3
a
guidebook
by
CEO
Health
+
Safety
Leadership
Network
Introduction
If you spend a few moments reviewing managerial job descriptions on any given career
site, you'll notice that many dedicate very little space to the role managers play in
keeping employees engaged, protecting their health and safety, supporting individual
and team growth and development, and fostering a safe environment where all
employees feel welcomed and included.
That doesn't mean those expectations don't exist. They're just not typically the focus
of most job ads…but they should be.
In today's world of work, managers must operate in the middle of two powerful and
sometimes opposing forces – ever-changing organizational goals and priorities and
employee expectations. You are held accountable for meeting performance targets,
adapting to technological, process and policy changes, all while fostering deeper
connections with your team members and supporting their well-being.
On top of the pressures you might have already been feeling, you are faced with
managing your own uncertainty while supporting your team and quelling their fears
and doubts.
This is a heavy load and it's taking a toll.
Managers and team leaders are three times more likely to develop common mental
disorders such as anxiety, depression, and burnout. This is because you typically
worry about things like survival of the business and talent retention on top of your
daily managerial duties.
It is important to be aware of the potential risk to mental and physical health both
to yourself and your team, and act preventatively.
As Shelley Pacheco, VP of People and Culture at Workplace Safety & Prevention
Services, noted in this recent OHS Canada Magazine op-ed, "Managers feel the natural
messy humanness that exists in our organizations the most. Becoming a strong,
confident manager who can wade through this, feel inspired and continue to inspire and
motivate others is a journey. It's not about perfection, and there is no endpoint.
1
"
1 Pacheco, S., [2022], Don't Just Tell Managers They Are Important to Your Organization: Show Them, Retrieved from
https://www.ohscanada.com/features/dont-just-tell-managers-they-are-important-to-your-organization-show-them/
