Blog — Dr. Maria Church Love-Based Leadership Speaker, Motivational Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Organizational Culture Expert

The collection of values and practices that guide the actions within an organization is collectively called “organizational culture.” All the members within an organization should feel connected with this collection of values which will lead them to act along the lines of their culture, reflecting in positive habits and eventually a positive performance. A good organizational culture can come off as an abstract concept but it is reflected in how a manager corrects their workers or how a CEO responds in a time of crisis. Trust, accountability and collaboration are values that reflect a great organizational culture, but what happens when you find yourself in a workplace where this is not the case?

Knowing how to recognize the red flags of a poor organizational culture can be difficult, but a big sign is when the company itself does not act according to its values. For example, if one of their core values is honesty but the company promotes dishonest behaviors within their managerial processes, then that’s a sign. According to Harvard Business Review, many managers become aware of their team member’s mental health issues only when they investigate poor performance. The same source confirms that, in 2021, 84% of people surveyed agreed that there was at least one workplace factor that negatively impacted their mental health, the main reason was the feeling of being emotionally drained and overworked. These feelings can lead to multiple mental and physical health issues.

According to Mayo Clinic, the consequences of job burnout include excessive stress, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, heart disease, and vulnerability to illness. All of these factors can contribute to developing high levels of anxiety and depression. Here are some action steps an organization should follow to prevent mental health issues among their employees.

#1 Allow flexibility

Most people have no issue with working a 9 to 5 job, but that’s not the case for some people going through mental health problems. As a lack of sleep contributes to their issues, allowing a flexible working schedule is a significant opportunity to retain your staff members. This will decrease their feeling of being overwhelmed and, with time, will lead to a boost in productivity.

#2 Focus on positive outcomes

Reinforce their success and celebrate small victories regularly. This will create a feeling of progress, which is something that people with depression lack. This will work as regulatory abilities and will help that person cope with their depressive state. Think of creative ways to celebrate these victories, like taking a personal day or planning a fun group activity.

3# Be a good leader

One of the most important qualities of a leader is being a good listener. In order to be one, you must have clarity, focus, and awareness which will lead to a mindful state of mind. In order to be supportive towards others, we have to be well within ourselves. If you’re serious about becoming a great leader, I encourage you to read A Course in Leadership where I share 21 Spiritual Lessons on Power, Love and Influence.

-Dr. Maria Church

Dr. Maria Church is a professional speaker and CEO of Government Leadership Solutions, a woman-owned, minority-owned, boutique consulting firm with over 25 years of experience in developing and delivering creative and effective Organizational and Leadership Development programs to local governments.

She may be reached at Maria.Church@GovernmentLeadershipSolutions.com.

Sources:

https://hbr.org/2020/01/how-to-manage-an-employee-with-depression?registration=success

https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work\

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735816301039?via%3Dihub

As a society, we did not expect that someday the problem wouldn’t be that people are jobless, but that people are resigning their jobs all at once. Some call it the “Great Resignation”, others call it the “Workforce Crisis”. What they both have in common is that it is a significant issue affecting not only the Private Sector but also Local Government.

The reality is far from what it used to be more than 20 years ago when the US economy was facing a recession. During that time unemployment rose to 5.6%, leaving 8 million people without a job. Today, we live in a system that is going through an unrivaled issue. Last year, in 2021, the State and Local Government sector lost nearly 1.5 million workers. Disconformity is one of the top reasons why people are quitting and looking for other jobs. Employees that don’t feel comfortable with their working conditions are saying bye-bye to their current situations and saying hello to new opportunities. They have discovered that they are more valuable than they thought. Coming to the realization that employers are not meeting their expectations, has led them to look for something else. In some cases, that looks like early retirement. This has become another factor playing an important role in local govs with the worker's acceleration of their retirement plans.

A study carried out by MissionSquare states that 38% of Local Governments in the survey affirm their workers are looking forward to retiring earlier than planned. In fact, we conducted a study for a city in the North West, and confirmed that 58% of their employees did look for other employment in the last 6 months. This leaves a huge leadership pipeline problem. Local Governments are facing an increase in available jobs and less-qualified people to fill those jobs. But what happens to those who decide to stay? The remaining employees are struggling with longer working hours and higher stress levels. According to Harvard Business Review, and several private municipal studies we’ve completed in the last 4 months, interpersonal communication, making a judgment, and managing emotional reactions have become more difficult when employees are exhausted and overworked. Not only will they become less productive, but it could lead to putting their mental and physical health at risk.

In the past ten years, we’ve been able to show that a solid, intentional Culture Strategy has been an effective strategy in increasing retention, recruitment retention, and productivity increase. Today, workplace culture is the key to success.

- Dr. Maria Church

She may be reached at Maria.Church@GovernmentLeadershipSolutions.com.