Our minds are to individual resiliency what governance is to organizational resiliency.
Individuals and corporations rely on internal and external systems of thinking and doing designed to satisfy various stakeholders: our partners, our children or our board of directors. When open to change, flexible to tension and motivated to do no harm, we are building our capacity to be resilient—and we should be creating an environment that supports the psychological health and safety of all stakeholders.
What You Maintain, You Sustain
Every time we act in the same way, a specific neuronal pattern is repeated, strengthened and becomes habituated. This concept is mirrored in how leaders and boards act and react. They are vulnerable to groupthink, a psychological phenomenon that can occur in groups where there is a strong desire to conform even when it may not be the right thing to do.
Stigma surrounding mental health, for instance, can be subtly but systematically woven into how organizations think and act. Given that ensuring psychological health and safety in the workplace is relatively new, many organizations are finding it challenging to create and sustain new ways of thinking about it.
Why We “Should”
“Shoulding” is one example of a mind trap often cited as a way of thinking we should avoid if we want to be happier or feel less stressed.
While the word itself is a little awkward, it highlights the concept of putting pressure on ourselves to do something. Is it a bad thing? It can be when we “should” on ourselves automatically, creating cognitive distortion and narrow minded-thinking.
But is it always a bad thing? No. In fact, we are often called into action because we have a sense that we should be doing something we may not want to do otherwise.
At its core, corporate governance exists to minimize harm and damage, and ensure organizations (and their people) behave. It often begins with ensuring compliance with legislation and internal policies. In this case, it makes practical good sense to start with what should be done. We should also ensure systems and ways of doing provide all stakeholders with a psychologically safe and healthy workplace—as many progressive organizations currently do.
Oh Canada
Canada has proven itself a world leader with the introduction of the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace in 2013, a voluntary set of guidelines, tools and resources to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work. It helps you understand what you should be doing.
Though the Standard may be voluntary, organizations have a duty of care to ensure they are doing no harm when it comes to the psychological health and safety of their human capital.
As organizations are as vulnerable as individuals to habituated ways of thinking, it is up to those responsible for corporate governance to assess, plan and evaluate best practices to ensure a minimum standard is achieved. Individual resiliency strategies are unlikely to lead to long-term changes without embedding the responsibility at the top level. Health and safety, whether physical or mental, requires a top-down approach.
If your organization has not yet started to adopt the National Standard, it is time it should.
Wendy Lund is CEO/Founder of Wellth Management (wellthmanagement.ca), a firm that works collaboratively with organizations to help foster psychological safety and wellbeing in the workplace. With more than three decades of experience, Wendy understands the biology of stress and resiliency. Her vision is to help others redefine wealth in their workplace and lives, which she shares through workshops and in print.