Are you and your organisation change resilient?

Vanda North writes about the sustainable change you face, and shares 16 ways to stay change resilient.

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Did you know that YOUR resilience and your organisational resilience are linked? 

 

If you are leading an organisation right now where are YOU on the work-life continuum?  How are YOU coping with these sustained changes and building your change resilience?

 There has never been a more important time to take action if you do not feel you are sustaining your resilience, so here are some things to do… 

 Firstly, let’s ditch ‘work / life balance’ and replace it with work / life continuum!

 With a continuum, you expect that there will be movement in both directions, especially with the constant change we are all experiencing.

(A definition of continuum is: ‘a coherent whole characterised as a collection, sequence, or progression of values or elements varying by minute degrees “good” and “bad” )

 Anyway, given the current Covid situation and sustained change, where would you say you are? 

 

        

•           Do you feel like this person on the tightrope?  
•          Are you stuck at one uncomfortable end? 
•          Are you seeking a more balanced realistic, workable outcome? 

 

Then, here are 16 ways to strengthen your change resilience skill. 

Your brain works best when it has a frame, somewhere to ‘put’ information and feelings. Without a frame, they bounce about in mad circles, randomly reproducing and frequently causing stress and unhappiness.   We can show you how to: 

–   Build  and maintain your resilience levels
–   Keep up with the stress of sustained change and
–   Create YOUR frame to cope with the ‘new normal’ that is changing every day / week / month 

Here are some actions to allow you to find your happy place on your high wire! 

Towards the ‘work’ end of your frame, make some choices and promises to yourself:

1. As much as possible SET a SCHEDULE! ‘I will start work at xxx…’  ‘I will work for 50 minutes and take a 5-minute break, using this structure throughout much of the day. Unless I am extra tired, then I will take shorter work segments as the day goes on.’ 
2. ‘I will set a ‘meeting with me’ so that I can stop for a lunch break at xxx it will last 40 – 45 minutes.’ 
3. ‘I will remember that if I need to be change resilient, otherwise how can I expect others to be as well?’ 
4.  ‘I will create a discrete ‘workspace’. If you are fortunate to have a study, or spare room or separate corner, then set it up to be as inviting as possible. If you need to use your kitchen table,   then put your ‘work bits’ in a box or container, so they stay together and can easily be put away and brought back out. 
5.  ‘I will invest in the best WIFI connection and equipment I can afford, or I will ask my workplace for it.’ You must be able to ‘meet’ and communicate with relative ease. 
6.  ‘I will craft a variable height work bench.’ This can be a box; little table with legs; a stack of magazines or books – just so you are not sitting all day! 
7.  ‘I will make sure that I have as much daylight shining on me as possible and good multi-spectrum, gentle lighting for when the sun is not bright enough.’
     If you suffer with SAD then a sun lamp is also a good idea. 
8.  ‘I will build a multi-sensory environment that pleases me as much as possible.’ Suggestions are a picture of your loved ones, pet or your favourite sports team; some plants, a pleasing aroma – rosemary twigs or basil, incense sticks (used sparingly). And the texture – a foot roller is wonderful, an ergonomic mouse, mouse pad and wrist holder 

Your work balance is important not just for your own wellbeing.
You being the best YOU will help others be change resilient and feed into the success of your organisation. 

 

 And towards the ‘life’ end of your frame

1. Create a plan with those closest to you, as to when is ‘get together’ time?
   Might it be over a meal? Or some time to play a game together?  Keep this promise!
2. Plan an easy way to be sure you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet. Have a schedule of certain eats / drinks at specific times. Having a schedule means you don’t have to use up a lot of brain energy deciding.  It is 11 am, I have a healthy coffee treat!
3. Move your body! Even a 5-minute ‘rock n’ roll’ session in the middle of that repost will do wonders for you! Five minutes of yoga, salsa dancing, stretching, press ups, planking or balancing are wonderful for your body and brain!                                                         
4. Make time and plan FUN! A laugh, a smile, a giggle – increase your energy and can change your outlook on the world for the better, and really quite dramatically. Children laugh some 600 times a day and we ‘adults’ less than 30.
5. Make some ‘me’ time – just for YOU! Take a walk, even a short one; do some form of mindfulness; listen to some largo temp music (60 beats per minute).
6. Plan a little treat – once a week / fortnight or month, as you are able. It doesn’t need to be expensive – a picnic, in or outside; a special film on TV – make popcorn and pretend you are out; dress up, dress down, dress crazy!!
7. A fiddly time user – are you a jigsaw person then have one ‘on the ‘go’. How about a book, short stories preferably, ones that you can pick up and put down? What about knitting, listening to music, tinkering, colouring, painting, DIY? They all focus the mind and help you relax.
8. Finally, might you find a place to volunteer? There are so many people with so many needs right now… help someone with their garden? Do some shopping for people; share a cup of virtual tea? 

 Now with your work/life frame firmly in place and agreed by any other family members, we suggest that you monitor your continuum swings. If the work end is tipping the balance, then select an extra life activity to bring you back to a more even place. For you and anyone sharing your home / workspace it is so important to create a sustainable change resilience regime – for you all! 

 Using this continuum framework, you can decide what is in and what is out. Decide what you will hang inside your frame, what might be on the outer-edge to create your boundaries which will enable you to politely and firmly say ‘Thank you, and no! I choose not to take that on right now!’ Making a conscious choice from these three options as to what is in or out of your frame is the way to manage sustained change. 

 A special way that you could build 8 bespoke change resilience strategies is with a programme from TCMG called ‘Colour me Resilient’.  This can be offered online or as coaching sessions and can reach to anyone you feel needs to build resilience to manage sustained change. How about giving it as a safe seasonal gift to your team, organisation, or family?  

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Contact Vanda at [email protected]

Find out more on our Resilience for Change page.

Please get in touch or book a call. We’d love to chat.