Something that I often reflect upon is the importance of good governance in the creation of workplace cultures, and in turn, how the cultures in which we work affect our mental health.
Of course, the first thing that springs to mind when people talk about mental health isn’t usually governance, or vice versa. Governance usually turns our thoughts to compliance and risk management, leaving us feeling stifled and concerned about stepping outside of organisational procedures. However, good governance will have supportive frameworks with clear guidelines on values, respectful behaviours, mechanisms for reporting concerns, and processes for addressing issues promptly and fairly.
Governance that achieves all these things creates inclusive cultures where people feel psychologically safe to be creative, share ideas, make mistakes, and speak up without fear of negative consequences. Effective, meaningful governance allows people and their teams to learn, develop, improve, and, where appropriate, instigate change.
Psychological safety is a key factor in mental health, reducing stress, anxiety, risk of depression, and feelings of isolation. I know from personal experience that when I haven’t felt psychologically safe at work, I have been less likely to seek help or speak up, leading to feelings of isolation, being undervalued, and risking burnout, which has negatively impacted my mental health and well-being. In contrast, when I have felt psychologically safe, I have felt included, free to be creative and network, co-producing much of my best work and achievements. I have finished work feeling well, energised, and looking forward to taking the next steps.
However, for this to happen, there are two important steps to take in relation to governance. The first is that governance needs to be clear, transparent, and easily accessible. The second, and arguably most important, is that leaders need to be accountable for and committed to their organisational governance, live its values and behaviours, act when they see this not happening, and praise and celebrate people who foster embedding the governance into their work and teams.

When thinking about the mental health of the people in your teams, organisations, and/or systems, I invite you to revisit your governance and ask:
Is it clear, transparent, and accessible?
Do you live, role model, and champion its values and behaviours?
Doing so will lead to a happier, healthier, more productive, engaged, and loyal workforce.
RRC,
Ruths Reflections.
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