One year on: can we bounce back better?
Exactly a year into this vlog, it’s happening—the great (slow) unlock.
Three thoughts for you:
Let’s celebrate
Last week, a friend went back into the office. Her team gossiped and guzzled a couple of bottles of Prosecco at their desks and it was brilliant. They got chucked out by the cleaners.
On the vlog this week, Kursty Groves—founder of workplace consultancy Shape WorkLife and host of the Office Chronicles podcast—shares the necessity of encouraging employees to celebrate on their first day back to boost morale.
But we should also bear in mind the advice of happiness expert, Mo Gawdat, who distinguishes between:
happiness, “a peaceful feeling”
and fun, which can be “a weapon of mass distraction”.
Be sure what you’re inviting in as the world reopens.
Be analytical
Despite what the newspapers keep reporting, we haven’t learnt that flexible working works. REMOTE working fine… but managing hours better? Not a chance.
Even the ambitious, diligent, and highly paid juniors at Goldman are speaking out about losing two stone, having breakdowns, and how eighteen-hour days are “arguably worse” than foster care. One junior told the Guardian that each team has 3-6 people off with burnout at the moment.
Let’s be absolutely clear: true flex—where people can work the time they are paid for from where they want—is further away than it was a year ago. Any barriers we had between home and work have been vaporised.
Jump at real change
Citigroup is introducing Zoom-free Fridays and encouraging its people to take more breaks. Productivity >communicating. It isn’t everything, but it’s a fine start.
Individually, it’s also time to start planning for living the lives that suit us best:
move on from what we hated about lockdown (so homeschool can do one!)
continue with what we’ve enjoyed
add what we’ve missed
In the meantime, thank you for supporting the vlog this year. I appreciate every like, every share and every message: you make it worth it. I’m taking a few weeks for an Easter break but will be back… and with more dog content
Have a great Easter break.
Christine
