Time To Talk… Or Time To Listen Day? (Feb 5th)
Moving Beyond Talking - To Listening
Spurred on by Brew Monday, you’ve encouraged your staff to talk about how they REALLY are.
Love this for you, and them.
And they told you.
Some of them are not doing okay - which is statistically expected as 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year.
And, well, no one really knew what to say.
Staff opened up and managers got awkward…
‘Um, I’m sure you’ll be fine…?’
‘I blame leadership!’ *shakes fist*
‘But did you not hear that you are getting a raise this year? Turn that frown upside down buddy!’
Oh dear oh dear.
It’s great that you can open up about mental health - but are your managers trained to listen and respond? Can they hold boundaries and meet their legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 (not to make this even heavier but they have a legal obligation…)?
Without an adequate response, staff are left feeling even worse - conversations are shut down, absence increases, and HR are called in too late.
We need to be equipped to take appropriate action.
And that’s what I’m focusing on this year- helping managers learn how to respond with empathy AND boundaries.
February 5th is ‘Time to Talk Day’ - the annual day to get everyone talking about mental health.
I love Love LOVE that this year See Me have the theme of ‘making spaces stigma free for everyone’. This acknowledges that psychologically safe environments take conscious effort and training.
If you are looking to do something for Time To Talk Day (and you should!!), have a look at their free resources.
There’s also a recording on the YouTubes of my webinar with ScotlandIS Cyber for World Mental Health Day on how to have these conversations with empathy and boundaries.
I have an article about responding to the ‘mental health emergency at work (?)’ with ten practical steps to be mindful of, inspired by a CIPD Festival of Work panel session.
Caption: Lynn sitting with friend really listening with open body language.
A Surprisingly Powerful Way to Practise Listening at Work
I’ve often discussed with friends working in mental health that this annual day should actually be called, ‘Time To Listen’ Day. Lots of people do actually open up about struggling with their mental health at work - and very few managers are trained in the appropriate listening skills, along with understanding the balance between pastoral care and legal responsibilities.
Listening skills are something that can be practised and learned - and I’m a big fan of making learning fun…
Introducing the World Cup of Biscuits!
Below you can download a template to run a World Cup of Biscuits.
The World Cup of Biscuits is a low-stakes activity you can run over tea and biscuits that gets people talking and really listening to each other.
How To Play:
Get into small groups
Discuss each biscuit face-off (Leibniz vs Digestive, anyone?)
Vote for your favourite
The winning biscuit goes through to the next round
Keep going until you crown the ultimate champion 🏆
Listening Scripts to Practise:
These phrases can help guide the conversation while showing you’re truly hearing the other person. .
“It sounds like you’re saying…”
– This shows you’ve heard the essence of what they said and gives them the chance to clarify.
– Example: “It sounds like you’re saying you have really positive memories of digestives. Tell me more about what’s making it feel that way.”
“Uh-huh, go on. Tell me more…”
– Encourages them to share more without interrupting.
– Example: “Uh-huh, go on. Tell me more about what you love about coconut rings. I want to understand better.”
“I hear you’re feeling [emotion].”
– Name the emotion to show you’re hearing it. This can validate their experience and encourage trust.
– Example: “I hear you’re feeling frustrated because we all disagree with you. That must be tough.”
“What I’m hearing is… Is that right?”
– This helps you confirm that you’re interpreting the conversation correctly. It avoids assumptions.
– Example: “What I’m hearing is that you’re disappointed that no one agrees that shortbread should have won. Is that right?”
“That sounds really challenging. What can I do to help?”
– Offer to help, but leave space for them to guide the next steps.
– Example: “That sounds really challenging. What can I do to help you in this situation?”
You can download the World Cup of Biscuits resource below and try it with your team.
If you’d like to know more about what courses I have on offer around supporting managers to navigate mental health (and neurodiversity) conversations, download my 2026 offer or get in touch. And also remember to tell me which biscuit won in your Team!!
Sometimes the best way to learn how to handle the hard stuff starts with a biscuit. Or eight.
Caption: World Cup Of Biscuits sheet to print and discuss.
