The Best Strategy For Mental Health Training For Managers

When I was the Head of People for British Airways Holidays I was given the task of arranging negotiation Skills training for our Commercial Team.

I had no idea what a good negotiation skills training programme looked like! But I knew how important it was for our business that our Commercial Team had great negotiation skills.

I was therefore relieved at how great the training providers I'd selected were at asking thought-provoking questions to the Commercial Managers and myself about the training so they could go away and put together a 2-day programme that met our needs.

I'm often reminded of this experience when I have meetings about mental health training for managers.

I speak to HR Business Partners, Wellbeing Managers, and Learning and Development Managers to help them gain clarity on what they need mental health training to deliver to their managers. And more recently I've found myself talking to individuals who work in Corporate Sustainability who have been given the responsibility of employee wellbeing - something I'm still trying to figure out why!

Mental Health Training for Managers is now a critical investment given the continued rise in mental health challenges.  Not to mention the kind of emotional impact that life events from health problems to divorce, caregiver needs, new babies and bereavement have on people.  

In 2023 The Workforce Institute at UKG surveyed 3,400 people across 10 countries and reported that:

 “69% of employees report that their manager has a greater impact on their mental health than their doctor or therapist, equating this influence to that of a spouse or partner.”

Never more than now do managers need to knowledge and skills to support our people. It's not a simple case of signposting team members to internal resources such as private medical insurance or EAP lines.  It's the ability to spot when people are not OK.  To be able to listen, ask the right questions and empathise so that people feel safe and supported.

If you've been given the task of arranging mental health training for managers and are not sure where to start, I'm here to help you!

In this post, I'll share these 5 key insights that will help you make your mental health training for managers a success.  

I'll cover with you;

• The Importance of Mental Health Training for Managers.
• The current research on mental health in the workplace.
• Practical strategies for incorporating mental health practices into daily management routines.
• Success stories from organisations that have implemented this training
• Common obstacles faced when implementing Mental Health Training for Managers and offer solutions to overcome them.

Let's dive in!

The Importance of Mental Health Training for Managers

If you are still getting clarity on what a great mental health training for managers programme looks like, I'm willing to guess you do understand the importance of investing in one.

We hear so much about toxic working cultures, rates of burnout and people who are quietly quitting their jobs that it's important for us to create environments where employees feel psychologically safe.

In 2012 Google ran a project called Project Aristotle to identify the key components to successful teams.  They called the project Aristotle after his famous quote "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts". 

Project Aristotle found the most important attribute of successful teams is psychological safety.

From speaking to hundreds of managers who have been through our mental health training we know that fear has played a role in managers abilities to address personal issues or mental health with their team members.  Large numbers of managers have expressed their fear of making things worse or saying the wrong thing, which can lead to them not doing anything.

Which is why a little knowledge can go a long way.  From the feedback we've gathered managers have gained confidence in tackling mental health issues by understanding;

• Simple and effective conversation starters
• They don't need to have all the answers!
• It's not their role to 'fix' someone's mental health challenges even if they are natural problem solvers
• How to listen to someone 
• How to make a team member feel psychologically safe 
• The science of what takes someone from OK to not OK 

Research shows leaders with even three hours of Mental Health Training for Managers report improved attitudes about mental health and a higher motivation to promote mental health at work.

What are the benefits of providing Mental Health Training for Managers?

In a 2021 American Psychological Association survey, nearly three in five employees said they have experienced negative impacts of work-related stress in the past month, and 87% of employees think actions from their employer would help their mental health.

Mental Health Training for Managers is more than the ability to spot red flags.  By providing a greater understanding of the vast topic that is mental health managers walk away with;

• Awareness of the impact they have on the people in their team
• Increased levels of self-awareness of their mental health and wellbeing
• Skills that help them foster better working relationships
• A new understanding of mental health leading to destigmatising the topic
• The confidence to start a conversation with someone about their mental health
• Understanding the link between mental health and performance
• Clarity on their role and responsibilities - and understanding it's not HR's full responsibility!

What topics should be covered in Mental Health Training for Managers?

Going back to my example of negotiation skills training, when you work with us, we'll guide you on what to include in your training programme based on what your managers and your organisation need.

As a simple guide, I'd recommend the following as a basic structure;

Understanding Mental Health

• Introduction to Mental Health and the Mental Health Spectrum
• Understanding Cause and Effect: Insights into the Human Psyche
• Key Mental Health Conditions: Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Stress, and Burnout
• Recognising Signs of Mental Health Issues
• Providing Support: Clarifying the Manager’s Role 
• Leveraging Internal Resources: Effective Signposting Techniques 

Effective Communication and Support:

• Simple ways to get the conversation about mental health started with team members.
• How to create a prevention over-cure approach by making mental health and wellbeing part of regular conversations.
• Creating Psychological Safety: Exploring the concepts and techniques to foster a safe and supportive experience for employees.
• Listening and Coaching Skills: Developing deep listening and solution-focused coaching skills to support employees effectively. 
• How to move from judgment to curiosity when discussing mental health issues with team members.
• How to structure your conversations to ensure a clear intention and solid actions that create personal accountability among your team members.
• Effective sign-posting methods to highlight the internal resources available to support individuals.
• Q & A time.

Legal and Resource Aspects:

• Legal obligations related to mental health such as the Equality Act or Americans with Disabilities Act
• Internal resources for seeking help or advice
• Steps for referring employees to specialist care 

Case Studies: Success Stories of Mental Health Training

Amidst the challenges of COVID and lockdown, we delivered mental health training to over 200 managers at Sofology - a UK-based furniture retailer. 

During the training, we identified five cases of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) among the attending managers.  These individuals had shared examples of events they had experienced but hadn't recognised they had PTSD.

As a gesture of goodwill and our commitment to creating thriving workplaces, we ran sessions with each other the five managers. Drawing on our skills as therapists, we knew we could process PTSD in a single 90-minute session and rewire their thinking, allowing them to move forward in their lives.

Each manager experienced a profound transformation in the way they were thinking and feeling in their mind and body. They were able to reflect on their traumatic experiences without being overwhelmed by negative emotions. Furthermore, emotions tied to guilt, blame, and shame were effectively released, leading to a noticeable shift in their emotional well-being.

🌟 Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. I found the session very moving. I am feeling good today, still processing the session but I do feel like a weight has been lifted, I know that sounds cliche but I do generally feel lighter. – Manager, Sofology

🌟 I really want to thank you, because I’ve had a really rough couple of days and normally I would have been all over the show with how I’m feeling and what’s going on and I would have deffo have had multiple panic attacks… but I haven’t. It’s like I reached the point of where I would have a panic attack but it just doesn’t happen – it feels a relief. Thank you so much! Manager, Sofology

You can download the full Sofology Mental Health Training for Managers Case Study here.

The Best Strategy For Mental Health Training Implementation

If you're still reading I trust that you see the benefits that mental health training for managers has to give and are feeling excited about what this training can do for your managers, employees and your organisation as a whole!

Based on our experience, here are some final top tips on the best strategy for your training programme.

Inhouse Training Versus Public Training

The advantages of running in-house training versus sending managers on a public training course are vast. We take the time to get to know your organisation and your people's challenges so that we can tailor our content; real-life case studies and examples to you.

Mandatory Versus Voluntary

We're often asked the question about whether to make the training mandatory or voluntary. Our view is mandatory. If for example, you're a sales company, you'd want everyone to attend sales training because it's key to their role. Mental health training is the same.

Every manager needs the knowledge and skills to effectively address mental health because mental health impacts everyone.  In addition by making the training mandatory, you send a clear message about how important the training is and the value you place on it as an organisation.

How Much of The Mental Health Spectrum To Cover?

The subject of mental health is vast, and it’s not realistic for every mental health condition to be covered during the training. In addition, hitting managers with the red flags to spot in every mental health condition is overwhelming. When working with organisations, we invite you to look at what are the most common mental health issues within your workforce. Typically these tend to be stress, burnout, anxiety and depression.

However, we've worked with some organisations where problems with addiction or bipolar were present, and have included this in the training.  Rest assured, we'll guide you on what you need.

Should Our Senior Leadership Team Attend?

From what we've observed, one of the biggest influencers in the successful implementation of management mental health training is ensuring that the senior leaders of the organisation attend the training, and interactively participate.  We have wonderful examples of where CEO's and Managing Directors from organisations such as Interactive Investors, Sofology and Nelipak Holdings Ltd have attended and their presence has been felt (in a good way!) by the management team. 

How Long Should The Training Be?

Time is always a factor for most organisations.  Whether you choose face-to-face or online training we can find the right balance for you between time and ensuring the training is comprehensive.  For our online training, we deliver the training over a series of weekly modules. Depending on the depth of the training this can be delivered over two weeks or a month. 

Where time is a factor for live training, we can also explore where some of the training can be pre-recorded for your managers, which is a valuable resource for them to return to.

Where online training is delivered over a series of 2 to 4 modules, this approach offers several advantages:

• Time for Application: Allowing a week between modules provides your managers with ample time to absorb the training material and put it into practice within their teams. This practical application is essential for cementing the learning experience.
• Reflection and Sharing: By spacing the modules, it creates opportunities for your managers to reflect on their learning, identify its relevance to their specific roles, and share their experiences and insights. This peer interaction significantly enhances the training's impact.
•  Sustained Learning: Our experience has shown that a more extended timeframe results in sustained and lasting impact. Managers have the chance to see the value of the training in action, which motivates them to continue implementing these strategies in their daily activities.

Conclusion - Bringing It All Together