AccessEAP CEO Feature - Shaping our future workplaces
Newport & Wildman is proudly part of AccessEAP. This month we have a message from Sally Kirkright, CEO, AccessEAP.
As we come to the close of a year none of us could have imagined possible in our lifetime, I don’t know about you, but I need a serious recharge. It has been a tough year, and it’s not over yet. Before you and your people take a well-earned break, I wanted to start a conversation in terms of what we’ve learned. This year has been unrelenting, with bushfires, floods, hailstorms and the pandemic. The pandemic is front and centre of our thinking, particularly how the post-pandemic workplace is evolving. It is important for you and your teams to take the time to reflect as this year will shape next year and beyond. This reflection will help each of us to process and understand the personal impact and then the essential next steps you need to take for your people and organisation.
Although the catch cry for this year has been “unprecedented” in reality, businesses regularly face events which completely change the landscape in which they operate. They have to adapt quickly or become irrelevant. The internet has changed businesses in every industry, and we’ve seen the emergence of and potential impacts of a cashless economy. Digital transformation will continue to change the way we do business, technology is continually evolving, and we need to regularly question why we do what we do and how we do it.
This pandemic certainly got us thinking and questioning at lightning speed. Has our decision making abilities as leaders improved in response to navigating through rapid change and upheaval?
What has been interesting for us has been the speed businesses have adapted when faced with the need to protect their people and keep their livelihoods as well. The pandemic crystalised the why for many businesses. The primary focus was on people and their safety. For us we have surprised ourselves how agile we can be and more confident of what we can achieve. The top lessons for us and when working with your people can be put down to: Putting your people first, Purpose to guide decision making, Agility, Communication; Done. Not Perfect and finally Be Courageous!
In a microcosm of digital transformation, our team implemented a new VOIP telephony system within ten days, to speed up our transition to securing our people’s safety by working from home. I am not going to pretend my team weren’t stretched by the end of the ten days and needed time to regroup. We have been acutely aware of promoting self-care and good physical and mental hygiene to avoid burnout.
I encourage you to focus on self-care, particularly in the lead up to Christmas. Due to Covid restrictions, we haven’t done a lot to give us a real break this year, e.g. dinner with friends, weddings, celebrating significant events/birthdays, travel etc. Events such as these usually give us a break from BAU, and we haven’t had these things in our life to take away some of the cognitive load of the year.
Try to carve out time for activities that allow you to unwind and have fun; it could be a picnic, or travel to regional Australia spending some money where it can help local communities. What is in your toolkit to avoid overloading? I have started swimming – I have to be mindful and focus on my breathing so I don’t drown! Put moments of “fun” in your calendar, seek out fun and time out, don’t talk COVID, fires, trauma and the year we have had – it’s not about avoidance it’s about having a break and committed to your self-care.
As we settle into new ways of working and the immediate threats have become manageable when can we shift a greater focus to recouping losses and being more overt about being profitable? How can we harness the ways of working, behaviours and skills our people have learned throughout the past year, to forge deeper corporate cultures and create stronger Employee Value Propositions/engagement? If you have been able to lead your people through this time building trust, improving culture and productivity, you may be hesitant to risk losing this impetus if the communication comes across as harsh and unfeeling.
We are asking these questions and will be developing resources to start the conversation around the Future of Our Workplaces. As always, I welcome your insights as we work together to explore a new possibility. What have been the important shifts you have seen in the way you work? What will you keep post-pandemic?
Big questions to ask and begin to answer. For now, best wishes for a safe and restful festive and holiday season. Please be assured our counselling and onsite services are available 24/7, 365 days a year however our other business functions observe the Australian public holidays and a short break from 25th December to 8th January 2020.
Sally Kirkright, AccessEAP CEO
Newsletter image- Photo by CoWomen from Pexels
