It’s getting really close isn’t it? Christmas.
In my conversations with leaders and organisations over this last month, the following themes emerge consistently:
- People are tired (some are burnt out)
- People are just looking forward to the end of the year and holidays
- People just want 2020 to be over with
These sentiments are very ‘human’, shared by many and really understandable; it’s been a crazy year. But here’s the problem – there is an unspoken assumption that 2021 will be automatically better. The reality is it won’t, unless we make it so.
We may get a workable vaccine. Covid numbers may stay down. International travel may open up again. But some of the unhelpful (individual, team and organisational) thinking and behaviour patterns that have crept in throughout 2020 wont diminish unless we do something about it.
So what are the risks?
I have a real concern that post-Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as the celebration phase ends and people start to reconnect with the concept of returning to work, there will be a huge “2020 hangover”. People who just made it through 2020 will ask themselves “what will be different about 2021?” Without an answer to this, I fear that many will start their working year with a sense of anxiety and helplessness. When we bring this attitude to work, emotional contagion kicks in and before long morale and engagement for the whole team are down. And it’s still only January!
So as a leader, what can you do?
- Before launching into priorities and task for the year, take the time to check in with your team and see how they are travelling and more importantly, how they feel about being here in 2021.
- Explore what team behaviours helped you get through 2020 and what got in the way and need to be let go of.
- Explain that this is now a reset, where we look at what we will do (individually and collectively) different this year.
- Create some form of ‘team energy thermometer’ and have everyone contribute ideas and tactics for lifting and maintaining team energy.
Need some help?
In January and February 2021, I will be running a series of sessions (live and virtual) to help teams RESET and RE-ENERGISE for 2021. Reach out to discuss what we can do for your team – contact me