The wellbeing of staff can have a significant impact on the success and smooth operation of any organisation. Below are some simple strategies that supervisors and managers can adopt within their organisation to support the wellbeing of their employees.
Take time to have regular, informal conversations with each member of your team on how they’re performing. Regular feedback (rather than an ‘annual review‘) is more likely to engage your employees to do their best and will recognise their contributions. This practice will make them feel valued and help highlight any areas for development as they arise.
It is important for your employees to feel connected with the larger purpose of the organisation. Having regular conversations about how individual roles contribute towards driving the overall direction of the organisation can often help your employees feel more connected and valued in what they do.
A key source of workplace stress is often a lack of clarity around the roles of various employees. It is important to ensure that employees have regular opportunities to discuss their tasks and what is expected of them. Having regular discussions about goals can also help to identify the best ways to support employees to reach these goals (i.e. identify need for additional training or development, coaching, mentoring, etc).
When having a sensitive conversation with any employee, ensure that this is held in a separate space that provides privacy and respect. This way you can communicate appropriate concerns, support wellbeing and demonstrate your capacity to listen and offer considered responses.
If you witness or hear behaviour or conversation that is inappropriate, make the time to intervene promptly. It can sometimes be helpful to address the standards of acceptable behaviour (or language) by sharing examples of how it could negatively impact on the wellbeing of others. Employees will recognise you as someone who cares for their wellbeing at work when you do this.
Be just as ready to acknowledge and recognise instances of good performance, outstanding team efforts and innovative ideas as you are to respond to negative elements of employees’ behaviour or performance.
Do not hesitate to draw on organisational resources available to help employees manage their stress and wellbeing at work, such as flexibility, work-life balance policy, OH&S policies and procedures or Peer Support, Mentoring or Employee Assistance Programs. Communicate about how they might utilise these policies and programs to help manage their wellbeing.
Managing others can be a highly stressful affair and it is important for you to get the right support and training. An APS organisational psychologist can help you develop your skills as a leader and assist you in managing wellbeing at your workplace.
This tipsheet is an initiative of the APS College of Organisational Psychologists.
Organisational psychology is the science of people at work. Members of the APS College of Organisational Psychologists typically have six years of university education, as well as experience in helping individuals and organisations to increase their performance, resolve problems and increase their wellbeing at work. For more information, visit www.groups.psychology.org.au/cop
