Good morning,
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the first lockdown in the UK, we asked our client, Andry Anastasis McFarlane, executive coach and author of The Really Resilient Guide, to share her thoughts on workplace learnings from life in lockdown. Please see her comment piece below which you're welcome to share. We can send you a copy of her new book and connect you with Andry for editorial commissions and media interviews. She is available for interview on the anniversary - 23rd March. Here's a link to the online media folder for Andry containing photos of her and her book, plus more information about The Learning Moment in the UK: https://bit.ly/TheReallyResilientGuide.
Thank you,
Diana Ashlee
PR & Marketing Manager
Literally PR
www.literallypr.com
Workplace learnings from life in lockdown
On 23rdMarch it marks a year since the Prime Minster told people they "must stay at home". Lockdown 1.0 began, and now we're approaching the end of Lockdown 3.0. But restrictions continue and the way we work has changed for many of us. Experienced learning consultant, executive coach and author of The Really Resilient Guide,Andry Anastasis McFarlane, is available for interviews before and on the one-year anniversary to discuss workplace learnings from life in lockdown, and offer advice to those facing a return to working out of the home, or a new job entirely. For a copy of The Really Resilient Guide, for editorial commissions and media interview requests, please contactdianaashlee@literallypr.com.
This last year has shown us many things about how we as individuals and businesses handle change and uncertainty. And how resilient we really are. What are some of the other bigger lessons we've been learning about ourselves and our lives and working lives during lockdown? And how will these lessons shape the future of working as restrictions ease?
Opinion piece by Andry Anastasis McFarlane, author of The Really Resilient Guide
https://thelearningmoment.org/
Andry Anastasis McFarlane is an experienced learning consultant, executive coach, international workshop facilitator and keynote speaker. The Learning Moment offers workshops, courses, executive coaching and learning consultancy within the UK. The Really Resilient Guide is Andry's first book:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Really-Resilient-Guide-Surviving-Uncertainty/dp/B08F6PK2DH/
We are resilient communicators
It's fairly clear to many of us who are aged 40+ that what younger people have been telling us for years - that we can connect online - is true! Before first lockdown in 2020, a common concern or criticism was that young people were spending too much time online and weren't building real relationships. There's definitely truth to the need to build face-to-face relationships. However, this last year has shown many of us that we can adapt to online communications. Perhaps we haven't enjoyed it as much, and yes it is harder to read body language, plus we have to work harder at listening and checking our understanding... but these are all good communication skills. In fact, we've seen that we can adapt and communicate online. We can run our offices, our businesses and sometimes even thrive and grow our work online. We have become adaptable, resilient communicators.
Attending to our wellbeing at work
We have been working on surviving a challenging year; wellbeing mental health support services are clearly going to be desperately needed moving forward.UK Government data states that, ‘self-reported mental health and wellbeing may have worsened'[i].
Our ability to innovate and pivot at work has been incredible as we moved in and out of lockdown over the last year. I've seen staff on organisations pivot, cafés turn into organic produce shops, yoga businesses shift to online classes, face-to-face services moved online. Innovation and learning give you energy but it also take physical and psychological energy, especially in a stressful environment. That's also when we've needed to learn to attend to our wellbeing.
This is one of the biggest emerging lessons of the year: how to avoid burnout—how to care for your wellbeing in the face of long-term uncertainty and change at work and in life. At work, as well as accessing workplace Employee Assistance Programmes, there are simple, practical, evidence-based steps you can take, whether working from home or in an office/other workplace. Try out the Five ways to WellBeing principles called CLANG:Connect, keepLearning, stayActive, takeNotice (mindfulness), and keepGiving (share your time and energy in a community setting when you can)[ii]. In my experience, over this extreme year it's been a time for extreme self-care around wellbeing.
Motivation at work
Motivation has been a key learning area this year. Many people have seen that they are self-motivated at work, even when working from home. Manyof my coachees and colleagues have reported that in the long term they would like to continue part-time working from home. Many employers have learnt we are can ‘be trusted' to motivate ourselves, with a slightly more hands-off approach—as many leaders and managers also report that individuals and teams are working effectively when at home. This is not to minimise the importance of ongoing workplace support for our roles, our communication and our wellbeing. But it seems we are more self-motivated than was perhaps previously thought.
Moving forward
Moving in and out of lockdown, changing restrictions and rules, and all the uncertainty we have faced has been a year-long journey already and there's no clear ‘end date' when things will return ‘back to normal'. Because of our challenging circumstances, there are many lessons we've been learning at work and in life—whether we've wanted to or not! As we move towards spring and out of our hibernation, with a little reflection on our own work learning, we may find that we have learnt more this year than we thought.
[i] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report/2-important-findings-so-far
[ii] https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-health-at-work/taking-care-of-yourself/five-ways-to-wellbeing/