This is the ninth blog in a series written by Mary Ann Baynton, Director of Collaboration and Strategy for Workplace Strategies for Mental Health. Mary Ann’s colleague and co-author for the Evolution of Workplace Mental Health in Canada book, Leanne Fournier, interviewed Christine Hildebrand about the impact psychological health and safety has had on her as a leader.
Christine’s story
Christine Hildebrand, Vice President, Health & Ability Strategy, Canada Life, has seen many changes during her almost 30-year career with the financial services organization. One has been observing how businesses like Canada Life have come a long way in recognizing and appreciating diverse perspectives to drive business forward.
As a Registered Nurse with a bachelor’s degree, Christine brought a different set of skills and experiences than many leaders in the company, who come from financial services backgrounds.
Her competencies and knowledge as a nurse have had a direct connection to her work, whether it be from a disability management perspective, supporting people with physical and mental disabilities, or making decisions about matters like prescription drug coverage.
“These and other skills I learned and developed as a nurse – including emotional intelligence, compassion, empathy, conflict resolution, critical thinking, problem solving and the ability to coach and mentor – set me up for success as a leader in a financial institution.”
Christine says that these skills became critical when the COVID-19 pandemic changed much about the way work was done. “Issues arose around individuals not having readily available access to physicians, paramedical providers, rehabilitation clinics, diagnostic tests, substance use programs or their workplaces, for example. I had the opportunity to leverage my skills and knowledge in many important decisions that had to be made with respect to supporting our plan members during this time.”
In terms of supporting her own teams during the pandemic, working for a company that was already well into implementing the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace helped.
“Canada Life did a phenomenal job communicating fast and regularly. There was positive leadership right from the top that set a good example for everyone to follow.”
She also credits leaders from across Canada for pulling together to learn from one another as they were forced to lead in new ways during the pandemic. This included managing hybrid teams, onboarding and building trust with staff they couldn’t meet in person, recognizing when employees were struggling, and ensuring that as leaders, they were also getting the support they needed.
“There was a lot of positive skill development in a very short time frame.”
Christine acknowledges that the pandemic highlighted the importance of openly discussing psychological health and safety.
“The expectation of employers and leaders in the workplace to have their own mental well-being protected has grown because of these conversations.”
The next blog is about how the pandemic opened the eyes of many employers to the importance of psychological health and safety. Don’t miss that one. Explore the History of psychological health and safety and read all of the blogs in this series.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Canada Life or Workplace Strategies for Mental Health.