information videos of Canadian business leaders talking about mental health
• Guarding Minds @ Work: A Workplace Guide to Psychological Safety and Health
(www.guardingmindsatwork.ca). An evidence-based strategy, containing resources for assessing and addressing 12 psychosocial risk factors. Includes an organizational audit, multiple employee surveys, action tools, and evaluation templates.
• Industry Canada: business case for corporate social responsibility (www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/csr- rse.nsf/eng/h_rs00100.html)
• depression calculator (www.depressioncalculator.com). Hosted by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
• alcohol and substance abuse calculators, courtesy of the George Washington University Medical Center; US-oriented, but an interesting exercise [www.alcoholcostcalculator.org/]
• Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario: a how-to guide for workplace mental health promotion (www.ontario.cmha.ca)
• Great-West Life Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace: strategies, tools and support for research and initiatives aimed at improving workplace mental health
(www.gwlcentreformentalhealth.com)
