Take time to... TALK ISSUE - Sport Wales
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Take time to...
ISSUE
TALK
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 1
TODAY, TOMORROW,
AND ALWAYS!
HOW ARE YOU? Such an important question and yet maybe one
we don’t always give our full attention, both in asking and actively
listening to the response.
Time to Talk Day (Co-ordinated by Time •S
imon Jones, Head of Policy and Influencing
to Change Wales and their home country at Mind Cymru, suggests a good place to
partners) encourages us to start talking start is with a Wellness Action Plan. An easy
about mental health. The theme for 2021 is and practical way to help support your own
The Power of Small, recognising that a small mental health at work.
conversation about mental health has the •A
t a recent Sport Wales Learn out Loud
power to make a big difference. You can find session focused on Staff Well-being we
out more about the day here. shared 7 steps to Nurturing a Culture of
Wellbeing. Step One: Get Committed!
So today is a start, but what about the 5th of •R
ebecca Johnson from Corporate Wellness
Feb, next week, 2022? How do we ensure that magazine suggests that employee well-being
this is not simply an intervention to enable starts with the leader: ‘Leaders, employee
us to ‘survive’ the pandemic and instead is well-being starts with you’
embedded as a way of being? How do we •H
annah Hutchings in her article Active
create an environment within our organisations listening: crucial for our mental well-being
and for our communities that champions a discusses why it is so important, especially in
culture of wellbeing, where speaking about these challenging and rapidly changing times,
our mental health is the norm? to show our loved ones we are listening.
Research shows us that mental health needs WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
to be prominent within our overall response to
the pandemic and importantly, stays central Inspired by Time to Talk day, each future
to our thinking as we transition out of a world edition of Take Time To will have a dedicated
dominated by COVID-19. space for your stories and experiences. An
opportunity to share learning and a space to
SO, WHAT CAN WE DO? talk about mental health and wellbeing.
• Louise Jones, Lead Sport Psychologist at •W hat are you doing to support staff
Sport Wales, shares in her interview the wellbeing? What have you learnt? What has
benefits of investing in staff well-being and been the impact?
mental health and why this is so important •D o you have a topic you would like to raise
now and for the longer term. awareness of?
•Can your story help others?
If you’d like to get involved and help
raise awareness, please get in touch:
claire.ewing@sport.wales.
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 2LEARNING
TOGETHER
WHAT CAN YOU DO TODAY ACTIVE LISTENING
TO START HARNESSING (15 MINS)
THE POWER OF SMALL?
Find a colleague, partner or friend you trust.
Invite them to share a personal situation or
dilemma they are facing where there needs to
be some action or change – non-work related
“I am struggling to control my dog” or “I’m
thinking of quitting smoking”
You’re going to need them to run through the
scenario twice (5 mins each):
First time round as they’re talking through
the scenario give them advice. Your role is to
tell them what they should do. Tell them what
you’ve experienced and would do in their
situation.
Feedback on how that experience was.
Then repeat the conversation but try to
respond differently...listen to them, summarise
but don’t give ANY advice, ask questions
about what they’re facing and be curious
about what is being shared.
Now stop and pause – how did they find the
different experiences? What did you learn
about them first time round vs. second.
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 3CEO CORNER :
15 MINUTE VLOG
LOUISE JONES
Lead Psychologist at Sport Wales shares her
thoughts on the benefits of investing in staff
well-being and mental health and why is this
PLAY so important now and for the longer term?
ALISON THORNE
Alison Thorne, Sport Wales Board member,
Chair of Chwarae Teg and founder of atconnect,
shares her experience of leading throughout
the pandemic and focuses on what will be
important for organisations and individuals as
PLAY we continue to navigate uncertainty.
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 4SPOTLIGHT ON
PERFORMANCE
SPORT
CURRENT RESEARCH
A research project (supported by Sport Wales, WIPS, and Swansea University) is currently
being completed with a number of performance programmes in Welsh sports – identifying
the factors affecting the wellbeing and mental health of athletes, coaches and sport science
& medicine practitioners. Its overall purpose is to deliver bespoke interventions which can
maintain/enhance the wellbeing and mental health of athletes and staff within participating
sports.
The research so far has highlighted some initial themes which can impact (both positively and
negatively) wellbeing and mental health. The table below summaries the themes.
DIMENSION THEME SUB-THEME
Resource allocation
Acute work demands
Excessive Workload New and inexperienced staff
Constant availability
Risk Major events/Games
Factors
Switching off
Post-competition cycle
Sense of loss
New support staff
Isolation
Smaller teams
Organizational vision
Effective Organizational
Togetherness
Culture
A challenge/supportive environment
Protective Establishing clear expectations
Factors Transformational Leadership Approachable/flexible leadership
Appreciating/valuing staff
Access to Quality Social Informal social support
Support Formal social support
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 5In line with time to talk, the power of small conversations should not be underestimated.Opportunities for social support and approachable/flexible leadership are just two examples of how making time to talk can protect the wellbeing and mental health of staff in sport. Further findings will be analysed and disseminated to individual sports during 2021. The intervention will be developed, delivered / evaluated through 2021. Thus, the aim is to have the full report being available early stages of 2022 If you have any questions and/or would like your sport to take part in the project, please contact either of the project’s leads: Dr Denise Hill: denise.hill@swansea.ac.uk, Georgia Brown: 1915600@swansea.ac.uk PROMOTING POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUR PERFORMANCE PROGRAMMES Positive Mental Health has been defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual (participant, athlete and staff member) realises his or her own potential, can cope with the stresses of sport, can perform productively, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.” Remember: Humans have a fundamental need to feel relatedness and meaningful relationships. When we don’t feel valued, we find it difficult to maintain motivation and realise our potential. How are you valuing the person and their contribution to your programmes? • Perhaps you have sent Welsh cakes to your staff to thank them for their contribution to the organisation throughout the pandemic? • Do you have a team hero of the month? • When people leave are thank you cards or mementos of recognition the norm? • It’s just as important to recognise personal contribution outside of job description! This is just one of the many factors that affect organisational culture and ultimately staff wellbeing. See more ideas on this slide deck adapted from UKS/EIS colleagues for the high performance system. Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 6
INTERESTING STUFF*
BLOGS AND ARTICLES: PODCASTS:
10 Ways Leaders Can Improve Engagement and All in the Mind: What’s happened to our mental
Wellbeing This article explores the thought that health in 2020; tools to get through the winter
engagement and wellbeing are highly reciprocal, Claudia Hammond examines the effect Covid-19
with each influencing the future state of the other is having on the UK’s mental health and hears of
to a similar degree. psychological tools to get through an uncertain
winter
In an article by the Mental Health Foundation
they say ‘Talking about your feelings isn’t a sign The workplace wellbeing during COVID-19
of weakness. It’s part of taking charge of your Podcast: a variety of podcasts tailored to help
wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy’ support you and your organisation through
coronavirus.
Gary Laybourne: Becoming a CEO in 2020
Gary shares his journey to becoming CEO and his
first day of the new role coinciding with the first
national lockdown!
WATCH:
TEDx The power of listening
PRESENTATIONS William Ury explains how listening is the essential,
The FA mental health guide on mental health and often overlooked, half of communication
for coaches and managers. There is a growing
appreciation of the benefits and importance
of creating environments in which people can
be more open about their mental well-being.
Tackling the stigma, prejudice and discrimination
that can be associated with mental health
conditions both in sport and wider society is really
important.
Sport Wales Learn Out Loud – Staff Wellbeing
Here is the PowerPoint from the LOL session and
also a further reading list on the topic of staff
wellbeing.
(*Please note these links have been collated
for you and are not endorsed by Sport Wales)
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 7WHAT’S NEW FOR 2021!
Thank you to everyone that shared feedback on Our plan is to have monthly
features including:
the first three editions of Take Time To. We were
delighted to hear they were of support and you • Guest Interviews – sharing
stories of leading through the
would like them to continue.
pandemic
• Spotlight on performance sport
We are excited to announce that we will be curating a monthly • Let’s talk mental health
edition throughout 2021. Our intention is to build a resource that • Learning Together: Activities
sparks conversation, stimulates thinking, and shares insight from to try, themed around listening,
across a variety of sectors. The golden thread throughout all effective communication, and
editions will be well-being and mental health. Each month will self-awareness
be themed on topics that impact personal and organisational • Interesting stuff – links to
development, addressing live challenges and equipping us with further reading and listening
the skills and behaviours to navigate whatever life throws at us!
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE INVOLVED?
Share you story, write an article, share an interesting link.
Please get in touch to find out more. claire.ewing@sport.wales
HUGE THANK YOU TO THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS:
Louise Jones
Institute Lead Sport Psychologist, Sport Wales
Alison Thorne
Sport Wales Board member, Chair of Chwarae Teg and
founder of atconnect
Sioned Dafydd
Freelance Sports Reporter
ARTICLES WRITTEN BY:
Claire Ewing
Governance and People Development Officer, Sport Wales
Felicity Hares
Institute People and Services Lead, Sport Wales
Take Time to... Talk Sport Wales 8You can also read
