Unless you’ve been hibernating for the past few years, you’ve probably heard about mental health and benevolent management. Of course it’s great news that these topics are in vogue. However, the benevolent manager is not a robot, so how does he or she do it? Who takes care of these managers when their own mental health is worn out by taking care of their teams? We talk about it in this article: Mental health of managers: the new challenge for companies
State of the art
For a few years now, there has been a more or less important pressure, depending on the company, to have a benevolent management. The mental health of employees has become a priority. The manager must promote well-being at work. This is even more true since the avalanche of changes that the working world has experienced since 2020.
Therefore, managers who wish to fulfill this mission, in addition to those inherent to their position, will spend time with their team members in order to create and/or maintain relationships. They will regularly make themselves available in parallel to their work to answer a call or an email. Thus, they are managers who are present, available and attentive. As telecommuting has made the boundaries between personal and professional time very thin, managers are adapting.
Chasing time
In theory, everything seems perfect. However, in practice, it can lead to burnout. Indeed, in this equation, who is taking care of their own mental health?
Just as a young mother is told to rest when her baby sleeps, managers may be tempted to tell them to leave when 5:00 p.m. has struck. However, there may have been many unforeseen events that have intruded on their day and they have barely had time to start what they set out to do. It may even be that some of their tasks for the day are due the next day at 8:00 a.m. for their first meeting. This leaves them with no option but to get back to work after dinner.
Who takes care of these managers?
It’s safe to say that working an evening shift once in a while never hurt anyone. It’s also true that waking up at the crack of dawn to finish an imperative same-day job isn’t going to change your sanity. However, if this rhythm is not occasional but habitual, your stress level can see its curve climb and your mental health suffer some consequences. In order to avoid falling into this rhythm, which is inadequate for your mental health, many managers have taken the plunge and have adopted the services of a professional coach. Beware, there is nothing magical about this solution. However, the fact that a person from outside the company is dedicated to listening and helping the manager get his head above water can make all the difference in the mental health of your managers. In this case, the coach becomes a true partner who allows the manager to take a step back and face his daily challenges.
The impact on managers
The coach is not there to impose a new way of doing things on the manager but to accompany him in his organization, his stress management or his other managerial challenges. After a few sessions, managers are more serene. The power of sharing and trying new options is underestimated! Yet, it is through this that managers’ mental health can become optimal again. And this is how they will be much better managers for their teams. They will be more available. They will manage their stress better. They will find the right balance between their work, their team, and their own professional-personal balance.
Taking it a step further
If you feel that the services of a professional coach could contribute to improving your mental health, we invite you to contact us. We can then set up an initial meeting (which is free) during which we will define how we can work together.
We look forward to meeting you.
By Ophélie Terrien, MSc, PCC
Editor of the HR Espace Conseils blog – Iceberg Management