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Unleashing Mental Health Potential: Deborah Caulet of Blinkist Explores Strategies, Supportive Environments, and Education in the Workplace
Welcome to our enlightening interview article series, where we bring you valuable insights from visionary entrepreneurs who are championing mental health awareness and support within the workplace. In this collection of interviews, we delve into a range of topics that shed light on strategies, communication, and education to foster a mentally healthy work environment.
Name: Deborah Caulet
Company: Blinkist
Check out more interviews with entrepreneurs here.
Table of Contents
What are some key strategies for organizations to identify and address early signs of mental health issues among employees? Share your insights and experiences on implementing proactive measures.
Deborah Caulet:
(1) Create awareness around mental health issues by continuously educating employees and leads. At Blinkist, we work with a mental health expert (https://www.linkedin.com/in/noradietrich/) who regularly gives learning sessions about what mental health issues can look like in the workplace, how we can spot early signs of mental health issues in ourselves and our colleagues, how we can talk about it and how we can support others.
(2) Monitor workload and stress levels. At Blinkist, we monitor workload and stress levels via our engagement surveys every quarter at the company level. Some of our managers even monitor this on a weekly basis in their 1:1s with direct reports.
(3) Just pay attention! Stay attuned to what’s happening in your organization. You might notice signs when you just interact with people in-person or on Zoom (i.e. someone is coming back from maternity leave and they look overwhelmed). If you have HR business partners, you will be able to flag this to their lead and make sure they get the support they need before things get worse (i.e. by offering free therapy via Spill for example).
How can companies create a supportive environment for employees to openly discuss mental health and seek help when needed? Share examples of successful communication and resources that have made a difference in your organization.
Deborah Caulet:
(1) Start by fostering psychological safety within your organization. Psychological safety refers to an employee’s perception that they can speak up without fear of negative consequences. Encourage open communication between employees and managers, and create channels for feedback and suggestions (i.e. employee surveys, AMAs). Listen actively and respond non-judgmentally to employee concerns or suggestions.
(2) Show that you take mental health seriously by talking about it and investing in initiatives. This will help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and create a more open and supportive workplace culture You can do that by offering free therapy sessions employees can book via an app (i.e. Spill). You can organize resilience and stress management workshops.You can give your employees 1 well-being days (i.e. one Friday off every quarter) to recharge. You can offer internal counselling for people who come back from burnout leave or parental leave.
(3) Lead by example. Encourage your leadership team to prioritize their own mental health and promote the importance of mental health in the workplace. When leaders model behaviors that prioritize mental health, employees are more likely to follow.
What role can training and education play in fostering mental health awareness in the workplace? Share your experience with impactful workshops, seminars, or training programs that have contributed to a better understanding and support of mental health among employees.
Deborah Caulet:
(1) Raise awareness. Training and education can raise awareness about mental health issues, including the signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions. This can help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage open communication about mental health in the workplace.
(2) Build new skills. It can build employees’ skills in communicating about mental health and providing support to colleagues who may be struggling. This can include active listening, empathy, and providing referrals to mental health resources.
(3) Provide resources. It can provide employees with information about mental health resources, counseling services, and other mental health support services. This can help employees feel more comfortable seeking help when they need it.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to WellnessVoice and the host of this interview would like to thank Deborah Caulet for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Name or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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