Libsyn Directory

440 Mental Health in the Workplace with Dr. Andy Melton

Release Date: 10/03/2025

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More Episodes

The best leaders are the ones that can hold space for both—care personally and challenge directly.

Work never happens in a vacuum. Field calls, customer pressure, travel, and deadlines compound the very real mental load carried by water professionals. In this conversation, Dr. Andy Melton, a professional counselor and executive coach at www.andymelton.com—shares clear, practical ways leaders and teams can recognize mental health warning signs, set the right boundaries, and respond with care without stepping outside their role.

Care Personally, Challenge Directly—Inside Clear Boundaries

Managers aren’t neutral parties, and that matters. Andy explains the built-in conflict of interest when a supervisor probes too deeply into an employee’s personal struggles. You still need to check in—but do it in role: use open-ended, performance-anchored questions (“What’s been challenging for you lately?”), document observations, and offer resources instead of diagnoses. He also highlights Kim Scott’s “Radical Candor” frame—care personally and challenge directly—as a durable leadership posture for tough conversations.

Spotting Decline Early—Behavioral, Cognitive, Physical

Before missed KPIs and callbacks spike, there are tells: sudden drops in productivity, withdrawal, irritability, rising absence/tardiness, markedly negative self-talk, and physical complaints (fatigue, headaches, stomach issues). Andy shares a simple “dashboard” self-check—sleep and eating patterns—plus trackable 1–10 scales for stress, energy, engagement, and mood stability to catch trends early.

When It’s Serious—Safe Paths and Resources

Anonymous surveys can surface urgent risks—including suicidality. Andy outlines responsible next steps: widen communication, invite follow-ups, and immediately involve a mental health professional or crisis resources. Know the number 988 and your local mobile crisis team information; publish those options prominently so help is never far away.

Grounding Under Load—3 Techniques You Can Use Anywhere

For anxiety (mind racing ahead) and depression (mind stuck in the past), uniting mind and body in the present increases bandwidth. Andy teaches three job-friendly tools: the four-second “box” breath, a five-senses “sensory scan,” and a head-to-toe “progressive muscle relaxation.” Each can be done discreetly at a desk, in a service truck, or before a customer meeting.

Strong operations require strong people. Build a culture that normalizes check-ins, provides resources, and keeps performance expectations clear. That’s how teams protect each other and maintain reliability in the field.

Listen to the full conversation above. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

02:20 - Trace welcome Industrial Water Week is next week and why it's our "Super Bowl"

11:38 — Water You Know with James McDonald

13: 11 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

15:14 - Introduction for Dr. Andy Melton

15:35 - Andy's background

19:06 - Why mental health is hard to discuss at work; stigma and judgment

21:40 - Cognitive/physical signs: negative self-talk, fatigue, headaches, stomach issues

23:33 — Why self-awareness is hard; “mirror” idea of counseling/coaching

24:21 — Self “dashboard”: sleep and eating as early indicators

26:22 — Employer question: caring without crossing the line

31:44 — Impact on teammates and operations; why the talk still must happen

32:06 — Culture: build trust so care is believed

36:12 — Psychological safety: education via outside counselors/coaches; offer EAPs

42:07 — 988 explained; local mobile crisis teams and how they respond

45:06 — Awareness first: listen to body; define “stress” simply

48:27 — Grounding overview: techniques to reunite mind and body

Quotes

Struggles in mental health still have stigma… but I do think there are ways to handle this sensitive subject in the workplace.

It is really challenging as an employer to be a neutral sort of resource in someone’s life.