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My talk is on Supporting Mental Health as an Effective Leader. As you can see, my name is Jesse James.
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I work at Marginal Chaos, and I am available for any outreach you may need. Today, we are going to cover several topics.
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We will discuss the problems related to mental health in tech, what we are currently doing about it, why I’m here, what we can do to help, and tips regarding responsibilities for both managers and individuals. First off, thank you.
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I would like to dedicate this talk to a woman in my life who helped me through my own mental health issues. She has been instrumental in helping me address these challenges and in doing the work I do now.
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So, who am I? I am a Marine Corps veteran, as Allison mentioned. I am a developer advocate for SPARC Coast, which provides email infrastructure as a service, similar to SendGrid or MailChimp.
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I’m a weightlifter, a lover of dogs and cats, and I currently live in Portland, Oregon, which I absolutely love. My pronouns are he/him, just for solidarity, and by the way, zombies are awesome.
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If you didn’t see them yesterday, it was amazing on the street. Now, what is the problem?
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The problem is that mental health and suicide rates in tech, as well as in the world in general, have been steadily increasing every year. There's been a 24% increase in suicides from 1994 to 2016.
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About 18.5% of all US adults suffer from mental illness each year, and one in 25 US adults is affected by debilitating illnesses that significantly disrupt their lives. The World Health Organization predicts that depression will overtake other illnesses by 2020, becoming the leading cause of missed work and reduced productivity.
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So, what are we doing? Quite frankly, not nearly enough. Despite all the lip service we hear about mental health and the perks offered in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, we aren't really doing anything substantial.
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A recent survey by Open Sourcing Mental Illness found that most employees are unaware of what mental health resources are available at their workplace. They don’t even realize they have benefits, and they often don’t feel comfortable discussing mental health issues.
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Essencially, we find ourselves in a situation where we all acknowledge there is an issue, yet very few of us are taking any meaningful action. In the instances where we do take action, we largely keep it to ourselves.
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One thing worth noting is that while 31% of respondents stated they would hesitate to bring up a physical health issue with an employer, over 62% said they wouldn’t mention a mental health issue.
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In reality, they are both illnesses, and there shouldn’t be this disparity. It’s unacceptable to feel comfortable disclosing a broken leg or diabetes but not acceptable to mention having PTSD, depression, or anxiety.
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There remains a significant stigma, particularly in tech, where there is an assumption that if you have a mental illness, you can't perform your duties and may be pushed out or not hired at all.
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So, why am I here? As mentioned, I am a Marine Corps veteran who copes with PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
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I have worked in both managerial and individual contributor roles across various companies, and I’ve had some of the best and worst experiences at work. I’ve had the support of some great managers and companies, while in other environments, I felt like going to work was a burden.
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There were times I burned out in just three months because every meeting and interaction with coworkers felt dreadful.
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What can we do? First, we need to establish some ground rules. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Any suggestions I offer today may or may not work for your company or your people.
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You’ll need to be patient and understand that you might need to experiment and make mistakes along the way. What works for onsite teams may not translate well to remote teams, and vice versa.
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If you have a hybrid work environment, it will take significant managerial and executive support to make these approaches work. You can’t manage wellness initiatives on your own.
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Trying to implement identical strategies for both onsite and remote teams is unlikely to be effective; burnout can occur, and you may not even know it until it’s too late.
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The challenging part about addressing illness is that HR will inevitably want to get involved, laying down guidelines and restrictions.
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While this is important from a legal perspective, dealing with HR can often be difficult. I highly encourage you, however, to start these initiatives, even without initial approval.
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It’s often better to implement a program and witness positive changes than to abstain from starting anything out of fear of HR repercussions.
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Lastly, on both managerial and individual contributor levels, empathy is key. You need to acknowledge that everyone is going through challenges that you may not be aware of.
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This is especially hard for remote teams because the lack of face-to-face interaction often reduces our ability to empathize with others.
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Because you don’t see each other every day, you might not be aware if a colleague is going through a tough time—it may be divorce or personal issues.
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It’s important to trust that when someone misses work, there is likely a valid reason behind it.
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Now, let's focus on being proactive. This falls more under the managerial role; managers need to initiate conversations.
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You should be the one asking, 'How's your day going?' or 'You look a little down, do you want to talk?' Managers who sit back and wait are typically making a mistake.
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Individual contributors also need to be prepared to take the hit if they reach out to someone and the response is defensive. You must phrase your questions thoughtfully while remaining persistent.
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Anxiety, depression, and PTSD are daunting issues to face alone, and a co-worker may shut down when approached, but it’s essential to foster open communication.
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Communication is paramount; having open lines of communication between managers and their teams is essential for addressing mental health.
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No good can come from silos where people feel they cannot reach out to you; they will not discuss personal issues with anyone if they feel isolated.
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Additionally, we need to set aside our egos. Egos can be a significant barrier, especially in larger organizations.
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Senior developers might feel they cannot let anyone see them take a personal day because it could make them look weak or untrustworthy.
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Meanwhile, managers often fear that admitting their team has a performance problem will make them look incompetent.
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A willingness to sometimes look bad is crucial; saying 'We are going to take a hit this quarter; things might go sideways' shows accountability.
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Patience is incredibly important when dealing with mental illness, both for yourself and for those around you.
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It took me many years to feel normal after I left the military in 2004. Sometimes, progress can feel slow, and being supportive means being patient.
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When you talk to someone on your team, they may not respond positively right away. Give them time; when they seek treatment, it may take longer than you'll expect.
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You have to recognize that they are a valuable part of the team, and if they leave, that’s a loss.
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If someone is struggling significantly, they may be in a position where they need to consider a change, and you should support that.
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What system changes can we put into place? Many companies offer anonymous hotlines for reporting mental health concerns, which are beneficial.
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While anonymous options can alleviate the stigma, many employees still feel apprehensive about using them.
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Companies can also facilitate gatherings during lunch or organize small social activities to ease employees into conversations around mental health.
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These gatherings can help managers identify any concerning social dynamics, like someone feeling excluded or withdrawing from the group.
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Another important action is to ensure there are no repercussions for those taking sick days for mental health reasons.
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This means normalizing conversations about mental health in the workplace, so if someone is out, others trust that it’s okay.
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Resources should be easy to find. It’s not effective to have resources buried in paperwork; employees need clear, accessible information.
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Know they can call a support line without feeling stigma or fear.
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Leadership should encourage the opportunity to change policies or systems that do not work. If you see that something isn’t effective, take initiative to change it.
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Regarding onsite versus remote management, being physically present with your team makes it easier to notice their needs for personal attention.
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Being proactive could mean simply inviting someone for coffee or checking in on how they’re doing. If you are unaware of what your team members are interested in, that lack of knowledge can create significant issues.
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Safe spaces are essential, especially in open office environments where there can be little room for retreat.
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Employees need a private area to collect their thoughts, and recognizing when someone may need that space offers a chance for managerial support.
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Safe spaces cannot be only labeled as spaces for mental health; they must be open to everyone, removing stigma in their usage.
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Awareness and acceptance training is crucial. Many companies provide training on issues like racism and sexism, yet fail to address mental health.
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This can perpetuate a culture of silence, where everyone knows a problem exists but feels they need to ignore it. Communication and knowledge of available resources are essential.
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HR’s initial outreach to new hires about resources is a start but should be made proactive as well. Every few months, reach out to your entire team to reinforce that these benefits exist.
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Work-from-home allowances are also critical, especially for those needing mental health support, as they can help employees manage their well-being.
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Restrictions regarding sick days tied to a doctor’s note can be frustrating. Employees shouldn’t feel pressured to share their mental health status.
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Even if you do not have a dedicated space, having areas in the office where employees can focus quietly is valuable. This can alleviate stress for those who may need a break.
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Managing remote teams is significantly more challenging due to the absence of personal connection.
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You may not know your team members well at all, which can create blind spots during periods of crisis.
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Employees might feel pressure to maintain a facade while struggling privately, potentially leading to feelings of isolation.
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Community engagement in remote work environments is vital. Encouraging interaction beyond work-related tasks can foster a sense of belonging.
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Companies may gamify participation, but true community comes from developing personal interests. Allowing casual spaces for sharing interests can be beneficial.
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Investing in bringing people together in person, even just for social events without work obligations, creates strong connections.
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Finding FaceTime with colleagues is vital for developing trust and camaraderie. When the connection exists, peers can rely on one another.
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Management must understand that silence doesn’t always equal fine. Being proactive in checking in is crucial.
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In remote settings, employees may hesitate to reach out to their managers, especially if they feel as though no connection exists.
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If they feel their performance is failing, they may become increasingly reluctant to speak up.
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Avoid relying solely on metrics. If you only track people by numbers, it can dehumanize your team.
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Track progress with empathy. Recognizing that behind every name is an individual goes a long way in creating a supportive culture.
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Communication can remain largely text-based, and while emails and messages are efficient, they can lack tone and context.
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Pairing texts with follow-up calls or video chats is highly beneficial for communication. Ensure that feedback is immediate.
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It’s important to avoid waiting for days to relay a message that could leave someone feeling demoralized.
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Being responsive also applies to code review feedback. Sometimes text can easily be misinterpreted, leading to misunderstandings.
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Follow-up discussions should clarify intentions and create a supportive environment during reviews.
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Your team should bond around communication, trust, and teamwork. Trust is critical for effective collaboration.
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If that trust is absent, higher turnover rates may arise, and productivity can suffer.
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It all begins with managerial transparency, facilitating open communication, and sharing updates.
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If someone is absent, providing clarity and information regarding their situation is essential.
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Workplace culture should eliminate unnecessary scrutiny and judgment while maintaining professionalism.
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Ultimately, focusing on people should supersede metrics. While metrics are crucial for evaluating work, people’s welfare should remain a priority.
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Your work environment will suffer if employees are burned out or unhappy.
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Mid-level managers play a unique role, being able to balance the needs of their teams with corporate expectations.
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They should empower those they oversee while holding them accountable to realistic metrics.
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Evaluate team performance with compassion—individual circumstances matter, and understanding them benefits everyone.
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Regarding individual responsibility, everyone must take their mental health seriously—whether they face challenges or not.
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Supporting teammates in their struggles creates a supportive culture of empathy.
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Recognize that technical professionals tend to work through things with logic; however, addressing mental health issues often requires emotional vulnerability.
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Understanding that thinking alone won’t solve cognitive issues can be an important step in addressing them effectively.
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The most challenging yet rewarding step is asking for help and being willing to accept assistance.
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Acknowledging a problem means you’re 90% of the way there. Once you admit that assistance is needed, the rest can begin to take shape.
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Supporting mental health is a team effort—everyone, from managers to contributors, plays a role.
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Communication and empathy are key; if employees don’t interact, they cannot support each other.
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Systems alone cannot solve these issues; they require additional layers of action to create genuine support.
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Managers must know their teams more personally, going beyond the task sheets and project statuses.
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Taking the initiative to build meaningful relationships can make a huge difference in workplace morale.
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Learning to accept help is also vital for managers. Acknowledging uncertainty cultivates a culture of collaboration.
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Thank you all for listening; I appreciate your attention.
