My new normal: Dr Heather Bolton
In normal circumstances, my job involves… leading the psychology team at Unmind. We’ve built a workplace mental-health platform that aims to help employees and employers measurably improve their mental health, through evidence-based digital tools and training. We’re on a mission to improve the lives of 10 million people worldwide and we’re transforming the way mental health is talked about in the workplace.
I’m adapting to working remotely by… trying to be disciplined in sticking to a schedule. At the height of lockdown, I found that I was working long hours without taking proper breaks, and it really affected my energy levels and overall mental wellbeing. I’ve found that scheduling walks and breaks into my calendar, and holding myself accountable to little acts of self-care, makes all the difference to my daily wellbeing.
The recent innovations I’m most proud of are… the various pieces of content we’ve produced to help our user base adjust to the challenges of Covid. Over the course of the pandemic, we released a lot of material to help clients navigate the various psychological difficulties they were facing. We also created a Back to Work guide for managers, which has since been downloaded by thousands of people around the world. This shows that we can innovate in response to the changing climate and that we can be responsive to the needs of our users and clients. It has been really rewarding to hear all the positive feedback on these initiatives.
The most significant challenge has been… having so much screen time. I usually have a lot of face-to-face meetings and with everything suddenly happening over Zoom, I’ve really missed that human connection with my colleagues. I also find my eyes are very tired by the end of the day – we’re just not designed to stare at a screen for hours on end!
I’m keeping my team motivated by… regularly checking in and making sure we’re celebrating our day-to-day wins, no matter how small. We also work hard to stay connected to our overall company mission – we’re in a very exciting place where we’re having a tangible impact on the lives of people around the world, and it’s a real privilege to be in that position.
For me, leadership during a crisis means… clear communication and flexibility, and making sure you’re properly checking in with everyone in your team on a regular basis. It’s also important to be human, and to provide an exemplar of healthy ways of working. Nobody is expecting any leader to maintain superhuman strength throughout the course of a global pandemic!
My role model for crisis management is… from a distance, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister. She’s a real role model for empathic, compassionate leadership. Closer to home, I’d say my aunt Allie. Despite being in her seventies, she’s strong, stoic and decisive – and it’s only after a crisis has passed that you realise she was remotely worried in the first place.
The three most important values that will see my business through adversity are… teamwork, passion and flexibility.
The biggest change I hope we’ll see in my industry post-crisis is… mental health being given the attention it deserves. The pandemic has had a detrimental impact on mental health on a global scale, but the silver lining is that it has accelerated conversations and encouraged more employers to take their efforts in this area to the next level.
The one thing I can’t wait to do when all this is over is… go to Scotland and see all the family and friends I’ve missed so much during lockdown.
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