Questions to ask when managing a struggling employee

- Everyone struggles at work from time to time. And while some quickly bounce back without much help or intervention, for others, the problems linger and need greater support over the long term. For those whose struggles do linger, the important thing as a manager is to create common ground for the employee so that you can not only support the individual, but also ensure that the work projects progress without disruption. So how, as a manager, can you make sure that you say the right thing? How can you create this safe place for employees to speak out? And how can you make sure that you're prepared when someone comes knocking on your door saying that they're struggling? Your state will be hugely influential in how effectively you can support your colleague at this time. Mental sustainability tells us that your cognitive resources are naturally depleted during the day. So before you approach a potentially vulnerable person, you need to freshen up your faculties. Take a microbreak in nature. Do some 4-7-8 breaths. Even jogging on the spot to get the blood pumping around your body could help. Also prepare yourself for what you might hear. What do you have on after this meeting and can it be moved if necessary? When you decide that you're in the right mental space to have the conversation, be thoughtful and genuine. Consider sharing the changes you've noticed and ask if they want to talk about anything. For example, you could say, "You seem a bit upset or under pressure. Is everything okay?" Or, "How are you doing at the moment?" Or, "I've noticed X. I was wondering if everything's okay?" Then depending on their answers, you could follow this up with something along the lines of "How do you want me to support you? It's okay if you don't know right now or don't feel ready to say. I want to listen and to try and do what's helpful. Feel free to email me or ask for us to speak about this at another time." Or perhaps, "Is there anything I've been doing that it would be helpful for me to change?" Here, it's not about them. It's about the situation and showing that you acknowledge that a situation can be a help or a hindrance to people's well-being. The most important things to remember are to be empathetic and to avoid making assumptions. Depending on what they do say, you may also have some obligations in terms of work-based policies to follow up with your HR department. It's worth reading up on these before having the conversation with someone, so you know in advance of your responsibilities. Sometimes it's the case that however well prepared you are or however well you frame the questions, it's hard to get people to speak out. They're fearful of the consequences, of seeming weak or not able to do their job. So what else can you do? Well, sometimes it's the case that the culture and environment of the team or organization can actually prevent people from speaking out. Your job as their manager is to create a safe space for your team to feel able to speak out and to consider the answer truthfully to the questions that you're asking them. This can be really hard for some people, even more so if the person's struggling. Creating a safe space shares many of the same principles as creating a psychologically safe environment with trust being the key element. If an employee doesn't trust you or believe that you're going to help them, then they're unlikely to speak out. Confidentiality is also important. Sometimes people are fine with other people knowing that they're struggling, and others will not want anyone to know. Clarifying how they feel about this is important. Reassure them that you know recovery can take time. It's normal, and it's okay to struggle at times. Remember that as a manger, you don't need to have all the answers. It's about having the conversation and the support that you can offer by talking.