Most large organisations have a manager training scheme in place. Typically these are traditional ‘classroom style’ seminars and one-off away days. Not only do they lack scientific rigour, they’re boring and easily forgotten.

We need to present the consequences of this in a way buyers can’t ignore. We need to make them question their current approach. Without leaders with the skills to proactively support their own or their team’s mental health, company culture suffers This increases the risk of poor employee mental health, which costs business losses in productivity, performance and revenue.

To achieve this we have to bring creativity and storytelling to demonstrate the human and economic impact of not providing their managers with the right support. We also need to bring the science – to back our narrative with surprising & spicy data.

Our bosses have a bigger impact on our wellbeing and performance than our partners and therapists. Leadership training is the most important element of a wellbeing strategy – no amount of free fruit or mindfulness sessions can make up for a bad boss.
 
Yet 82% of bosses haven’t taken any training – they’re accidental leaders, promoted based on competency not people management skills. That’s okay – no one is born to rule. But you wouldn’t want to go under the knife of an accidental surgeon or fly with an unskilled pilot; at some point or another, those steering the ship need proper training. By ticking a box, one-off seminars are only adding fuel to the fire.