Talk To Us is an awareness-raising campaign from the mental health charity Samaritans. The annual event was created to remind us of the importance of listening, and how it can help to improve the mental wellbeing of others across the UK and Ireland.
For individuals and organisations across the nation, this month also presents an opportunity to encourage open discussions where people feel heard and appreciated.
Improving on communications is a priority for most people or organisations, but it’s easy to forget that it should be a two-way street, and that it’s important to stop and listen to the perspectives of others in order to improve and move forward as a united front.
But what can your organisation do to facilitate this supportive atmosphere, where your team feel comfortable coming forward and speaking up about their issues or concerns?
Make the First Move
Setting the standard for how your organisation creates an environment where people can be heard and understood begins at the top. For managers, this means putting aside some time to tackle these issues and listen.
Whether this is in the form of anonymous feedback or simply booking time in an office to allow people to speak up, what matters is that you’ve made that first step. While it may sound like a small part of the listening process, it establishes a willingness to listen and learn.
Encourage Constructive Feedback
Negativity within an organisation is contagious, and small issues can quickly snowball into grudges and gripes that affect the wellbeing and productivity of your team.
The results? Reduced absenteeism and increased retention of your people. After all, resolving the little things today prevents the spread of larger issues later.
Follow Up
If someone takes the time to approach you regarding a personal matter, whether it’s a mental health issue or a comment on the current culture of your organisation, then it’s vital that you provide them with some kind of update about it at some point.
This could simply be letting them know that the issue has been raised to others, or providing them with the right mental health and wellbeing resources while you’re looking into this problem.
Continue to Implement a Listening Strategy
Regular discussions where your people can express constructive concerns or criticisms empowers your team, making them feel like a vital part of your strategies. Once your people feel like an integral part of your organisational momentum, they’ll become more emotionally invested in seeing it succeed.
Wellbeing and Mutual Understanding
Ultimately, there’s no ‘wrong’ way to participate in Talk to Us 2023. As long as you take the time to stop and hear others by listening to them, you’ll be able to develop a better understanding of who they are, what the main issues are within your organisation, and how to resolve them for the betterment of everyone involved.
An open pair of ears and an open mind can achieve wonderful things. Be sure to implement a positive change this month by asking questions, and more importantly, listening to the answers you get back.
