Instep’s Wellbeing Service Manager, Leigh-Ann Griffiths, shared valuable tips and strategies with the Revolutionaries of Wellbeing (ROW) on building team culture. You can read her article below:
Hi! I’m Leigh-Ann Griffiths. My background is mostly in counselling, but I threw some studies in HR in there and now work at Instep EAP as the Wellbeing Service Manager. I’ve really valued my learnings and interactions through ROW, and when the opportunity came up to help support Sarah, I was (very nervously) all in.
Lately, I’ve been diving into the topic of team culture. There’s been so much research lately highlighting the impact that people leaders have on the wellbeing of their teams. What really stands out to me is the weight of responsibility that puts on supervisors and team leaders. Not only are they expected to keep productivity high and meet targets, but they’re also increasingly being seen as the front line of mental health support.
One article I stumbled across in my latest rabbit hole is called Supervisor Actions for Supporting Employees Through Stressful Work Situations: A Critical Events Approach From the Perspective of Supervisors. It looked at how supervisors help their teams manage stressful or challenging work situations.
What struck me most was how big a difference it makes when supervisors step in early, acknowledging signs of stress, offering support, and showing empathy. These seemingly small actions have a huge impact on team wellbeing and cohesion.
But here’s the catch: expecting this kind of emotional leadership without giving supervisors the training, resources, or support they need is a pretty big ask. That’s been sitting with me this week: how do we support the supporters? The importance of leaning into how we can strengthen workplace culture by investing in leadership development, especially when it comes to the emotional and relational skills that so often go unspoken.
Outside of work, I always try to keep a novel or two on the go. My family call it ‘book land’ and gently make fun of my way of disappearing into the book, completely losing track of everything else that’s going on around me. I recently read Night Road by Kristin Hannah. It follows Lexi, a former foster child, and her friendship with twins Mia and Zach. Ultimately, it’s a tale of repercussions, second chances, and healing. Not a light read, but beautiful all the same.
So, here’s to strong teams, supported leaders, and stories that remind us of what it means to be human.
What I’m reading for work right now:
- The dark side of leadership: A systematic review of creativity and innovation
- Guidelines on mental health at work
What I’m working on right now:
Exploring team culture – Supervisor actions for supporting employees through stressful work situations: A critical events approach from the perspective of supervisors
