What strategies can consulting firms use to support employee mental health?

More than half the world’s population are currently in work and 15% of working-age adults live with a mental disorder. Without effective support, mental disorders and other mental health conditions can affect a person’s confidence and identity at work, capacity to work productively, absences and the ease with which to retain or gain work. Twelve billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety alone. Furthermore, people living with severe mental health conditions are largely excluded from work despite this being important for recovery. Mental health conditions can also impact families, carers, colleagues, communities, and society at large.

Consulting firms can prioritize employee mental health by promoting work-life balance, offering flexible schedules, and providing stress management resources. Encouraging open communication, creating a supportive culture, and offering mental health training can also foster a positive environment. Regular check-ins, recognizing achievements, and destigmatizing mental health discussions contribute to a healthier workplace. Implementing these strategies demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being and enhances overall team productivity and satisfaction.

I bring stress management as a course while teaching Clients and it has had an awesome result. For instance, bringing to the fore the importance of having the right hours of sleep to achieve good health of mind and body.

I have experienced success with this by approaching employees regularly and asking how they are. Not how their work is, not if they are busy, but truly asking how they are. Then I mute. To me, this builds trust and empathy for your team members. Especially in fractured environments, being empathetic to how the person is and seeing them as a human (not a cog in the machine) drastically improves their mental health on a team over time. It is not overnight, but a repeated process that builds.

Las consultoras pueden implementar diversas estrategias para respaldar la salud mental de sus empleados. Estas incluyen promover una cultura de apertura y reducción del estigma en torno a la salud mental, ofrecer programas de bienestar que aborden aspectos físicos y emocionales, proporcionar capacitación en gestión del estrés y habilidades para la vida, facilitar el acceso a recursos de apoyo, y fomentar un equilibrio saludable entre trabajo y vida personal. Además, establecer políticas que promuevan la flexibilidad laboral y la comunicación efectiva contribuye a crear un entorno donde los empleados se sientan respaldados y capaces de gestionar su salud mental de manera proactiva.

Remote and flexible work options show people that you care. Pandemic change the way we work and operate. Your people deserve to sleep in, have lunch with loved ones and still perform at their peak.

Love flexible working, but it’s crucial, that these policies are paired with clear communication and boundaries to ensure that the flexibility doesn’t turn into a 24/7 work expectation. Implementing regular check-ins and providing mental health resources can further enhance the effectiveness of these measures, ensuring that employees feel supported both in and out of the workplace.

I have never been a fan of "butts in seats" work. I believe if you offer flexible work options and encourage remote work, you are telling your employees you trust them and they will show you better work. The data has reflected over the years that we are more productive with more freedom, I constantly push clients to drive 4 day work weeks, remote options, hybrid schedules to show value and trust in the company. It is evergreen!

Consulting firms need to de-normalise burn out and ensure it is not seen as a badge of honour. Employees should be trained on how to create healthy boundaries which in turn will help reduce attrition and enhance employees’ productivity.

Fostering Mental Well-being in Consulting: Embracing Strategies for Success! 1️⃣ Invest in Wellness Programs: Elevate employee mental health by investing in comprehensive wellness programs. From counseling and coaching to therapy services, provide essential resources in-house or through strategic partnerships. Offer wellness benefits like gym memberships, meditation apps, or retreats, fostering a holistic approach to well-being. 2️⃣ Accessible Mental Health Services: Prioritize access to mental health services, acknowledging the diverse needs of your workforce. Whether through counseling, coaching, or therapy, ensure employees have the support they need for their mental and emotional health.

Psychological Safety Principle: Leadership plays a crucial role in creating a psychologically safe environment. They need to model the behaviour that promote openness, inclusivity, and support so employees can get the help they need when required.

En mi experencia, algunas formas de cultivar el sentido de propósito y pertenencia del equipo son: Misión Clara: Comunicar constantemente nuestra misión inspiradora para que todos se sientan conectados a un propósito compartido. Cultura de Apoyo: Promover un ambiente donde cada miembro se siente valorado y escuchado. Desarrollo Personal: Ofrecer oportunidades de crecimiento y desarrollo, lo que refuerza la sensación de progresar hacia metas significativas. Celebración de Logros: Reconocer los éxitos individuales y colectivos, reforzando la sensación de pertenencia y logro compartido.

The ‘how’ of this strategy is the tricky bit. We talk about ‘alignment’ a lot in organisations but the ‘how’ is often missing. Here are five practical tactics: 1. Storytelling is a potent currency that is grossly undervalued and under-utilised. Learn to tell meaningful stories that connect firm purpose with things people care about. 2. Tell stories at five levels: * Me * Team * Organisation * Client * Community/Society 3. Connect with your values and personal stories to help others connect with theirs. 4. Use powerful client testimonials that highlight positive deviance. 5. Use business-as-usual gatherings as golden opportunities to connect organisational strategy with personal purpose and the importance of contribution.

In consulting as well as in other industries, many managers frequently set challenging timelines, sometimes stemming from poor planning or a desire to gauge employee dedication. This leads to unwarranted stress on daily basis. While occasional urgent deadlines are inevitable, continual imposition of unrealistic schedules without allowance for review or breaks severely impacts employee's well-being. This constant pressure diminishes opportunities for reflection, improvement, and essential downtime, ultimately taking a toll on their overall productivity and mental health. Balancing reasonable deadlines and allowing room for adjustment and recovery is crucial for sustaining a healthy work environment.

Every companies leadership teams should simply lead by example. Being opens out mental wellbeing is by speaking up and removing the associated stigma surrounding it.

I think most points written in this article are in the right spirit and should be done, however, from my own personal experience, I believe the following would be helpful for larger impact: - Having routine one-on-one check ups: To evaluate employee burn-out/ challenges and 360 of the reporting manager. - Ensuring 'just' distribution of work: Consulting companies are notorious for long hours and high productivity, well, it's the business model. But, things can improve if reward for hardworking employees is 'not more work'. One way to improve this is to understand performance motives of medium performers and to train them accordingly. - Respecting Boundaries: i.e. Simple acts of not promoting to carry laptop on vacations.

1. A serious effort into developing leaders that contribute to a psychologically safe space. This includes holding leaders accountable for their behaviours across all levels. 2. Role modelling vulnerability with purpose. 3. Recognising everyone has more than work happening in their lives, and not holding that against them during feedback conversatios.

Leadership education is crucial. Employees are at different stages of their careers and life. What was one leader’s road to achieving success is not necessarily true for everyone. Leaders must understand how empathy goes a long way. Leaders must be aware that not everyone will be sharing their problems or asking for help until it might be too late. They should be trained to search for signs that something is not well. It can be a change of behavior or attitude.