Published on February 23, 2022
I realised last week during a visit with our daughter; the first time we have been able to visit her since the start of 2020; it is 2022, it only seems like yesterday it was 2020.
Looking at how disfunction seems to be the norm during this 2 years , I believe, we became very introspective and introverted due to the rigors of isolation, restriction on movement and low physical social contact. Personal business links and contacts with our social interactions have diminished both within and external to our work environments.
What a blur of intensity, noise, opinion, isolation, media and repetitive monotony it has been, I am still critical of the term “social isolation” as I believe it has been extremely harmful to personal wellbeing, perhaps the phrase “physically distant whist remaining in social contact” would have been more appropriate, I love hindsight, "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." Danish Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
So what for 2022, are you going to continue on with the “same old same old”? Are you hoping for the “good old days” to return?............or are you looking forward to processing these events with a view to the future?
I follow a 4 step plan based on my tenets;
· Reflection
Without a self reflection process, how do we develop our skills and review effectiveness, do we just carry on doing things as we have always done them. We should take time to question, in a positive way, what we do and why we do it, celebrate success, then decide whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future.
o How is my personal health and wellbeing?
o What worked and what was successful, not everything is a negative and we should acknowledge the positives and keep these attributes.
o What did not work or go as planned, what things do I need to modify or tweak, what elements must be discarded and what am I missing all together?
o Was I able to separate effectively my personal and work functions during the time?
o Does working from home invade personal space?
o Was the balance correct, do I work better in an office, home or hybrid environment? What does my preferred work style compliment the team and the work?
· Relationships
Relationships are how we interrelate as people, they support our health and wellbeing, give us connections and friendships There are very few jobs that do not rely on relationships; whether in our teams, between networks, workers, clients, stakeholders and many others. Relationships are a major underpinning factor in what we do, how we do it and what results we deliver. Relationships are critical in a crisis which is the worst time to attempt to find or create a relationship.
o Has my network increased or shrunk?
o What were my significant relationships and do they still hold value?
o Am I missing links in my relationship/network?
o Is this a good time to mend any “burnt bridges”, significant time has passed.
o Who do I look up to and why?
o Who are my influencers and are they relevant both professionally and personally?
o What is my communication style and has this had an affect on my relationships, it is not always someone else’s fault.
· Respect
Respect is an intrinsic personal value which we should measure ourselves against every moment of every day. Our harshest critic should be ourselves. In a period of time where selfishness and the need of individuals to shout the loudest seems to be the norm, it is up to us as humans to model behaviours that advance communication, individualism and tolerance. Respect is the cornerstone of inclusiveness.
o Do I listen?
o Do I accept it is ok to disagree?
o Resolution is better than winning, winning is a loss for the other side, both side get a part of a resolution
o We are all individuals
o Do I embrace diversity in all its forms?
o Peoples perceptions are their realities
o We all have different experiences and are not wired the same
· Perspective
Perspective keeps things on an even keel, without perspective we can overthink some issues and not pay sufficient attention to matters requiring focus. Perspective feeds into empathy and allows us to consider personal issues from the view of others, this can counteract our unconscious biases we can apply to issues and generate better understanding and outcomes.
o Am I measured, overreact or too blasé?
o Don’t try to control what you cannot control
o Is this issue personal to me?
o Would others feel the same as me on this?
o Why is the other person reacting?
o Is this really a big problem? What are the impacts?
o Is this a real issue or just noise?
So……..what year is this going to be for you? People may not remember issues the same as you after 2 years apart.
Now is the best time to consider the future, are you sitting in the middle of the BAU torrent or are you going to define what you want to achieve and who you want to be? Don’t sit back, be passionate.
Set some goals!!!
Finally, be kind to yourself, celebrate you successes, learn from mistakes, refresh friendships and look after family.
Mal Connellan