Managers play a pivotal role in fostering a supportive atmosphere that promotes employee well-being. In fact, one study showed that managers have as great an impact on a workers’ mental health as their spouse – even more of an impact than their doctor or therapist.

For some managers, this can feel like an overwhelming responsibility. But the good thing is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. And many good management practices are also really good for mental health!

Here we outline a few key strategies managers at all levels can use to support the mental health of their team members.

Clarify Expectations

Ever try to go grocery shopping without a list? What about grocery shopping for someone else without a list? While you may still bring home the right ingredients, you’re a lot more likely to feel a sense of uncertainty or take more time during that shopping trip. Similarly, when employees don’t know what’s expected of them at work, they’re left to fill in the gaps on what to do – and this can be stressful… “What if I find out I got the wrong type of peanut butter? Forgot something? Spent too much money?”

When employees know what’s expected of them, they can better manage their workload and prioritize tasks effectively, which helps with both their productivity and with continually building their confidence. As a manager, you can support this process by being clear and realistic in your expectations around what needs to get done. When changes arise, prepare your team by explaining why the change is happening, the impact on the work, and expectations moving forward. Most importantly, get feedback on whether expectations are realistic and, if not, what might need to change to make them so.

Individualize Your Approach

Employees have different needs and preferences when it comes to work arrangements. Flexible work options (e.g., remote work or flexible hours) or small changes in management tactics (e.g., feedback, recognition, and communication practices) can help alleviate stress and improve work-life balance, creativity, and productivity. As a manager, seek to find the right fit for each employee by offering to discuss their preferences with them, and by paying attention to what works and what doesn’t. Hint: to figure out what’s a good fit, focus on results and outcomes and not necessarily the process they used to obtain them, or the number of hours spent at their workstation.

Normalize Conversations About “What’s Not Working”

The most innovative, productive, and satisfied teams are the ones who feel they can speak up about where they’re at and about the tough parts of work – stressors, conflicts, mistakes, fatigue or burnout, mental health struggles, or even simply having an “off day”. As a manager, you set the tone for whether these conversations are welcome, supportive, and productive. We all have “off days” … this doesn’t necessarily mean that someone can’t get the job done, but it may mean that they need additional support. Invite group and individual conversations around difficult topics or challenging feedback, validate the experiences that are voiced, position yourself as a collaborator, and seek solutions together. This could start with a simple prompt such as, “On a scale from 1 to 10, how are you checking into work today?”

Respond to Mental Health Concerns Effectively

We’ve all heard stories of workers reaching out to their manager when facing a big change or threat to their mental health and receiving little to no help (or even backlash) rather than empathy and support. In these cases, workers seem to get the sense that their manager either doesn’t know how to offer support, doesn’t care about their well-being, and/or only cares about how this change will impact their productivity. Because managers are often the first point of contact for employees, the way they respond to mental health concerns can hugely impact an employee’s projected well-being (as well as *side note* their perception of their workplace).

While it’s not your job to be a therapist or reduce work accountability, it is your job to recognize when someone is struggling, respond with support, balance job responsibilities, and connect this person to supportive resources. If needed, obtain training on how to facilitate a supportive conversation like this. Keep up to date on the availability and steps to access workplace resources (e.g., Employee Assistance Programs, mental health-related extended health benefits, accommodation personnel, policies, or practices) and – as a bonus – external resources like crisis help lines or local mental health-related organizations.

Role Model Work-Life Balance

Employees take signals implicitly from their leaders. Regardless of what you say, your team members are likely to mimic your behaviours – so ensure your behaviours are ones that you’d want your people to follow. Take breaks, use your vacation time, disconnect outside of work hours, do what works for you to keep yourself well and seek help when you’re struggling. Ensure your team sees these behaviours by talking about them or, if you can see each other’s schedules, try tossing them into your online calendar. By modeling balance and vulnerability, you show employees that it's okay to seek a balance, okay to struggle, okay to ask for help, and okay to prioritize their mental health at work.

Seek Employee Feedback

Regularly solicit feedback from employees about the effectiveness of your management strategies and support systems in the workplace. Consider asking:

• Do you have everything you need to do your job well?

• Do you feel you’re receiving the right amount of feedback?

• Is the way that we’re connecting and communicating throughout the week a good fit for you?

• Is there anything that gets in the way of your work in the day-to-day?

• Is there anything I can do to better support you as your manager?

Use this feedback to make improvements and adapt your approach as needed. By involving employees in the process of shaping their work, you directly show them that their well-being is a priority.

Make it Your Own!

While not an exhaustive list, these tips are some ways in which managers from any industry can get started to support mental health at work, an essential ingredient for the well-being of your team members and the success of your organization alike.