By Ayo Onikoyi

US-based mental health professional with expertise in people management, Hannah Bamigbola, has explained how her diverse educational background and career experiences have fueled her passion for fostering work environments where employees and businesses can thrive.

With degrees in hospitality, consumer science, and human development, she has seamlessly integrated these fields to enhance employee experience and business outcomes.

 “My background is quite unconventional,” she admits, “but what ties it all together is my passion for understanding people and helping them thrive.”

Bamigbola’s journey began with a degree in Hotel and Catering Management, which laid the foundation for her understanding of people’s needs and motivations.

“I developed my passion for people experience from my first degree,” Bamigbola explains. This foundation was further strengthened by a Diploma in Business Management from the Association of Business Executives in the UK, which equipped her with essential business leadership skills. “This gave me the framework to neatly tie it all together,” she adds.

Her subsequent degree in consumer science provided valuable insights into consumer behavior, particularly how interactions with employees influence purchasing decisions.

Pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Science was a strategic move for Bamigbola, aimed at bridging the gap between business growth and employee well-being.

“My goal was to create a bridge between the two. Business needs skilled people to succeed, and human development provides the tools to unlock employee potential,” she explains. Her professional graduate degree focused on integrating mental health awareness into business strategies, a particularly niched yet vital area.

“This is a very niched area especially in Nigeria where mental health awareness is just starting to gain momentum,” she notes.

During her graduate studies, Bamigbola focused on how different environments affect individual well-being. “I learned to assess and implement effective interventions that promote mental health in high-stress settings,” she says.

This knowledge is directly applicable to the workplace, where she aims to create supportive and productive environments. “Each career development decision I have made was driven by the desire to understand people better and improve their experiences and wellbeing,” she emphasizes.

In adapting her leadership style to fit diverse teams and organizational cultures, Bamigbola prioritizes collaboration, support, and open communication. “Collaboration is the key to fostering creativity and ownership,” she asserts.

She believes that fostering a motivating environment where team members can take ownership of their work is crucial. “I am very adaptable as a leader and over the years I have become very proficient in reading the room and understanding the team’s needs,” she adds.

Bamigbola’s diverse experience in retail operations, administration and HR, consulting, and community mental health has given her a broad perspective on leadership and employee well-being. A pivotal moment in her career was when she and her team experienced significant personal losses.

“I lost a parent and within the space of a month or two, two other team members lost their parents,” she recalls. This experience highlighted the importance of addressing life issues that impact productivity and motivated her to specialize in mental health. “Personally, my productivity tanked first before I bounced back,” she admits.

Integrating mental health awareness into her leadership approach involves prioritizing open communication and encouraging employees to seek help without fear of judgment.

“Mental health in the workplace is crucial,” Bamigbola states. She is actively working on initiatives to break the stigma around mental health in the workplace, including a mental health first aid initiative.

“I am currently working on a top-down, down-up approach to break the cycle of silence around this sensitive subject,” she reveals.

Balancing business objectives with the well-being and development of employees is central to Bamigbola’s philosophy.

“Employees take ownership of business goals in a supportive work environment where they feel heard, seen, and appreciated,” she explains.

Her approach emphasised the importance of employee satisfaction and development as drivers of business success. “It is important to strike a balance between business and employee growth and satisfaction,” she adds.

One of the biggest challenges organizations face today, according to Bamigbola, is the fast-paced work environment that often leaves little time for skill development. “It usually feels like we are too busy to learn new skills or improve on our skills,” she notes.

She advocates for integrating training and development into organizational goals, leveraging technology to provide accessible learning opportunities. “Technology has made it very easy to learn on the go in bite sizes,” she says.

Measuring the impact of workplace mental health initiatives is complex, but Bamigbola emphasizes the importance of data collection and feedback.

“It’s my goal to evaluate the effectiveness of my workplace mental health initiatives towards improving interventions and advocating for policy change,” she explains.

By tracking assessments, surveys, and employee life cycle data, she aims to improve mental health programs. “We will be tracking feedback, assessments, surveys, and employee life cycle data to assess the effectiveness of each targeted program,” she elaborates.