With hope on the horizon, we are looking forward to the day when we have some sort of normalcy. In the meantime, it is important to have something more tangible to look forward to now.
Whether it is those we serve at Milestones HR, our friends, or our families – there’s a common theme; they need something to look forward to. We understand, we’re in the same place.
With the passing of the holidays and the ringing in of 2021, we’re witnessing a lull.
COVID-19 is only one variable contributing to that lull and feelings of despair. It is the lack of sunshine, the inability to get outside long stretches due to the winter weather, and the impacts of being socially and emotionally distanced for nearly a year.
On top of that, people have decision fatigue. They have had to make a lot of decisions; with limited data that changes on the daily and is often conflicting.
People need something to look forward to. How can you provide that to your employees?
Now is the time to set plans in motion for:
- a summer get together outdoor (even if it has to be by teams/departments to accommodate gathering limitations);
- taking on an internal pet project that has been shelved during all of the busyness and working on it to make for a better work experience;
- having a visioning session to explore what market opportunities exist and how you’ll branch out; and/or
- thinking about rebranding or a refresh – what will we shed to make space for new endeavors?
Leaders have the opportunity to take this time to ask their team to dream with them….
What will we set our sights on, together? We can build energy off of that!
And, getting started together really is the key. We need each other’s energy to pull us out of the “wait and see” funk we have been in.
By starting the conversation of something to look forward to we can awaken the sense of hope and regain some semblance of control.
We will begin again, despite the season around us.
By: Angie Addison, SHRM-CP, PHR
