Mental health has been a buzzword for years now with focus on its relationship to one’s working life. Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of mental and psychological wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, and can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Those who have positive mental wellbeing are generally self-confident, feel and express a range of emotions, can build and maintain healthy relationships, can cope with day to day life stressors, and can adapt in times of change or uncertainty. Work related stress occurs when individuals are faced with workplace pressures that do not match their abilities, creating an inability to cope, especially when these individuals feel a lack of support from supervisors and little control over their work environment. Work related stress, and general negative mental health, can present through the individual such issues as presenteeism, showing up to work while feeling unwell, resulting in poorer than usual performance. Other resulting factors are excess absence from work, and employee turnover. I’m sure everyone can sit back and think of at least one point in time in their working life where you were at your breaking point: you were overwhelmed, had too much on your plate, were unsure of what was coming down the pipeline next, struggling to meet this work deadline while also trying to maintain family and friend connections, sleeping and eating poorly, lacking motivation, feeling like the world is against you, you can’t do anything right, pulling your hair out… we’ve all been there, whether it was just a few fleeting moments until you pulled yourself out of it, or you despaired for days, weeks, or more. To make it more complicated, these feelings may be harboring more under the surface, and may not be solely based on the situation unfolding in front of you. It’s not always as easy as “muscling through” to meet that deadline; oftentimes, there is much more to the story. When it comes to being consultants, we have unique work burdens that impact our mental wellbeing. A 1982 article by A. Turner in Harvard Business Review describes an eight layer “hierarchy of consulting purposes,” starting from basic to complex: 1. Providing information to a client. 2. Solving a client’s problems. 3. Making a diagnosis, which may necessitate redefinition of the problem. 4. Making recommendations based on the diagnosis. 5. Assisting with implementation of recommended solutions. 6. Building a consensus and commitment around corrective action. 7. Facilitating client learning—that is, teaching clients how to resolve similar problems in the future. 8. Permanently improving organizational effectiveness. We at Motive Power strive to do all of the above at some level in every contract we are a part of, with the underlying goal of “bringing value” in every way to our clients. Being a consultant allows us as a whole, and individually, to build vast networks of contacts, across many industries; we typically work with like-minded, Motive-ated people, which inherently leads to cohesive teamwork; there are countless opportunities to learn, grow, and progress as no two contracts are the same, and there is always something new on the horizon; there is always a new challenge no matter what level you are in terms of experience, and there is always someone willing to help guide you on whatever path you choose. While all these good things are a part of being a consultant, they must be foiled with some not-so-good things. Consulting can inherently be stressful, oftentimes with more than the typical 40-hour work week, which can be hard for those trying to strike a balance between work and home life. Others may feel it is hard to “stand out” and work their way up, leading to feeling unrecognized and underappreciated. Consulting can come with a lot more uncertainty compared to your “typical” 9-to-5 job. At many consulting firms, there is a lack of trust between employees, leading to back-stabbing and poor work relationships. Heavy travel can also quickly lead to burn out. There are statistics that show many consultants don’t last in their role past three years. With all that being said, Motive Power has done a great job in creating a flat work environment with open doors, camaraderie, and encouragement to maintain a healthy work-life balance as much as possible. Employees are expected to work on internal projects to create that sense of ownership in what the company does. Everyone is genuine and willing to help others. Going with the flow and learning (quickly) as you go is the mantra each employee learns to embrace. Even with the positive environment Motive Power has established, mental health is still a consideration, as individuals are dealing [...]