Warning signs

Perhaps you people reading skills are still under development. You may not have needed to focus on team health before. However, now you do if you want to be successful in the new era of leadership. Here are some tips and signals to look out for.

Have you noticed a change in behaviour that is unusual or sustained in a team member or colleague?

• Misses or is habitually late for meetings or deadlines. 
• Always on mute or never have their camera on, only speaks up when asked
• Focusing on negatives, problems and presents no solutions
• Becoming defensive and argumentative or blames.
• Communication is  erractic, at odd times or their tone changes.
• Unclear or unprofessional communications
• Missed messages or non-timely responses
• Looking disheveled / not showering/ or looks different
• Taking more sick days
• Decreased performance
• More complaints and grievances, gossip or conflict
• Twitchy, nervous or irrate
• Mood swings
• Loss of motivation, commitment and confidence 

All of these are clues that team members or colleagues maybe struggling and may need some help or support. As the leader, notice and take action. 

I am an advocate of mental health first aid in organisations. I highly recommend doing the training yourself and asking others in your organisation to do it too. You can also invest in a wellbeing partner who can offer confidential support or counselling. Create a wellbeing plan, which might include exercise, diet and relation sessions and information, the importance of lunch breaks, finishing at a reasonable time, no meeting days, no email evenings, time to talk sessions. There is so much you can do to demonstrate that you are a compassionate organisation that genuinely takes team health seriously.