How can managers better support teammates struggling with personal issues?

Building psychological safety begins with the manager. It comes down to how you deal with issues. If someone missed a deadline, do you respond to them in a calm and collected way? If someone makes a mistake, do you rain down upon them? Or do you work with them to rectify it?

In terms of team culture—do you allow individual egos to wreak havoc? Or do you make sure that everyone has an opportunity to speak their mind and share their ideas? Even in the worst of times, it’s possible to ensure a sense of safety and comfort for your teams.

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How can managers be prepared for more personal conversations?

It’s rare for things to happen very suddenly, like an unexpected death in the family. In most cases, managers will have some indication that something’s going on.

So don’t make 1-to-1s about just status updates. Get to know the individuals on your team—what drives them, what’s going on in their lives. These are data points that you’re collecting. If someone’s just found out that a parent is ill, you know that conversation is going to come up in the following weeks.

Staying in close contact is especially important with remote and hybrid teams. You’re not going to see someone coming into the office looking a little worn out. You won’t have those visual cues. So you have to be very intentional about having regular conversations on a personal level.

What can a manager do to support a teammate going through a tough time?

First, understand and accept that they’re going to be distracted. Don’t impose strict deadlines. Give them the time and space they need.

Second, pull in other team members. With that person’s permission, you can let the team know they’re struggling, and make sure that the workload is balanced so that things get done. Some folks might feel more comfortable opening up to their peers than their manager. So encourage peer sharing, and see if there are team members you can rely on to provide that additional support.

Finally, managers don’t have to handle everything alone. Organisations usually have resources available for employees. Reach out to People Ops or HR, and look into employee resource programmes that might help. If mental health services are available, refer them to a professional. As managers, you need to be well-informed about what your company offers so you can direct people to the right channels.

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How can managers set healthy boundaries to avoid getting in too deep?

In general, people truly care about their teammates. So sometimes it’s difficult to maintain distance between yourself and the person who’s struggling. You might want to jump in right away and do whatever you can to help.

But it’s important to have the self-awareness to take a step back. If you’re stressed or preoccupied with something else, you might not be in the right headspace to listen. It’s fine to say, ‘Could you give me 20 minutes? Let me resolve the issue at hand and then give you my full attention.’

Taking a step back also gives you greater clarity. If you’re too close to the problem, it can be hard to see possible solutions. If you act too quickly, you might end up making snap decisions without understanding the full gravity of the situation.