How Lady Gaga And Mom Cynthia Germanotta Are Promoting Mental Health In The Workplace

Generation Z and young Millennials could be the most wellness-conscious generations, driving the reinvention of workplace culture post-pandemic. But they also suffer from a host of mental health issues, many brought on by the pandemic. As this new generation enters the workforce, employers must be prepared to provide adequate mental health benefits to meet their needs. One of the most advanced innovations supporting young employees is the Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. If your company doesn’t prioritize mental health, mother and daughter insist, you may miss out on hiring top talent from Gen Z and Millennials.

Making ‘Kidfulness’ Great Again

The Born This Way Foundation supports the mental health of young people, especially in the BIPOC community, working to build a kinder and braver world of work. “I came to the foundation with a strong business background, which is why my daughter asked me to work with her, because I understand corporate America,” Germanotta told me. “I was a product of the work cultures of the ’80s and ’90s, one of those chained to desk people for whom cumulative stress was horrible.

In my conversation with Germanotta, I discovered where Lady Gaga’s coldness came from and discovered that her mother was just as modern, kind and caring as her daughter. Germanotta said she worked under the Dark Ages, ironclad management styles where there was a perception that kindness was soft or weak when, in fact, it is a great strength. “You can make tough business decisions, be productive, and make big profits, and do it with dignity, kindness, and compassion,” she said. “It’s a tool, not just a confusing word. As much as there is a stigma for mental health in the workplace, there is a stigma associated with kind words like kindness in the workplace. Unfortunately, there is still a belief that management has to be strong to be profitable”.

The persistent myth linking kindness to weakness or ineptitude, that softness undermines profits, and that businesses must be tough to be profitable, reminded Germanotta of how Lady Gaga was affected by so much unkindness when she began her career. . “Looking back as a mother, the reason our foundation exists is because of my daughter’s experience with unkindness and how instrumental her impact was on her mental health journey,” she said. “At a time in her life when she needed kindness for many reasons (exclusion, intimidation, being different), she was not there. People had the option to fill that negative space with kindness, but chose not to. The kindness could have changed the trajectory of her mental health experiences, which became increasingly darker because the cruelty was relentless and non-stop. This amazing and confident young woman faced a difficult and challenging experience, which is why she chose to share her story. She was brave enough to talk about the lack of kindness when she was on stage and how it affected her mental health. This is how the foundation began. Young people were like, ‘Oh my God, Gaga, how did you do it? The same things happen to us.’”

Germanotta told me how proud she is of her daughter who chose to use a platform to do good. “She firmly believes that this is her true purpose in life, to help young people. Of course, she couldn’t breathe without her music, but this is what she wants her legacy to be for young people all over the world. I feel privileged to be a part of this. It happened at a time in my life when it was a great surprise to be able to work with young people every day.”

The Foundation’s Kindness in the Workplace Research

The foundation has studied the intersection of kindness and mental health for the past 10 years and found an undeniable link between the two. They recently teamed up with By the way conduct a study on how workers between the ages of 18 and 29 value kindness and mental health in the workplace. The study of 1,200 youth found that 79% of respondents believe mental health should be a priority in the workplace and look for employers who enact kindness policies that support mental health. According to Germanotta, the key findings of the study include:

• 77% of respondents were more likely to apply for a job that listed “friendliness” as an important company value.
• 74% of respondents said having a friendly workplace community is important, such as managers checking in on their team members for professional and personal support.
• 89% of young workers see mental health and kindness as top priorities in the workplace.
• Only 32% of employees work in settings where paid staff or mental health days are provided.
• Only half of the youth surveyed reported having health insurance that covers mental health care.

The survey revealed that young people are more passionate about their careers and more invested in their work if they are in a friendly workplace that prioritizes mental health, a win-win for employees and employers. In the “new normal,” today’s working youth believe mental health and kindness go hand-in-hand and are equally important in the workplace, according to research. “People spend a lot of time in the workplace. What the data from this study means is that we have an opportunity and an obligation for companies to be more welcoming to young workers and to attract and retain talent,” said Germanotta. “We all win when we prioritize people as much as profit. We have better productivity and healthier, happier employees. Diversity breeds change because you have different perspectives and people looking at problems from different angles. You can be more creative and everyone wins.”

According to Germanotta, this research has further demonstrated the connection between mental health and kindness and the role each has in ensuring that young people succeed and thrive in their personal and professional lives. “Companies that want to attract, retain, and support their workers can take tangible steps to foster caring communities at work, increase access to needed mental health resources, and affirm and respect everyone in their workplaces. The Born This Way Foundation aims to validate young people’s emotions, encourage kindness and eliminate stigma around mental health – the workplace is a critical environment for achieving these goals,” she concluded.

The foundation is putting its money where its mouth is. They are committing $1 million to fund youth-led mental health initiatives in various communities in conjunction with Lady Gaga’s 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour this summer in cities where she will perform.