We know there is a legislated responsibility for workplaces to protect people from psychological harm just as there is for physical harm. So, what’s the problem?

Why can’t we get momentum?

Whilst there is a technical element to meeting your psychological health and safety obligations most people are struggling to get traction when it comes to the two other factors needed for success.

1. 1. Active and visible sponsorship at the C-Suite; and
   2. The adaptive shifts, the hearts and minds, blocks and barriers that stop people adapting to new requirements and shifting expectations in the workplace.

Active and visible sponsorship from the C-Suite:

You can’t ask people to do something you’re not prepared to do yourself. So you can’t merely push out directives from the top if you and the team aren’t sincerely walking the talk.

C-Suite need to hand on heart own the implementation and help create momentum for change. Even strategically prioritising this work, allocating resources and space to get momentum.

Hearts and Minds

If you aren’t supporting people to truly understand the rationale for these changes, in a way that matters to them, and provide them with the knowledge on how to navigate this “new” space then you’ll continue to see a high avoidance culture and spend more time reacting to issues than in genuinely creating the adaptive shifts you need to embed and sustain proactive psychosocial risk management.

I know many leaders who have struggled to know what they can or can’t do, or expect, of their team in this “new” environment. How are you dismantling barriers for them? What support are you providing them? Guardrails? Tools? Education? Coaching?

I see the best results with organisations that:

a) Have strong executive sponsorship and modeling

b) Have developed technical guidance material (the systems) that supports the adaptive shifts; and

c) That invest in education and awareness sessions to not just leaders but whole of workforce to clarify the reality of psychological health and safety. Helping demystify some of the language and complexity and misapplications and myths of this topic.

Helping people step in to the changing expectations through removing some of their internal blocks and barriers is the most powerful thing you can do to fuel momentum.

Technical information is just one part of the winning formula.

If you’re struggling to get traction, think about where your efforts have been focused. Do you need to adjust your view?

Need a quick chat? You can DM me or you can jump on the website and book in a time to chat directly in my diary.

Need more than a chat? Here’s two ways I support organisations like yours to achieve sustainable change.