Last week (23rd March) marked three years since the first lockdown in the UK. As anniversaries often do, this has prompted lots of reflection and discussion on life since 2020 and particularly, thoughts on the world of work.
In conversations over the last few days, it’s clear that the debates about how work works (or doesn’t) that were sparked by the directive to ‘stay at home’ in 2020 are very much continuing. Working from home, hybrid working, in the UK, the apparent exodus of over 50s leaving the UK workforce, caring responsibilities, pensions and working age, the sheer overwhelm of what’s happening in the world around us, perennial intergenerational challenges, cost of living rises and the increasing realisation that one of the resources that gets taken full advantage of by our capitalist system is people - just a few of the topics we’ve all seen raised over the last few years.
None of this is going to vanish tomorrow, so how do leaders work their way through this with some level of balance? There’s no magic wand, but here are three ideas I’ve been considering that might help. I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Understand your own values and what matters to you
In coaching leaders of change, I sometimes hear a misalignment between what their organisation is planning, their role in that, and their values. This might not be as overt as, “I don’t agree with what we’re doing,” but might sound like, “I’m not certain this is going to be the best solution,” or, “I’ve raised some concerns about our plans, but I don’t think I’m being heard.” Knowing what’s important to us as leaders is key if we’re to understand and manage our approach to this misalignment.
The world of work will continue to change
Since the pandemic, leaders have had to contend with ‘quiet quitting’, where employees mentally stepped back from their job, the ‘Great Resignation’ and, in the UK, a continuing narrative that working from home is a luxury (which increasingly seems to ignore many of the benefits). We’ve also seen trials of four-day work weeks, with mixed reception. Whether we like it or not, these shifts will continue and add to the uncertainty we face in managing teams, attracting and nurturing talent and adapting to change. Think people-first (including you) and you probably won’t go too far wrong in being able to find a way through this.
Find a space to make sense of your thoughts
Understanding how you make sense of your thoughts is key. Is it helpful for you to go for a walk without any distractions and process things that way? Or do you prefer to write everything down and join the dots? Maybe you like working with a thinking partner where you download what’s on your mind and work though what that all means for you? Whatever works best for you, find it and do it. It’ll help to keep overwhelm to a minimum.
Although you carry the accountability and responsibility of a leader, you are a human being too. We’ve all been through the pandemic and had very different - and sometimes similar - insights and learning. We all had the time and opportunity to consider what a different life might just look like for us and that hasn’t disappeared overnight. Recognising that we can’t ‘carry on regardless’, might just help.
If working with a listening and thinking partner would be helpful, let me know.