CELEBRATING YOUniqueness in YOUR workplace!
This year’s theme for Mental Health Month is ‘be YOUnique’.
Whilst most businesses strive to create teams AccessEAP believes having the ability to recognise each employee’s unique qualities adds value to the team, the individual as well as the company’s bottom line. Smart businesses will encourage employees to accept their own uniqueness and to especially take pride in the qualities that enrich their mental health and wellbeing.
This acceptance increases both self-esteem and resilience and gives the employee extra tools when faced with challenges in both the workplace and their personal lives.
Here are 5 TIPS on how you can recognise this uniqueness – nurture it and make it a ‘value add’ to your company.
- Respect the individuality of each employee
Focus on realising the full potential of your people. Acknowledge and appreciate the potential of each person’s unique perspective and different way of thinking.
Strong managers know what particular skills their employees have and use this to assign work that plays to these strengths. In turn, this gives the employee the self-confidence and mental wellbeing to know that they are contributing to the company’s success.
- Celebrate each employee’s uniqueness!
Congratulate them on their contribution – for example, if he or she is reliable acknowledge this and its contribution to the company.
- Enable them to recognise their OWN uniqueness!
Advise them that striving to be someone they are not can link to high stress levels.
Encourage them to recognise their special gifts – ask them what they believe they are good at.
Their replies will enable you to work out what ‘turns them on’ and in turn will give you more tools on how to look after their mental health, grow their self-esteem and discover how best they will fit into your team and value add.
- Encourage them to be TRUE TO THEMSELVES.
By showing them that you celebrate their uniqueness you give them the courage to accept themselves to be whom they really are and you will encourage them to shine.
- LISTEN
Never underestimate the importance of listening. Listening enables you to:
- Embrace the uniqueness of each employee – value it, manage it and make it a contribution to your company’s success.
- Recognise alternative ideas – ideas that may enhance your business.
- Recognise conflict and learn how to resolve it.
A mentally healthy workplace with employees aware of their YOUniqueness creates a positive environment with huge advantages including:
- Less employee turnover
- Retention of top talent
- Your reputation as a healthy workplace environment encourages more top talent
At AccessEAP we have the expertise to assist you in discovering the YOUniqueness of your team members.
