May is Mental Health Awareness month, and in my quest to be a Mental Health advocate I would like to shine the spot light on aspects that may have a prolonged effect on the Mental health of employees, their families and community.
I always prefer to start at the top and therefor the focus of this post:
Our Leaders.
A disengaged leader is characterised by not being actively involved in their work (their number 1 job – to create an environment for others to perform), avoids responsibility for decisions made or does not have a vested interest in the success of their team or organization. Disengaged leaders may appear apathetic, unenthusiastic, pessimistic or even hostile towards their work and employees. They may be more interested in their own personal interests than in the success of their team or organization.
This is a problem because of the systemic impact the leader has.
Some examples of behaviour and the impact on employees:
- Not providing a clear vision, aligning goals and expectations for employees, can lead to feelings of confusion, frustration and uncertainty.
IMPACT: decreased motivation, productivity and engagement. - Not giving employees the resources they need to do their jobs, can lead to feelings of frustration and burnout.
IMPACT: decreased motivation, productivity and engagement. - Creating a negative work environment, can lead to feelings of stress, fear, uncertainty and burnout.
IMPACT: decreased motivation, productivity, engagement and increase in turnover and absenteeism. - Not recognizing or rewarding employees for their accomplishments, can lead to feelings of worthlessness, stress and anxiety.
IMPACT: decreased morale, productivity, engagement and collaboration.
The impact on organizations, can include loss of revenue, damage to reputation, and decreased innovation.
What are our options, how do we address this problem? How do we ensure that our leaders are self aware, cognisant of their own level of engagement and the impact of their behaviours?
How do we get a disengaged leader to give a damn?