Beating the workplace “blahs”
It’s hard to admit but we all know the feeling: work and the workplace can sometimes seem a bit blah. Shorter, colder, rainier winter days don’t help.
In my latest article in NZ Management Magazine, I offer six evidence-based tips for leaders to understand and help beat the mid-year malaise. Below is a truncated version of the tips.
Be curious. It’s worth trying to establish who’s feeling what and why – starting with yourself. Particularly in times of economic constraint, there may be very good reasons for managers to feel they have less autonomy and control, less potential to innovate and invest in new ideas and, as a result, fewer willing-to-engage colleagues. Rather than critical, try being curious about the changes you’re feeling within yourself and observing among your colleagues.
Be collaborative. It can be useful to convene a small group to work with you to define the real problems if they are organisational ones, and to identify potential solutions. Ideally, they’ll be people who are well-connected and highly trusted within the organisation – people whom their colleagues seek out to confide in.
Be compassionate. It’s not unusual to feel mentally checked out from work from time to time – and that ongoing enervation can be contagious. A measured response is required - an approach that is realistic, tailored, and sustainable. Don’t take away the workplace chocolate biscuits, a colleague once reminded me, unless you replace them with something more enjoyable and valuable.
Be constructive. Once they have been defined, work on resolving some of the baseline organisational or group issues. What are the big changes you might want to work towards – and what are some meaningful steps you can take sooner rather than later?
Be culture focused. Resist the temptation to throw in a bit of team building if that’s not already a habit in your organisation. Instead, offer colleagues something concrete to work on collaboratively – a valued project that can create synergy across the team and score a win for culture.
Be communicative. In good times and blah, clear communication is key. Acknowledge the tough stuff as well as the good work colleagues are doing. Managers who are generous in their communication highlight significant achievements as well as small wins. Be sure to also share updates on progress towards bigger goals.
Experts suggest that resilience is informed by a confidence that adversity will pass – an awareness that times might be tough right now, but a better future is around the corner. Managers must be able to see around that corner and engage the powers of curiosity, collaboration, compassion, constructivism, culture and communication to help everyone in the organisation turn it together.
Read the full version of this article, "Managing mid-winter malaise"