Your how-to: Identifying key leader stakeholders for mental health initiatives
Identifying key leader stakeholders for mental health initiatives involves mapping out the influential figures and decision-makers within your organisation who can drive and support your mental health initiatives. This could include individuals such as senior executives, department heads, team leads or even trade union representatives.
These stakeholders are essential to your mental health programmes because they have the ability to leverage resources, influence others, provide operational insights, and help implement changes necessary for successful mental health initiatives. Additionally, having visible buy-in from these senior figures sends a clear signal to all employees about the company's commitment to mental wellbeing.
Identifying these stakeholders should account for both position within the company structure and personal commitment to mental health issues. In many Australian businesses, for instance, this might also include involvement with any recognised Mental Health First Aid officers, as mandated by the 'Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws' stipulated by Safe Work Australia. Equally, any representatives of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Employee Network could be key contributors, given the specific mental health issues prevalent within these communities.
The identification process typically includes; conducting organisational analysis to locate influential positions, engagement with employees for nominations, one-to-one discussions to establish individuals' interest and commitment level, and the formation of a mental health task force.
Step by step instructions
Conduct an Organisational Analysis: Your first step is to conduct a detailed organisational analysis. This analysis allows you to identify the influential positions and individuals within your company structure. These could include senior executives, department heads and team leads. In accordance with the Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws in Australia, consider any individuals trained in Mental Health First Aid.
Arrange One-to-One Discussions: Arrange one-to-one meetings with the individuals identified in the first two steps. The purpose of these discussions is to gauge the person’s interest, commitment, and willingness to assume an active role in supporting mental health initiatives.
Form a Mental Health Task Force: Once you have identified the key leader stakeholders, form a mental health task force. The team should consist of these stakeholders who will collectively drive and support mental health initiatives in your company.
Pause to Evaluate Progress: Take regular pauses to evaluate the progress of the process. Use these moments to gather data on outcomes and solicit feedback from participants. Reflecting on metrics like engagement, satisfaction, and effectiveness will provide insights into what's working well and what might need adjustment.
Employee Engagement: Once you have an initial list of potential stakeholders, engage with your company's employees. Solicit nominations or suggestions for key leaders who could effectively champion mental health initiatives. Remember, genuine interest and commitment to mental health issues is just as important as the position within the company.
Evaluate Representatives from Specific Networks: If applicable, co-ordinate with representatives of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Employee Network in your business. They could provide important insight on specific mental health issues prevalent in these communities and could serve as active stakeholders.
Regular Reviews and Reassessments: As your company evolves over time, so too might your key stakeholders. Make sure to regularly reassess your stakeholders and their commitment to mental health initiatives. This may include inducting new individuals into the mental health task force or seeking new nominations from employees.
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
Ensure that you clearly define the roles, duties and responsibilities of your stakeholders. Without clear expectations, stakeholders may either overstep or underperform their duties, causing your initiative to falter.
Stakeholders need appropriate training in mental health awareness and advocacy. Ignorance or misunderstanding of mental health issues can lead to stigma, discrimination or lack of support for the initiatives.
Employees should have a say in the mental health initiatives. If they feel disconnected from the process, the initiative's effectiveness could be compromised.
Stakeholders need to be regularly updated and involved in the mental health initiative process. Ignoring their input or neglecting to provide updates can result in misunderstandings, confusion, and a lack of commitment.
Mental health initiatives should be derived from empirical evidence. Failing that, they may not produce the desired impact.
In Australia, employers must comply with laws concerning privacy, discrimination, and workplace health and safety. Not considering these laws can lead to legal issues as well as a lack of trust from employees towards the company.