Thinkers50: Improving Work, Improving Mental Health (For Everyone)
May 8, 2024
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Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath, Copenhagen Business School professor Poornima Luthra, and entrepreneur Andrew Barnes discuss rethinking work to improve mental health. Topics include the impact of a four-day workweek on productivity and employee well-being, creating psychologically safe environments through active listening, and fostering resilience and inclusivity in organizations.
Workplace stress impacts mental health significantly.
Empowering employees boosts motivation and mental well-being.
Inclusive workplace cultures foster mental health and equity.
Deep dives
Leaders' Influence on Mental Health
Leaders have a significant impact on employees' mental health, sometimes more than their personal relationships. Studies consistently show that work is a major factor affecting mental well-being. The pressure and identity tied to one's job can heavily influence mental health. Statistics reveal a concerning trend where workplace stress and anxiety levels are high, leading to negative impacts on physical health and relationships.
Improving Mental Health in the Workplace
Creating supportive work environments that prioritize mental health involves strategies like reducing interruptions, asking effective questions, minimizing uncertainty, avoiding unnecessary chaos, and ensuring fair compensation. Leaders can enhance team mental health by actively listening, asking probing questions, evaluating their actions' impact, and considering how they affect their team.
Importance of Ownership and Good Jobs
Empowering employees with ownership, pride, and alignment with organizational values can significantly boost motivation and mental well-being. Examples like offering ownership stakes to frontline workers after acquisitions showcase how financial security positively impacts mental health. Creating good jobs characterized by focus, empowerment, cross-training, and alignment with values can lead to improved mental health and increased productivity.
Creating Inclusive and Fair Workplaces
Establishing inclusive workplace cultures that prioritize equity, agency, and recognition of individuals' complete identities is crucial for mental health. Leaders should be mindful of their actions' impact, encourage diverse perspectives, provide rich feedback in everyday interactions, and incorporate mechanisms to ensure fairness. Cultivating workplaces that acknowledge diversity, support individual needs, and mitigate biases fosters mentally healthy environments.
Strategies for Leadership in Equity and Mental Health
To cultivate a culture of equity and mental well-being, leaders should focus on self-awareness, effective communication, and implementing policies like a four-day work week. Engaging in open dialogue, understanding the impact of actions and decisions, emphasizing clear communication, and embracing strategies like reducing work hours can enhance workplace culture, empower employees, and elevate mental health across the organization.
What are some of the most important management ideas out there in today’s world? Thinkers50 is an organization that aims to identify and share these important ideas day in and day out, and all month long host Morra Aarons-Mele is partnering with Thinkers50 and The Silicon Guild for a series of roundtable talks about mental health and work. In this episode, she speaks with Columbia Business School’s Rita McGrath, Copenhagen Business School’s Poornima Luthra, and entrepreneur Andrew Barnes, founder of the Four Day Week Movement, about rethinking how we work to improve mental health for everyone.
Learn more about Rita: https://www.ritamcgrath.com/
Learn more about Poornima: https://www.talented.dk/
Learn more about Andrew: https://www.4dayweek.com/andrew-barnes
Learn more about Thinkers50: https://thinkers50.com/
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