Managers steering the ship

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Having spent many years being managed and many more managing teams of staff, it really can be an eye opener to see and feel the pressures of the Managers Role.

Managing a team can be a real battle to keep everything on track. Like steering a ship, it’s not always plain sailing but you are always trying to keep the ship afloat and heading in the right direction. One minute you're feeling on top of the wave, and the next you're holding back tears in the doldrums. But fear not, because we're making strides in management mental health welfare in the UK. So, let's take a look at some recent statistics and see how we can keep our managers from running aground.
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According to a recent study by the Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress, depression, or anxiety accounted for 44% of all ill health in the UK in 2020. And who's more likely to suffer from work-related stress? You guessed it – managers. In fact, a survey by the mental health charity Mind found that 60% of managers felt their job was bad for their mental health. That's a lot of unhappy captains.

But why should we care about the mental health of our managers? Well, as the old saying goes, "if the captain goes down, the ship goes down." Okay, maybe that's not an old saying, but it should be. The same Mind survey found that 37% of managers had taken time off work due to stress, with 21% off work for more than a month. That's a lot of time for our captains to be out of commission.

So, what can we do to support our managers' mental health? Firstly, let's make sure they're not trying to do everything themselves. According to a report by the Confederation of British Industry, only 20% of managers have access to a mentor or coach. Let's make sure they have someone to turn to for support and guidance. We don't want our managers to feel like they're steering the ship all alone.

Secondly, let's create a culture where it's okay to talk about mental health. According to the same Mind survey, only 24% of managers said they would feel comfortable talking about their mental health with their boss. Let's encourage open communication, let them know it's okay to ask for help, and create a supportive environment. After all, we're all in the same boat.

Given that most of the recent data is only current up to 2020 and the world has been through a slightly impactful time, it goes without saying that the figures we see are already elevated and throws even more importance on managing managers mental health and general welfare support.
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Whilst we hope there are some lighter moments of reading,weI know only too well management mental health welfare is no laughing matter. We need to take it seriously and make sure our managers are feeling shipshape. With recent statistics showing the extent of the problem, let's make sure we're providing the support and resources our managers need to steer us to success.


References:
1. Health and Safety Executive. (2021). Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress.pdf
2. Mind. (2018). Managers: Mental Health at Work. Retrieved from https://www.mind.org.uk/media-a/4525/managers-mental-health-at-work.pdf
3. Confederation of British Industry. (2018). Unlocking Regional Growth: Leaders' Voices. Retrieved from https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/unlocking-regional-growth-leaders-voices/

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