Define Potential Blog

People tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves at this time of year to get things done – finish that report, wind up the project, clean the windows, buy all the gifts, attend all the Christmas parties and prepare for the perfect holiday season. It is worth assessing every item on all our lists – both mental and actual, and ask ourselves “does this all need to be done?”

With the chaos of 2021 behind us, I think everyone is looking forward to the holiday break. Time with family, friends, and some much-needed relaxation. The past two years have been tough on many people. The surprising part is that some leaders have thrived through this period while others have really struggled.

While we either have or are contemplating a return to our offices, digital communication, whether that be email, messaging, Zoom or MS Teams is here to stay. Being effective in how we use these different communication tools will be critical to high performance and team management.

This is a subject that has almost come to rival talking about the weather… do you want to continue working from home and will your organisation allow it? Whilst working from home is not a new concept to some, organisations have generally been slow to embrace this possibility due to uncertainty on what the impact would be on performance.

I have coached senior leaders across the public sector for over ten years now. Over the years, these conversations have covered many, many subjects. The three recurring themes are establishing a network, managing a diary effectively and dealing with imposter syndrome.

When considering the product of the pandemic on my team, it is not clear how it has affected them. The affects are deeper, more insidious and less obvious. The question I consider is, while it is easy to link the disengaged behaviours to the pandemic, why then can’t we rationalise a way out of our feelings and into productivity? We are smart people, I have a capable team… why then are my people so hard to motivate right now? How can I help them move forward?

Self-care is getting a lot of airplay right now. Society is recognising the toll that COVID-19 is taking on our mental wellbeing. Self-care is promoted as one of the ways we can manage and mitigate the impacts. It can look different for each individual, and may include physical exercise, mindfulness, social connection, hobbies, contribution, nutrition and sleep. How can we add ‘self-care’ in, without adding to the to-do list?

Wellbeing is more important than ever. Organisations have long recognised the importance of supporting employee wellbeing, and the resulting positive impact on engagement and team performance. How do leaders prioritise their own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of their teams in our ‘new normal’? Let alone managing all the caring responsibilities and the wellbeing of loved ones…