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Psychological Safety in Practice: A Guidebook for Managers a guidebook by CEO Health + Safety Leadership Network 22 Scenario #2 A lower performing team member is struggling at work. The manager is not particularly close to this individual and already has some concerns about the quality of their work. The manager learns that the individual has been diagnosed with a mental disorder and will need accommodation from the organization. How can the manager overcome negativity bias and handle this situation so that both the employee and the organization are protected? Milena Braticevic "Boost confidence and bust stigma" The manager can overcome negativity bias by taking a long-term view and understanding that most people will experience some symptoms of anxiety, depression, or burnout at some point in their lives. They can start by finding out what support systems exist for employees who are struggling and make this information easily accessible. Identifying the source of team member's poor performance (such as depression or burnout) can be helpful in establishing a clear path to recovery and determining an optimal way of working in the future. The manager should work to maintain a growth mindset — believing that the team member's ability to cope with their mental health challenges and workload can be developed with the right help and tools. Adopting a process-orientation will ensure this becomes an opportunity for growth, learning, and change, for the organization and the manager in terms of learning how to handle employee mental health needs, and for the team member who is experiencing mental health challenges. Another step is to engage in 'nonviolent communication' where the manager communicates the needs of the organization and listens to the needs of the team member. Together, the employee and manager can work to establish a more manageable workload and flexible work structure to help the return to work. Finally, providing the necessary mental health education and skills training can help prevent relapse and serve to improve the overall well-being of the team and the individual's ability to achieve higher productivity and more sustainable well-being in the future.