I HEAR YOU

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us have had to navigate working under completely different circumstances than what we are used to. This alone is stressful. On top of that everyone is facing several other stressors ranging from finances to relationships to their children’s schooling. As a manager, you are not only contending with your own emotional response to the pandemic. You also have employees who are looking to you for support and guidance. It’s not work as usual. As the lockdown goes on, you can expect a roller coaster of emotions – from coping well and performing one day, to being upset, stressed or anxious the following day. Here are some tips to get your team through the crisis:

  • Pay attention. Never has it been more important to make sure that your employees feel heard and understood. Whether it’s to do with work-related issues or personal difficulties, take the time to have a conversation and explore possible solutions.
  • Be transparent. People get anxious when they don’t have information. Communicate, even when nothing is changing.
  • Don’t generalise. Employees are individuals who are all having different emotional responses. Don’t use the same blanket approach with everyone.
  • Be empathetic. Recognise that this is difficult and express that you understand that stress and anxiety are normal at a time like this.
  • Take an interest in their personal circumstances. Be sensitive to how comfortable the employee is to share information, and be mindful of professional boundaries. Remind them that LifeAssist is there for household dependents.
  • Cues are flags that can trigger support for your employees.
  • Body language. If you have the benefit of meeting in person, or in a video conference, you can look out for non-verbal cues that an employee is not coping, like posture and facial expression. Even when someone is silent, they are communicating through their body language.
  • Verbal Cues. If much of your communication is happening telephonically, be conscious of verbal cues that suggest that someone might not be coping. Listen for things like tone of voice, agitated speech, or being withdrawn from the conversation.
  • Written communication. Monitor the tone, understanding of content, and turnaround times for responses.
  • Use of media. Agree on e-etiquette. Observe punctuality for scheduled meetings and the time when electronic communication is downloaded, read or sent. Reach out when there is a media silence!

Look for patterns. For example, a lack of personal hygiene, an irritable mood, general disinterest, or drastic weight loss or gain might be signs of depression; whereas procrastination, overworking, or irregular sleep patterns might be signs of anxiety or stress; or forgetfulness, disinterest, interpersonal tension, over-sleeping and missing deadlines could suggest substance abuse; and disengagement, loss of motivation, inability to complete tasks and fatigue could be signs that a person is overwhelmed or approaching burnout.

You don’t need to diagnose what is wrong. You just need to do the right thing – show them that you are aware and offer support by way of a referral to the EAP.

  • Be realistic. Assure your employees that your expectations adjust with the situation and that you understand that work is impacted by individual circumstances. If work performance becomes an on-going issue, consult with the employee and send a Manager Referral Form to LifeAssist so that counselling can be arranged.
  • Be flexible. Change is constant right now. Being flexible will help you to manage your own stress, putting you in a better position to address other people’s stress levels.
  • Be aware of information overload. Don’t bombard employees with stats and information about COVID-19. Encourage them to get information from reliable sources like government websites or the CDC, but don’t force it on them. For some people, avoidance is a coping skill.

If one of your employees is not coping emotionally, encourage them to contact LifeAssist for counselling support. The National Support Centre is also available to support you as the manager. Counselling services are private and confidential and are offered in all 11 official languages.

 

Author: Tarryn Cox (BA Psychology Hons)

Sources: The Canadian Mental Health Association

                 CompEAP