“Do You Have a Minute?” The Conversation Most Managers Aren’t Ready For
A top sales rep closes her manager's door and says her son hasn't been to school in two weeks. Chris Coulter, founder of The MentorWell, walks through five things leaders can do when an employee shares a personal struggle: thank them, listen, ask what they need, leave the reassurance out, and follow up. Plus why this conversation matters for retention, and what it costs when it goes wrong.
7 Things I Got Wrong About Mental Health as a Business Owner
Chris Coulter co-owned a 70-person office furniture company from 1992 to 2010. Here are seven things he got wrong about mental health at work: calling it an excuse, doubting parents with sick kids, banning remote work, saying "let us know how we can help," ignoring the EAP, pushing through his own depression, and keeping it hidden. What to say when an employee shares a personal struggle.
Someone Just Broke Down in Your Office. You Have Four Seconds.
When an employee breaks down in your office, your instinct is to fix it, hand over a resource, or route them to HR. In the first moment, each one makes it worse. This is a manager's guide to what to actually say when someone shares a personal struggle at work: the first line that keeps them in the room, the small choices to offer, the follow-up three days later, and the two instincts to kill on the spot. No clinical skill required.