Seasonal affective disorder (or S.A.D) is generally associated with the change of seasons and is similar to depression – feeling hopeless, lacking energy, changes in sleeping or eating patterns and a loss of pleasure in things you might enjoy. These symptoms are now starting to be recognised by people as a response to constant change and uncertainty especially as they consider a return to the office and easing of the isolation restrictions.
Many managers are preparing for the time when things ‘return to normal’ with having staff return to the office and while this may have some economic, social, and process benefits it’s important that we consider effective change management and consider the impact on ourselves, our teams, and our organisation cultures.
Through Bryter Training, we surveyed employees and managers from multiple industries in preparation for the ease of isolation restrictions across Australia, and found some interesting considerations that individuals and leaders alike may want to explore to ensure people are taking care of their mental health during this time.
Some people are grieving.
The first thing to consider is that change equals loss. Even a positive change in circumstances (such as graduating school or getting married) comes with a loss of familiar routines, social connections, or personal freedoms. As such, over the past few months, most people have moved (backward and forward) along the change curve (or grief cycle).
Some people are also faced (either directly or observing others) with the idea that basic physiological needs may not be met. When people are faced with the stress of questioning their ability to pay the rent or buy food, it is vital that they have support and are made aware of strategies and resources to manage this. From a business perspective, it is important that leaders are careful not to push corporate objectives or personal opinions on team members that are experiencing genuine distress. Consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and ask;
Where are you (or your team members) currently sitting?
What level is your organisation focusing on?
What support and resources do you provide at each stage?
Some people do not want to change back.
Over the past few months, the spread of Covid-19 and global events have left many people questioning their priorities. They have been able to experience a new ‘work/life’ balance with work activities being intertwined around exercise, housekeeping, and spending time with children and partners. And there are benefits beyond the flexibility including less travel time, cost savings on transport and parking, time and energy management, and less illness.
Take the time to listen to your team and identify elements that have added value to them (and why). Workshop how you can maintain these benefits and implement strategies that satisfy both the organisation and individual needs.
People are challenging the old ways.
The current situation has also resulted in many people questioning their own needs and priorities more, by asking “what if?” and “why not?”.
“Why can’t we work from home several times a week?”
“Why do I need to spend money and time away from my children putting them in day-care every day when I can have them home with me some of the time?”
People are asking how they really want to work and have gained personal experience over the past few months on how life could be. And these are things that they are reluctant to give up. Businesses should consider the alternatives before forcing people to “get back to normal”. Engagement, time, cost savings, office sizes, and process improvements are all potential benefits to organisations.
Recognise that our world is changing and ‘normal’ is constantly evolving. Reflect on what success means to the business from a holistic perspective – commercial, reputation, engagement. Challenge your own beliefs and explore benefits of new processes. Listen to your team and set clear guidelines and expectations on how things can work moving forward. People need to feel heard, and also appreciate clarity.
Change takes time and effort.
You may have heard the cliché “it takes 21 days to form a new habit”? While there are several factors that contribute to this, the fact remains that over the last few months people have dedicated time and energy in learning new strategies, skills, and habits in order to adapt to the current situation.
In having people return to work, they need to effectively learn a new habit – to employ different coping strategies, manage different types of stress, let go of new ideas and processes and develop new habits to do things the old way. And this goes beyond simply getting up at a different time or facing traffic. It includes dealing with meetings instead of emails, dealing with different personalities and personal habits, managing a more structured environment, and letting go of personal freedoms (such as the simple ability to play music in the background).
People have not only put in the time and effort to change their perspective and routines to adapt to the isolation rules, but now they need to put in the same time and effort to change their perspectives and routines again. For many, this constant change adds a tremendous amount of stress which should be considered.
Be clear on your outcomes, processes, and expectations before you communicate change to your team. This will minimise the need to make ‘course corrections’ and thus trigger additional stress and change management. Consider introducing change slowly so that it is less confronting
Fear and conflicting values.
People are still experiencing a degree of fear and uncertainty. Will I get sick if I go back to work? Will things change again in another few months? Will I be able to manage if they enforce isolation again in a few weeks?
Add to this, people have experienced a different way or working, and this has caused a paradigm shift in many who have adapted to isolation and now don’t welcome the thought of traffic jams and packed trains.
Finally, with the questions discussed earlier, many people have changed their personal values and priorities. It is important that organisations consider the internal values and processes which served them in the past and consider how they are going to evolve and grow to align with their teams.
Take the time to explore how the current world events have altered individual priorities and align these to your company values. Ensure that people feel supported and heard, and that the identity of the business aligns with the individuals that work within it. Ever considered what values and personality your business would have if it were a living, breathing, entity?
Conclusion
Of course, different industries have different requirements and degrees of flexibility, so this article won’t apply to everyone. However if you personally have been working from home instead of the office, have experienced significant change, or if you manage people who will be expected to manage change in the future, then it will be valuable to consider some of these elements.
Effective change management during this time can lead to a long-term increase in engagement, productivity, and innovation. It can prepare you to thrive in what will be a new and different future.
At Bryter training we specialise in the psychology of change management, leadership, and communications so can work with your teams and leaders to manage change and maintain motivation.
We have created brand new programs to address some of the issues raised in this article, including exploring the culture and personality of your business as its own entity, and an in-depth exploration on challenging your own beliefs and habits to better embrace change. Feel free to call us any time to discuss how we can educate, empower, and guide your teams to achieve success – whatever the definition of success now looks like to them!
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