Mental health is still a scary concept in the workplace
While both business and societal perspectives are moving in a positive direction on this, “mental health” is still a challenging concept. This is particularly evident in the workplace, where enormous pressure is placed on our people to continually ‘show up’ in a certain way to get the job done. For many folks, this pressure precludes being their authentic selves at work who are holding not just their successes but also their fears and struggles at any given time.
The concept that comes to mind for me when I think about this? Apple TV’s “Severance” series, the sci-fi psychological thriller in which employees’ non-work memories have been separated from their work memories, essentially creating distinct experiences and, ultimately, separate identities. The fictional company had developed the procedure to help employees optimize work-life balance. The main character in Season 1 had chosen this intrusive, irreversible procedure as a means of dealing with personal trauma (the loss of his partner).
Scary, unsettling stuff.
Unlike Severance, we can’t separate the “human” from “human capital” in
the workplace.
Just a very few of the things we know about being human are this: 20% of adults have, are, or will experience mental illness (Centre for Addictions & Mental Health June 2023). 40% of married couples have, are, or will be going through a divorce. (Merchant Law Group 2022). Daily, around 50% employees experience “a lot” of stress; 25% experience sadness (Gallup June 2023).
Dealing with changes – whether negative or positive, large or small, personal or professional – is an inevitable
part of life. And the reality is that we all bring our whole selves, including our personal and professional life difficulties, to work every day.
The importance of relational connection
There is an inherent messiness to human relationships, an awkwardness to how people negotiate their key relationships and the larger world; what psychotherapists term “rupture” and “repair” are both naturally occurring and necessary phenomena in any relationship. And so it’s difficult establishing and maintaining relationships, but particularly so in the workplace where we’re all bringing our unique experiences, biases, perspectives, judgments, and current ego strength. Are we going to get it right all the time? Nope.
Nevertheless, human development studies show that people are naturally wired to seek relational connection, to desire to communicate and interact with each other in meaningful ways that can help make sense of both themselves and the broader world. At the same time, relational connection is premised on ability, willingness, and desire to open up to each other – in other words, to be real human beings with each other.
It simply isn’t possible any other way, folks.
I need to be honest: I didn’t always see it this way.
For much of my career, I was focused on the daily transactions of getting work across the finish line. To my regret, I missed out on making meaningful connections.
As a leader, I grew into this perspective only after deep introspection and working through my own fear and worries about showing up in the workplace in a certain way. My ability, willingness, and desire to truly connect with others is one of the things I’m especially proud of as an executive, where the pressure to have your ‘work face’ on at all times can be particularly felt.
Why being a real human being at work matters
Acknowledging our own humanness allows others to see us as we really are, and it helps us to better see others too. This helps to create true connections with others through which we can weather any storm.
As executives and leaders, this is how we role model and invite relational connection for others – the people we lead, the people we serve, the people we love – who may also be struggling with finding a way forward. It’s how we create an environment where all can find meaning and thrive.
If this is resonating, let us know!
