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Leaders: Learning from the Holiday

g-officeDid you notice that more people were friendly, approachable and engaged in conversation over the Christmas Holiday period? What happens in these first few days back at work will determine our effectivness for the whole year. Let’s learn from the holiday spirit now?

Human at Work

Even car-driving & parking was easier. People were making eye contact and cutting me some slack. And I felt easy-going and tolerant too. A persona is a patterned change in how we react with others. The danger of moving from the holiday and into work is we may move into last year’s persona! As we prepare for work, the lead-up actions (getting ready, checking for keys/tickets/security-tags etc) start the process of this reversal. That is, ‘back’ to last year’s persona. What i…f we took some of the human elements of our holiday experiences into work now? Would we see more engagement? Would we listen better? Would people do more to help and support our vision?

Making Changes Stick

One way to help make a more ‘Human at Work’ persona stick, is to change simple elements of our working patterns. So, in those rapidly-moving moments when we fall into a stress-building pattern, we pause to breath for one second and say inside, ‘slow is more effective’, or other believable intervention. Other changes can start at work. Change one or two things. Move a chair a little to the left and breath, say something to yourslef, like: ‘This is a more effective place to engage and achieve’. If you are travelling, make a similar change in the executive lounge at the airport or, as you find your seat on the train.

Humans are More Effective than Automatons

I have no evidence to hand that that statement is true. But is it nonsense? Is it just possible that increased engagement with others, setting values around other people; in their hopes, aspirations & needs; that small changes can make a positive contribution to them, to the team and to your own wellbeing and effectiveness?

Angus McLeod

January 7., 2015.

 

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