Fiona Robards is the Manager of the NSW Centre for the
Advancement of Adolescent Health: www.caah.chw.edu.auand
www.twitter.com/youthhealth.
Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish
much.
Blaise Pascal
While we work together to promote the mental health and
wellbeing of young people, it's important we consider how our
workplaces support mental health and wellbeing. Take a moment to
consider the relationship you have with your colleagues, or if you
are a manager, those you support. Do your work relationships
support your colleagues' happiness and that of your own?
Some of the best managers I've worked with keep their focus on
what's working well and expressing appreciation of the team's
efforts as well as helping the team identify goals for improvement.
In particular, they resist pointing out what a person is doing
wrong. The thing is that knowing what the problem is, doesn't
necessarily mean that workers know what they should be doing
differently.
Well functioning workplaces usually have people who can clearly
identify what needs to be done, and who are focused on that. And
while it's great to be future focused on what can be done better,
it's important to also appreciate what the team is currently doing
well.
Managers can develop their teams so that they support and
express their appreciation of each other. Consider the questions
below:
- What are the strengths of your team in achieving your
vision?
- What good systems and practices do you have in place that keep
you working well?
- How do you show appreciation to each other?
- How do you survive in the tough times?
- How can you unlock the potential of your team to achieve its
best?