From anxiety issues in top level managers to the impact of mental health issues on an employee’s productivity, the work culture of a company can often have some departments that need more attention when it comes to preserving mental health. Business coach and corporate trainer Reetika Gupta-Chaudhary has been helping people to attain higher levels of productivity and increase their profits by helping them set clear targets, positive mindset and sustainable structures. We spoke to her about work-life balance and the role of mental health in managing people at work.
What kind of anxiety issues do top level managers or founders of start-ups that are yet to break-even go through? What can they do to not spill over that on to their employees?
Well, anxiety issues are a common thing for top level managers because of the pressure of managing vast teams and making sure they are performing to set standards. When we talk about start-ups, especially those which are in their initial phase of breaking even, they have additional stress of managing their stakeholders and investors.
Anxiety can also stem from the fact that people who venture into start-ups also tend to have a deep understanding of their chosen industry/field of expertise (e.g knowledge of IT for an IT start-up company) however they might lack the necessary business skills and wider soft skills required for the demands of a new business. Consequently, the pressure of learning business skills along the way, coupled with the added responsibility of handling investor funds could also cause a high level of stress and anxiety for top-level managers.
The reasons for anxiety are numerous but it’s important to not let your anxiety have a knock-on effect on your employees. The best way to do so is to plan in advance for challenges and create a resilient yet effective environment that is able to absorb the shock of uncertain challenges. Managers should seek expert advice wherever possible, speaking to coaches and mentors, taking relevant leadership training and most importantly indulging in self care can help managers manage their anxiety and create a positive mindset in their teams despite the challenges.
Flat hierarchies are the new normal in many organisations, which could result in power struggles and ambiguity, performance pressure and lack of clarity about who has the actual authority. Many times, mentors or supervisors can misuse this to govern the day to day functioning of a business, which may impact the mental health of many subordinates. Comment on that.
Many organisations are adopting flat hierarchies or as many other firms would identify as holocracies, it is extremely popular in SME businesses mostly because of reduced staff cost due to a smaller layer of middle management. Although flat hierarchies can benefit an organisation with things like clear communication, quicker decision making etc, at the same time a smaller than normal middle management in such organisations can lead to various issues. In the absence of immediate middle managers, lack of clear lines of responsibility and accountability can affect performance in employees. Unstructured hierarchies are created as some strong personalities become the unsaid leaders and assume soft power over other employees. This can lead to a lot of confusion and frustration in the team. Although there is an opportunity to learn various skills across the flat hierarchy, there is very little opportunity for promotions in such structures. The obvious advantage is that this fosters a collaborative and engaging environment for start-ups and medium organisations, but as the organisation gets bigger, it becomes important to have middle level management to avoid the above issues.
What should an employee do to deal with anxiety at work and also make sure that it doesn't impact their performance?
There are various ways in which employees can reduce stress levels and improve their productivity. In the beginning of the lockdown. Some of the tools that I recommend to reduce stress are: A – Meditate every day. B – Engage in some form of physical activity, as this acts as an outlet for all pent-up anger and frustration. C – Plan your day ahead and do the most important task first thing in the morning, this helps you in eliminating stress at the end of the day. D – Maintaining clear and honest communication with your manager can also help reduce stress.
What kind of work culture do you think is conducive to maintain a healthy balance, especially in the current climate where growth is out of question, sustainability is the real challenge?
A responsible culture is key especially during lockdown and when most people are working from home. A responsible culture is where employees at the bottom of the hierarchy feel responsible for their performance without having the need for their managers to micro manage them. On one hand this will take the pressure off managers to micro manage big teams and allow managers to focus on other important areas of the business and at the same time it gives employees an opportunity to shine and show their skills. This type of culture will help maintain a healthy balance as employees can use the flexibility but at the same time have the responsibility to perform. During these uncertain times every employee wants to perform at their best, in the hope of future growth or to save their job, so if managers can adequately define roles and responsibilities and set clear expectations with their teams, a responsible culture can actually lead to the growth of the company and employees alike.
What is the right moment to identify that one needs therapy or professional help, and also needs to separate work and personal life, thereby practicing a bit of self-love?
Therapy or seeking professional help from counsellors have always been an unsaid taboo in almost all organisations, regardless of the size or nature of business. So how does one know that they might need professional help? Psychological wellbeing of employees should be tested from time to time, this could be done by line managers or a specialist like a coach or therapist.
Do you think women are more vulnerable to anxiety at work? Or men too are equally vulnerable?
In my experience working both with men and women I have deduced that levels of anxiety and vulnerability cannot be categorised and measured across different genders. In fact it varies depending on different life circumstances of people, say for example if the women is a new mother, yes she is more likely to be vulnerable but on the other hand if a man is the sole breadwinner of the family and has no support from parents (e.g he is not living in a family house and has to pay his mortgage etc) and has a sick wife or child to look after then the anxiety and vulnerability goes up for that man.