"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
A manager's guide to responding when an employee shares a personal crisis
When someone on your team says "Can I talk to you for a minute?" and shares something personal — a health crisis, a family emergency, a mental health struggle — most managers freeze.
Not because they don't care. But because no one ever taught them what to do in that moment.
This free guide gives you a framework to respond with care, without winging it.
Inside this guide, you'll learn:
How to create psychological safety before jumping to solutions
The difference between partnership thinking and "let me know what you need"
How to connect employees to support beyond yourself
Real conversation examples you can adapt
What to do when you don't know what to say
About the Author
Anisha Joseph is a Singapore Registered Social Worker with over 11 years of experience supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
She spent a decade at AWARE, Singapore's leading gender equality advocacy organisation, where she served as Head of Department for the Sexual Assault Care Centre and Women's Care Centre. Her work has been featured in BBC, Reuters, CNA, and The Straits Times.
She is the founder of Spark Social Ventures, where she translates frontline expertise into training for managers navigating employee personal disclosures.
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