Is Something “Off”?

What can you do if someone in your team seems to be struggling?

Most teams have at least one high achiever - the person who is engaged and enthusiastic, who always exceeds targets, is always prepared for meetings, is always happy to help test out new systems and ideas, and knows exactly what to do in any given situation. The person you can turn to when you have questions.

The person who can sometimes be taken for granted....

So - what happens if you start noticing small changes with them?

A few things seem a little ‘off’. They aren’t as present in meetings. Their results aren’t at their usual standard. They aren’t as energetic or positive, and you don’t feel they are as approachable as normal.

Everyone has ‘off’ days, and times when they aren’t as focused. We are humans, after all! But when does it go from being an ‘off day’ to a genuine cause for concern? And when is it appropriate to intervene?

Every situation will be different, of course; and your ‘intervention’ will vary depending on your job role relative to your colleague’s and how well you know each other. It may be more appropriate to flag an issue to HR, perhaps.

But…any gesture of kindness and compassion is better than none. It doesn’t have to be a question (“How are you?” or “Are you ok?”). It could be a smile, a thoughtful observation (“I noticed you seemed a little quiet yesterday”), or a gesture (“I can help you with that if you’d like”).

Remember that your colleague is a human being who is just as complex as you, who used to be a child like you, has insecurities like you, has physical and mental health to maintain like you, and has worries about things outside of work like you do.