There is chatter everywhere in the media – social and mainstream – about the “Great Resignation” so named because in 2021, following a year where resignation rates across the US fell dramatically due to the uncertainty caused by Covid, individuals left their jobs in rates never previously seen.
If you Google “Great Resignation” you will see headlines like:
- Are Boomers the Answer to the Great Resignation?
- The Great Resignation Is Coming For You – Here’s how to mitigate it
- Australians Forced Back to the Workforce to Face the Great Resignation
- New Report: There Are 6 Types of Workers. Understanding Them Can Help Your Beat the Great Resignation
Whether it hits you, your industry, your sector or your business is a moot point. What is very real is that many people are using this time, right now, as an opportunity to change things up by either starting a new business or re-calibrating their existing business OR changing jobs – sometimes within the same sector and other times, into a completely new sector. And they are choosing something that matches their values and beliefs just as often as they are choosing to follow the money.
Interesting times.
Seems to me that this is an ideal time for all of us to take a look at ourselves – some self-reflection – about exactly how you are showing up in your working life. Let’s start with 3 critical groups of behaviours that contribute to you being a high-quality leader, manager or business owner.
- Growth mindset, problem solving and encouraging innovation: We are never going to put a handbrake on change which means that we need to adjust our approach consistently and constantly by expanding our skills and knowledge. Where it is relevant, this may mean learning new skills and/or re-skilling. Develop and demonstrate your critical thinking skills along with your ability to identify, speak to and solve emerging issues. Look into the future at the possibilities as well as anticipating where things might go wrong. Open the space for innovation by providing opportunities for continuous learning – for yourself and your team. Develop a culture where your team can test ideas and learn the lessons that come from mistakes or failure without feeling as though they have failed.
- Emotional Intelligence, Collaboration and Communication skills: Communication has changed so much over the past 2 years with face-to-face meetings pivoting to Face-to-Screen meetings. The game has changed and communication is now much, much more than written and verbal skills. You must be able to build and maintain quality relationships and collaborate with others in F2F and F2S situations. Where team members are working remotely you needs the skills to engage with them, to check capacity and productivity, and to maintain a team/organisational culture. Deliberately build your confidence using all of the tools that are supporting remote workers – inter team direct messaging and your video conferencing platform – Zoom, Teams, Go To Webinar – whatever it is, you must know how to use it confidently and have options if the system crashes. Harness the power of collaboration by exploring options to work together with others to create a finished product – the outcome you both win from – rather than working to the belief that no one can do “it” [whatever it is] as well as you can. There is no need for you to be a lone wolf. Learn about and continue to develop your skills in Emotional Intelligence. We are all people managers and EI skills will serve you well.
- Mental Fitness, Resilience, Agility and Adaptability: Your capacity to respond to challenges with a positive rather than a negative mindset reflects your mental fitness which feeds your level of resilience and ability to cope with change and shifting priorities in your life and your business. Reflect on your daily attitude and approach to life and if it is tending to the negative – take steps to build your mental fitness. You want to remain in the flow and to do this build your adaptability and your ability to overcome challenges without remaining stuck for ages. Look at new ways of doing things, take on new products or new projects. Keep an eye on the future by noticing emerging trends in your sector, your organisation, your community, your country and across the world. Read. Read some more.
Self-reflection is particularly powerful when you trust yourself enough to be really honest. It becomes even more powerful when you have a trusted “critical” friend who is positively honest with you, who supports your growth and has got your back. If you are in the job market, use your learnings to inform your application process including emphasising your success at utilising these 3 skills sets. If you are managing others and your own business, use your learnings to influence change because when your behaviours change, so too do the behaviours of your teams.
There are many different ways that you can work with me including my Deliberate Re-Set program, one on one coaching packages and team coaching. Drop me a note if you would like more information. xx