Your how-to: Establishing initial goals based on mental wellness competencies for individual and team behaviour change
This refers to the procedure of setting primary mental health-related objectives tailored to encourage both individual and team behavioural changes within your workplace. This is derived from understanding the competencies required for nurturing mental wellness, which encapsulates abilities such as stress management, emotional intelligence, and promoting mental resilience among employees.
The competencies are typically determined by examining the job roles, responsibilities, and the prevailing workforce demographics within an organisation. They then form the foundation upon which relevant goals are drafted to address specific mental wellbeing needs. For instance, in a high-stress environment, a key competency may be the ability to manage and handle stress effectively, thus, the initial goal could be implementing regular stress-management training sessions for all employees.
Practising in Australia, you should consider the Fair Work Act 2009, which highlights employers' responsibility towards maintaining a safe working environment, inclusive of mental health. Setting initial goals demonstrating your effort in abiding by this Act can reflect positively on your brand reputation and lead to improved employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention. As such, you would align your objectives, whether they are stress managing strategies, resilience building, or emotional health promotion, with the mental wellness competences of the current workforce and their prospective needs.
The process aims to create a mental health-friendly work culture where employees can openly discuss mental challenges and seek support. It also aims to equip individuals and teams with techniques and strategies to better respond to mental health challenges. The ultimate objective is to promote mental wellbeing, supporting an active, engaged, and productive workforce.
Step by step instructions
Understand Mental Wellness Competencies: Understanding the essential mental wellness competencies within your organisation is the first critical task. It involves identifying the skills or capabilities that enable individuals to manage stress, enhance emotional intelligence, and promote mental resilience. Engage an organisational psychologist, if necessary, to assist in identifying these competencies.
Establish Initial Goals: After you have a clear understanding of the required competencies, begin setting your initial goals. These should be based on the specific mental wellbeing needs identified within your workforce. Goals could range from implementing regular stress-management training sessions to organising emotional health promotion workshops.
Communicate the Goals: Once goals are set, communicate them clearly and effectively across your organisation. Make sure all teams understand their roles and responsibilities in achieving these objectives. Remember that open discussions about mental health can help to eliminate stigmas and build a supportive working environment.
Continually Review and Adjust: Goals Recognise that needs may evolve over time, thus, it’s essential to review and adjust these goals regularly. Create an open culture of feedback where employees feel comfortable sharing their experiences, suggestions, or problems that could help to refine the set goals.
Analyse the Workforce: Scrutinise your employee demographic, roles, and responsibilities. Look for factors that could influence their mental wellbeing, such as workload, role ambiguity, shift schedules, or workplace relationships. This process will help determine the competencies necessary for fostering mental wellness.
Align with the Fair Work Act 2009: As you establish these goals, ensure they align with the Fair Work Act 2009, which emphasises the employers' responsibility to provide a safe working environment, encompassing mental health. These goals can serve as a demonstration of your firm’s commitment to adhere to Australia's legal requirements.
Incorporate Training Sessions: Consider incorporating training sessions to equip employees with the necessary skills to reach the established goals. This could involve bringing in mental health professionals to conduct workshops on techniques to handle stress, build resilience, and manage emotional health.
Reflect and Breathe: This step can be challenging, so it's important to take a moment to breathe and reflect. Pause to consider the progress made, the obstacles encountered, and the lessons learned. This reflection will not only help in gaining clarity but also in maintaining a balanced perspective, allowing for thoughtful and deliberate decision-making moving forward.
Use this template to implement
To ensure you can execute seamlessly, download the implementation template.
Pitfalls to avoid
Understanding mental wellness is not as simple as ticking off checkboxes. It requires a comprehensive understanding of various factors that contribute to mental health, including emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing. Ignoring the complexity of mental wellness can lead to ineffective strategies that could demoralise the team.
An organisation could have the most effective mental wellness competencies in place, but without a supportive environment, they may be futile. Employees need to feel comfortable addressing their mental health concerns without fear of judgment or repercussions.
Ensure your programme complies with the Australian Work Health and Safety Act. This mandates that employers should provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, which includes mental health. Failure to comply with these regulations may lead to legal issues.
While it's important to encourage team behaviour change, we must not overlook the unique needs and distinctions of individuals. Each person may require different approaches to managing and nurturing their mental health.
Cultural sensitivity plays an integral role in handling mental wellness. Some cultures might have specific beliefs and practices which can affect their perception and management of mental health. Make sure to consider cultural diversity when setting your initial goals.
The needs and challenges concerning mental health can change over time, as can best practices for addressing them. Therefore, regular review and updates of the established goals are essential for ensuring continued efficacy.