The dark months of winter are nearly behind us and we can look forward to the fresh new season of spring. Where we can start to enjoy longer days of light, spring bulbs popping out the ground and hopefully a bit more warmth! 

It has felt like a long winter, and energy levels will have taken a dive over this period, I know mine have and it has been a real chore to keep on top of things. 

Here are a few tips for feeling ready to spring into the new season…

1. Looking after number 1

There’s a very good reason why in an aircraft safety demonstration (remember those?!) that we are told to put our own oxygen mask on first before helping others – if we can’t breathe then how are we going to be of any help to anyone else? Taking this out of a life or death scenario and into the workplace, we need to make sure that we are in the right frame of mind workwise to be able to support our colleagues. 

This can take on two meanings – if we are struggling with our own workload, we need to learn to say no to other requests and concentrate on what is important to our main objectives. If you have read this working well series you’ll be well versed that our objectives should be linked to the overall business objectives – so who can argue with that. Equally, if you are struggling with workload, look to your colleagues to see if there is any capacity for support. Asking for help is not a weakness, it takes courage and strength to work out what needs to be done to achieve what is right for the business. 

The other meaning for looking after number one is your mental wellbeing. Self-care is critical so make sure you are doing all the right things – getting enough rest/sleep, eating the right foods, getting enough exercise outdoors and contacting family and friends. Talking about any stress or anxieties you are feeling is critical to staying mentally well, whether that is to a medical professional, a friend or colleague. 

2.     Team energy

Perhaps you and everyone on your team have been struggling a lately, not just because of the winter months, also with Covid-19 has impacted our lives for nearly a year. Our workplaces may look and feel very different. 

It might be time for a team meeting – be that in a socially distanced covid-safe setting at work, or via a video call. It can be a fun activity by injecting some light-hearted element into the meeting such as:

• Each writing down what you want to be thankful to your team members for
• A creative drawing session – maybe ask the team to draw out their interpretations of their objectives
• Future focus – give the team renewed vigour by asking them what they hope work will look like for them in 2021, this could spark some lively ideas and take your next objectives to somewhere you never even thought about this time last year. Giving the team input into these sorts of ideas can really help to generate buy-in and a drive to make it happen. 

3.     Business Energy 

Business leaders have a key role in helping to cement the ethos of an organisation and need to be aware of what is going on through the organisation. Is now the right time to look to the horizon and see what positives there could be? The answer here is yes! We are heading towards 2021/22 budget setting – so that about what you want to be achieving and let your teams know. Keep them on the journey with you so that they can be inspired and want to continue to work for your organisation. Employees like to hear this big information first-hand from business leaders, so think about how you might do this. What works best to communicate across the whole of your organisation? You may need a multi-channel approach including: 

• A webinar that can be accessed by employees and a chance for them to ask questions. You can even record this and put it on your intranet for employees that couldn’t make it to listen back to.
• Create an infographic on the future of your organisation – what are the big projects you want them to know about that are happening over the next 3-5 years? 
• Podcasts – they are free and simple to make and you can even interview different staff members across the business about their views and opinions of what they future plans are.

It has been a tough year for many businesses - so be kind and support each other as much as possible and celebrate your employees’ successes.