Feeling a bit frazzled! Good frazzled … but frazzled nonetheless! Do not misunderstand me I am not complaining, far from it as I have been blessed to keep working and busy over this time. Coaching clients, webinars and planning future works have kept me focussed and optimistic for the future, so why am I feeling so exhausted?
Zoom!!
I’m a grateful for it and I’m even a tad giddy at the break out room facilities (it doesn’t take a lot to make me ‘tech’ giddy!) but it’s exhausting! Or is it just me? After days of zoom meetings, I resemble a zombie from the apocalypse; once eagerly anticipated family quiz nights which I’d loved are now a no go as my ‘baked fish’ eyes and weary brain “want to be alone” (cue Greta Garbo voice)
Then last week I hit on a mini miracle. With a 90-minute break between meetings I left the house and took myself for a walk. Savouring the moment with the sun in my face, nature all around me, gardens fattened ready to burst into colourful glory, the lambs still trying to convince their mothers to give them milk (poor mums nearly get knocked over by their greedy broods now!) I also took the opportunity to chat to neighbours about nothing in particular and it was wonderful! It turned out fresh air, nature, a change of scenery and ‘live’ human interaction was all I needed.
It got me thinking; there’s a lot of rhetoric out there now about this being the new normal that staff ‘will always work from home now” and I’m just not so sure. Do not misunderstand me, I am a huge advocate for agile working and believe flexibility and high trust are the cornerstones for high performance. My questioning is around the new fixed mind-set that is beginning to appear; the all or nothing, black or white options. We certainly have the technology but do we have the human wiring or will for that kind of life long-term? A technical solution does not ‘cure’ everything and certainly does not offer the wellbeing solution to meet basic human need; I guess like everything it’ll be down to balance.
So, for those of you planning the work return; of course, put home working and working agile as its foundation but please do not view it as the panacea, the answer to all problems – as this will simply create more.
I read a statistic once which said “85% of a football match is won by the players mind-set” and I can quite believe the same is true of any profession. For a great mind-set we need high esteem employees, for high esteem employees we need a great culture. Real engagement will form a huge part of that.
So, it’s not all or nothing. Remember we are social creatures wired for our tribe, so create balance in your strategies; plus, let’s be honest the logging off zoom face will lose its humour --- eventually.