The Hidden Business Cost of Mental Illness

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On the other hand, if he has to disrupt his work schedule to care for a family member, who—for reasons difficult to grasp and explain—cannot be left alone for fear of hearing voices or of some other dread psychological symptom, then he might well be reluctant to risk letting others know why he needs the time because they might look askance or even question his own mental stability. Your attitude can make all the difference. By taking mental illness as seriously as any physical illness, you convey emotional support and encourage employees to get the help they need to cope with the strains of caring for their sick loved one.

Watch your words. The words you use, and the way you use them, convey your attitude. Here's a tip from bringchange2mind.org: "Refrain from using terms like 'crazy,' 'nuts,' 'psycho' and 'lunatic.' While there may be times when it is too challenging or simply not possible to politely correct someone else's insensitive use of language, you can always try to watch your own." To combat harmful stereotypes and demonstrate understanding, it's better to say, for example, that someone "has schizophrenia" than to call that person a "schizophrenic"—the illness is not the person.

Model behavior. The kinds of actions that show genuine support are the same ones you'd want to show all your employees in treating them as whole people, with important aspects of life playing out beyond the bounds of work: Initiate and encourage dialogue with an open mind, address the individual needs of each employee, respect confidentiality, and be flexible and willing to engage in joint problem-solving while focusing on results that matter to you and to them.

Change the culture. As a business leader you are in a position to have a positive influence on the culture of your organization which, in turn affects all your employees as well as other stakeholders—clients and customers, suppliers, community members, and so on. Your supportive attitude about those who are forced to live with mental illness—with the words and deeds to reinforce it—can shape your company's values and the behavior in it that determine whether or not all your people get the help they need to both contribute fully to your business and lead productive lives.

What else can be done to make it easier for parents and other loved ones of those who live with mental illness to perform well at work? Please comment and share your stories, advice, and resources.

Provided by Harvard Business—Where Leaders Get Their Edge

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