The Impeded Thoroughbred - are you really at your best?

Over the last few years, there has been a marked increased focus on mental health.  Our Royalty is raising it, the press talks about it and businesses globally, even ones within financial services, are highlighting how important it is to address the issue.  Initiatives from mindfulness sessions to yoga classes being offered to employees are some of the ways to help resolve this problem.  And yet..

Some frightening evidence

The data for 2018/19 does not look promising for work-related stress, depression or anxiety:

·       An average of 21.2 days lost per person, totaling 12.8m days in the UK

·       Accounting for 44% of work-related health cases and 54% of all working days lost due to ill health

·       Suicide levels are on the rise, a major cause being workplace stress, anxiety and depression

More worryingly, the statistics for presenteeism (being at work whilst unwell) are even more frightening.

·       Presenteeism has more than tripled since 2010 to 86% of the workforce observing it

·       Number of people using annual leave to manage illness vs taking time off for being unwell has dramatically risen too

Some observations

In my time as an Executive Coach and Organisational Psychologist, I have worked with a large variety of clients, mostly in financial services, at all levels of the organisation.  They have a very different range of mandates – all in the pursuit, in various guises, of achieving more, performing better and flourishing.  Here are some of my learnings and anecdotal thoughts:

·       Each and everyone of my coachees is on the high performers and key-man risk list.  They are exceptionally talented, skilled and competent, all with a strong desire to succeed for themselves and for their organisations

·       The vast majority are chronically stressed which impedes their ability to think and see clearly, to make good decisions, to interact and communicate well with colleagues and clients, and to perform better than they already are

·       Every single one of them is not aware that they are and that their resilience levels are lower than required, or how very close to burnout they are

·       Nearly all of them can identify symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in others but not in themselves, nor in their own behaviours

·       Although businesses are working with fantastic organisations such as MIND, and are making great strides, might it be too late for some?

Questions for businesses

·       Do businesses seriously want 86% of their workforce to be working sub-par?

·       What would it look like for organisations to be working at full strength and capacity?

·       Whilst initiatives such as mindfulness programs and gym memberships help, what are businesses doing, all the way from leadership levels and on a systematic basis, to help address mental health issues?

·       What can you do to identify and help the potential deterioration of mental health at an earlier, ie preventative stage?

If you believe you and your business are industry thoroughbreds, ie best in class, what are you doing to help remove their impediments, in order to win the race?

#mentalhealth #wellbeing #wellness #stress #anxiety #depression #resilience #healthyenvironment #culture #performance #potential #workplace #absenteeism #presenteeism #leadership #selfawareness #selfreflection