Are you encouraging self-care in your team members? How do you know if there is a problem? How should you approach it?
Written by: Peter Fuda (Are you the author?)
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What do you do as a leader, when a team member sends emails at 4am, and you’re concerned about their level of self-care and well-being?
In a recent session with a global executive team, this was the exact question posed to me. The leader had noticed a team member (let’s call him John), working in another time zone, sending emails at around 4am on multiple days over a three-week period. The leader was concerned about John’s well-being, but wasn’t sure how to deal with the issue in an appropriate and effective manner.
Given the world that we’re all working in right now, it’s very likely that you may be observing, or even doing, something similar. If so, the purpose of this blog is to help you navigate a pathway through the issue, such that the person feels cared for but not patronized.
The example used in this blog is “emails at 4am”, but the principles could equally apply to any issue evoking concerns about a team member’s well-being. For the sake of simplicity, let’s imagine your team member is also called John.
Are they dealing with personal challenges?
The first thing to consider is whether John is experiencing significant personal challenges, such as physical or mental health issues. Many people are struggling with hybrid working arrangements, relationship pressures, and a blurring of boundaries between work and home.
As a leader, your role here is to listen with empathy and understand if there is anything you can do to support John through any issues that’s he’s comfortable to share with you.
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