Day 3 :
- Mentalhealth illness
Location: Plaza 1
Session Introduction
Michelle Hunter
University of Reohampton, United Kingdom
Title: Strategies to address social anxiety in the workplace: the “hidden†performance killer
Biography:
Dr Michelle Hunter –BSc, MA, MSc, PGCE, PhD, MCIPD, CPsychol, AFBPsS Chartered Occupational Psychologist | Senior Lecturer | Leadership Development Specialist | Executive Coach | Psychometrician
Dr Michelle Hunter is a Chartered Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Business and Management, and Programme Convener for human resource management and international business at The University of Roehampton, Business School. As well as being an International Champion in Business, Michelle is also a psychometrician, and executive coach who commits to developing individuals and organizations, internationally. As an Associate Fellow and accredited Verifier of the British Psychological Society (BPS), and provides consultation to organisations on ability and personality testing for the selection and development of leadership. Michelle designs and delivers taught and blended - learning courses/modules, including the BPS Occupational Test User programme. Keynote speaking on leadership, organisational culture, Michelle's research interests include social anxiety, mental health in the workplace, academic attainment in HE, personal and professional development, international HRM and expatriate failure, resistance to change, employability, the role of emotion and "below-the-surface" motivation in organisational behaviour, consumer behaviour and personality
Abstract:
Mental health issues impacts working lives too. People struggling with social anxiety place an excessively high standard for themselves within any given social situation, especially the modern day workplace where competence seems to matter most. Research suggests that employees struggling with social anxiety are more acutely aware of how they think and people are going to react to them, as they have a tendency to feel inferior to others, irrespective of their positioning. Some of the questions this workshop will answer include: How does social anxiety impact employee performance? What support can be put in place for employees who are battling with social anxiety? How can a “deep” as opposed to “surface” coaching approach be used to tackle social anxiety? All participants are asked (in small groups) to comment on how issues such as social anxiety are expressed and addressed in their workplace. Other discussions around established and reputable strategies that have been used to tackle social anxiety will be embedded into the discussion. The session will close with a plenary debate and defining the best practices, main problems and prioritisation of the author’s goals for promoting “healthy (in every way) organisations”.
Keywords: social anxiety; employee performance; mental health; inferiority complex; self-esteem; confidence; deep and surface coaching.
Position: Chartered Psychologist & Senior Lecturer. Address for correspondence: Dr Michelle Hunter, University of Roehampton, Southlands College, London SW15 5SL.