I’m guessing if you are reading this you have returned to reality from the sparkling lights and food abundance of the holidays. Good friends, loved ones and time away from the pressure of business deliverables have hopefully left you recharged with energy for the year to come. Coming back from this short hiatus will be tough. The pressure that accumulates as the year closes off can see work being rushed and this can put unnecessary stress in the system for the start of the New Year. It’s important to realise that whatever state you’re coming back to, you have the ability to inspire energy and shape the agenda quickly to help the people around you get off to a great take-off.
Having been back for a few weeks now, I have seen people clicking their heels as work rolls back around; chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of things. Others, those that have thoroughly enjoyed their time off, show up a little more lacklustre and find it challenging to get back into the daily routine. This is not necessarily a sign of poor commitment or a lack of engagement, often it is more about the person’s need to kick start a new rhythm and bring some focus, recreating a sense of purpose to channel their energy.
As you settle back into work it’s important to reconnect on three levels: to reconnect with your purpose, to reconnect with the people around you and to reconnect with the work and progress you are collectively making. For me, an overarching sense of organisational and personal purpose is paramount to making me feeling happy and inspired. In settling back in this year, I quickly made the space to spend time with my leadership team on our strategy, reconnect with the great work we are doing to refresh our brand and today I have been connecting in with our team to co create our new office design. This has helped energise me and I’m sure my team would say it has helped connect their head and heart back into the world of work.
Connecting to people for me is about making time and space for them to have genuine conversations and to be curious about others beyond a superficial level. There are obvious things for a leader to be aware of such as reconfirming what each person in your organisation wants from showing up to work each day. Things evolve over the holidays and peoples’ circumstances change. Human drivers are endless and it’s key to understand how they play out at an individual level. It’s important to set the tone that everyone plays a role in creating a genuine, curious, connected culture. Embedding this type of curiosity, feedback and inspiration is cultural. We instil in each employee a sense of personal responsibility that links them beyond their own goals and KPIs to a sense of the whole and the importance of togetherness. This type of culture is incredibly helpful in supporting people going on and coming back from leave.
Reconnecting with the programs of work you have in progress seems obvious but it’s about the mind-set you have and attitude towards this. Building a feeling of progress, momentum and accomplishment helps me find the energy to do more, with and through others.
So my question to you is “how are you showing up?” Are you bringing your best to strategically and personally inspire, empower and ultimately provide a pathway for a great 2016? If you do this it gives everyone something to look forward to, a fresh start and a special place where they can be their best.
All the best,
Vanessa
