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A time to focus
Apr 27, 2020
It may not seem like it but now, amid the chaos and uncertainty of the Covid-19 lockdown, is the perfect time to stop and focus on what's really important.
Break free from the downward spiral of watching the gloom and doom of a pandemic crashing the world economy (and possibly your job with it) and focus on preparing yourself for life after lockdown.
It's not enough to survive – you need to thrive!
That's why I'm recommending our recently-launched Thrive @ Your 9-5 program to all those experiencing stress of uncertainty.
The program was under development when Covid-19 was nothing more than a bug in a meat market, and is all about taking a hard look at where you are in your working life and making sure the work you're doing is aligned with your passions and skills.
It's exactly the type of Personal Development you should be doing in preparation for the recovery – development on yourself, looking at all the options and getting ready for change!
Because, make no error, the working world is going to change after lockdown. Dramatically.
At best your job will be done differently. At worst it might not be there at all – in fact the whole industry you work in might not be there.
Some of you, the lucky few, can't wait to get back to a job you love. Others are dreading going back to a job they hate. Even those still in regular work (and grateful to be there) are reassessing whether it's really what they want to do.
Many have been laid off or are in limbo waiting for Job-keeper payments – some of them secretly aware they're not really suited to the work they were doing and that when the time comes to re-hire, they might not be on the list.
The reality is the pandemic and the flood of bad news that goes with it is pushing many into a mental and physical downward spiral. Loneliness and confinement at home isn't helping either!
If we're to avoid wellness and mental health issues we have to move forward – use the down-time to look beyond Covid-19 and make sure that when isolation is over we're not just recovering into the same old rut but moving forward – Thriving!
Thrive @ your 9-5 is all about doing just that. Looking at where you are now and moving forward into a better place.
The program will give you the tools to analyse where you were before lockdown, where you are now, and where you'd like to be when the lockdown is over.
And that's the PD you need! Personal Development that focuses beyond the present, on the new, better life you're going to have after Covid-19
Turning to employers and leaders:
You're under every bit as much pressure as your staff, if not more so. The responsibility for many people's wellbeing rests squarely on your shoulders. Check our our blog called "A Whole Different Ball Game HERE
where we dig deeper into Leadership during this time.
Not only do you have your own pressures planning a way through the economic mess. You also have the complexity of working with staff remotely.
You have to change your leadership style, develop new skills and be able to judge the performance and the mental wellbeing of people you can't call into your office or share a coffee with.
It's tough, you're under pressure and some of you will be wondering whether you really want to continue doing this . . . or whether your industry will even be viable post Covid-19.
You may be thinking of a leadership role elsewhere. Or perhaps you're looking to pivot and find the path back into doing hands-on work, free of the pressures of leadership.
Thrive @ your 9-5 is designed to help you answer questions about yourself – and to work out what help you need and show you where to get it.
It can also steer you on a completely new path, if that's what you choose.
The word "culture" derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere", which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture. The workplace is not just a place for you to come and work, but it should also be a great place for you to grow and learn. When we refer to workplace culture, this could be referring to the workplace language used, attitudes at work, values and the way people interact. Did you know that workplaces generally have one of four different types of work culture? This is important because sometimes this internal culture is not a match for your own preferences and you could, in fact, be clashing with the internal culture from day one. A basic overview of the four types are: Clan Culture: is like one big family where everyone does things collaboratively and upholds similar commitment levels. The Hierarchy Culture: A more formal and very structured working culture with strict policies and procedures on the way things need to be done. The Market Culture: based around winning and achieving set goals and beating rivals, so strategies and measures are all based around meeting those goals and sales targets. And the Adhocracy Culture : is based around everyone being quite entrepreneurial and everyone is constantly looking for new strategies to improve the business. Understanding this, could you see that, say you came from a background, for example, in defence, and you started your career loving the set structure where everyone followed policies and procedures, and everyone knew their place and who their reporting officer was, then you moved into an Adhocracy culture which is about thinking outside the box and creating new ways, with most people on the same level, that you may struggle to assimilate with that culture and feel that you might not be “clicking” with the job? Your skills could match up to the job duties yet there would be a misalignment with the workplace environment (culture) and you may not thrive there. If you're the owner or manager of a business understanding the type of your internal culture is a powerful way to employ. If you can include more about the culture of your business in the job advertisement then you could attract better applicants who are a better match to the synergy of your team.
We've put together a list of some of our favourite reads when it comes to leadership, career growth and getting the best out of your team. This list is not extensive yet a great start to look back on some new and old teachings. The best part with most of these listed, they are short yet powerful reads and now with the fantastic introduction of Audible books you can now download these books and listen to them in the car or on the way to work (turn your dead time into learning time). Of course, once you've had a read of these books let us know what you thought of them by sending us a quick email OR share with us one of your favourite leadership books for us to add to the list.
3 million Aussies are planning on making major career moves on the back end of the pandemic.
If there's a legacy I'd like to leave before I shuffle off my mortal coil, it's having empowered others to become better leaders. And that brings me to the topic of this blog – defining what makes a great leader. I've encountered many of them in my travels. People doing amazing work, inspiring others and creating world-class teams working towards a common goal, everyone self-driven and proactive. Alas, it is not always like this! All too often I've been hired to find out why organisations are not working effectively; why there are barriers and friction, and nobody can quite put their finger on the cause. In most instances, the problems started at the top – and you can imagine how popular that made me, pointing out that the people who'd hired me to fix their dysfunctional teams were the ones that needed my attention first.
Take a good, hard look at what your business was doing before COVID-19. Was it the best business model? And even if it was, is it going to be a workable model after the recovery? Nows your opportunity to review, realign and reset.
leaders with the strongest teams are playing a different game now thanks to COVID-19. Your teams are at home, playing individually, spread far and wide, perhaps scared and uncertain of their future, distractions at every turn. How can you help them?