Three Effective Workplace Communication Techniques to Support Employee Mental Health

Tracy Graf
Jun 1
6 min read

Original article written by: Amanda James, COO, McLuhan & Davies Communications, Inc. linked here. Adapted by Fuse - Igniting Communication — **Original article written by: Amanda James, COO, McLuhan & Davies Communications, Inc.** **linked here.** Adapted by **Fuse - Igniting Communication**

Summary: The current remote work environment can make it even more difficult to know when an employee is coping with a mental health issue. To set ourselves up to thrive, we must help each other by creating spaces built around trust, respect, and compassion in the workplace. Learn how you can support mental health in the workplace with effective workplace communication below.

As the Chief Operations Officer of a business communications training company, I (Amanda James) have witnessed the global pandemic change the way we connect and communicate, likely forever. Five years ago, we were forced to adapt to a virtual way of working, socializing and even learning.

Although this has helped many businesses survive and even thrive, it can make it difficult for employers to know when an employee is coping with a mental health issue. The work environment we show-up in each day can make a real difference in our employee’s life when they really need it.

Mental Health in the Workplace

Your employees are likely dealing with isolation, worry, and even burnout - but less than 30% of them are comfortable talking to a manager about how they are feeling.

There has been so much advancement in the conversations around mental health and the risks associated with ignoring it, but many people are still suffering in silence.

Mental Health Awareness

I have been inspired to write this article to bring attention to the significant role that employers play in their team’s well-being. As employers, we have a responsibility to care about our employees and make wellness a priority. This can begin by truly creating a culture of open communication where employees feel safe to speak up without fear of judgement or assumptions.

Three Effective Workplace Communication Techniques to Support Employee Mental Health

Here are three proven ways anyone can build a workplace culture of trust, respect, and compassion that will improve the overall well-being of your teams and your business.

Be an Active Listener
Help your employees feel heard. If we listen to each other, we help each other. It is a good sign when an employee feels comfortable talking and sharing. Sometimes this is exactly what they need to help them manage how they are feeling. So, make sure you make time to talk. Yes, we are all busy, but we should never be too busy to listen.

The characteristics of “active listening” are presence, curiosity and understanding.

Presence
You do not always need to provide a solution; you just need to be present. Resist the urge to talk when someone starts to share with you. When I reflect on my early days in leadership roles, I thought I was a great listener because I would hear a problem and immediately try to give my input and help with the solution. My intentions were good but not always helpful. This is a common mistake.

Now, I try to direct my full attention to the person I am speaking with. You can show that you are listening by maintaining full eye contact, turning off email notifications and putting your phone on silent. Give people the space to just talk without interruption.

Curiosity
Ask open-ended questions that give people the freedom to go where they want to go with the conversation. How are you feeling? How does that make you feel? Our human instincts are to show reaction - and respond in some way. The best way is to show understanding is through empathy, not sympathy. Here is a quick example of the difference between sympathy and empathy.
- Sympathy “I’m sorry you’re feeling that way.”
- Empathy “I can imagine that is really difficult to deal with.”

Understanding
The most effective way to show your true understanding is through acknowledgement. Another common communication mistake is accidently invalidating what someone is saying. Instead, your goal is to acknowledge and validate what they are saying.
- Example: “I am so tired of all these changes we are experiencing!”
- Accidental invalidation: “Focusing on the positive really helps.”
- Acknowledgement: “I understand. Constant change can be tiring.”

Start to move from “listening” to “actively listening” by being present, curious, and showing understanding. You can build trust and deepen your connections this way.

Be Adaptive

Take the time to ask your team members and co-workers about their preferred communication style, how often they want to meet, and if they are ok with impromptu check-ins. One of the biggest stressors for employees is the breakdown in communication due to varying communication styles.

Our (McLuhan and Davies Communications) research shows that when we communicate, we do so in one of three distinct styles: analytical, interactive, or visual. If we do not recognize our own dominant style, or that of the person we are communicating with, we follow the recipe for communication breakdown.

Many companies and employees have been faced with enormous change. I am a big picture, visual communicator who is comfortable making quick decisions and reacting to change. It is important for me to recognize that not everyone on my team shares the same comfort with change and in fact it can cause them great stress.

For this reason, I sometimes need to slow down and work with everyone to understand how they are feeling. This helps me learn what they need from me to help them through any situation. The time in these conversations is exactly what you need to invest to get buy-in and collaboration.

Learning to adapt to others shows respect and you will ultimately have a more productive outcome.

Provide Positive Acknowledgement Vs. Praise

Provide positive feedback to your employees in the moment. Do not wait for performance reviews. Lead with acknowledgement vs. praise. When a manager praises an employee, it can often sound insincere and scripted. Make a point of providing positive acknowledgement - and you will get as much as you give.

You praise the thing – i.e., great job on that project!
You acknowledge the person – i.e. I noticed how hard you worked on that project.

You can help employees feel cared for by establishing a workplace that acknowledges the importance of making mental wellness a priority. There is a strong business case to support employee well-being. Making sure everyone on our teams feels seen, heard, and valued is only the start. Build a set of guiding principles and actions that your company pledges to follow. Our company’s three key values are family, health, and community.

It is important to put yourself in the shoes of the people on your team. To survive and set ourselves up to thrive, we must help each other by creating spaces built around trust, respect, and compassion in the workplace.

Employers, it begins with us. We need to educate managers on effectively listening without judgement, being adaptive, and offering positive acknowledgement. These are Effective Workplace Communication Techniques to Support Employee Mental Health.

Original article written by: Amanda James, COO, McLuhan & Davies Communications, Inc. linked here. Adapted by Fuse - Igniting Communication

Our communication techniques are the foundation for all other skills:

leading, speaking, writing, selling, and managing.

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https://youtu.be/t7E8Xm963w4?t=93

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