Back to the Grind! by Kristina Schmitt
“Sounds like someone has a case of ‘the Mondays’!” If you’ve never heard this iconic line, then you need to grab 90 minutes and watch Office Space. With summer at a close, kids back to school, and no
vacation time in sight until December, how are you feeling? If you’re staying up later every Sunday night because you just don’t want Monday to come and then dragging yourself to work when it finally does, then you need to reflect on what’s causing this. Disengagement at work is caused by needs not being met and is usually a result of the workplace culture. Some things are within the control of the employee, but many are in the control of the leader. Things that we all can control are: • Our thoughts. Thoughts drive our feelings, which impact our behaviours and determine our results. We can control the thoughts we have through assessing the accuracy of them, reframing, and through affirmations. • Our responses. When we respond out of emotion, we don’t always show our best selves. Take a breath between an action and your response to make sure you’ve had time to process. If you’re still feeling emotional, excuse yourself until you can think clearly and respond calmly rather than react emotionally. • Our boundaries. Boundaries are ‘fences’ that we erect that control our behaviours, not the behaviours of others. If
you find yourself working every weekend, taking on others’ projects, and never having time for what’s important to you, then look to yourself first. Is it because you always say yes? The Leader has the greatest control over the workplace culture. In addition to the above three items, the leader needs to create a culture where people feel safe to be creative, take calculated risks, and express concerns. They can do this by: • Setting and holding clear expectations for the team • Understanding the needs of each team member and • Building trust and empathy among the team The best way to accomplish all three is to hold one-on-one conversations with each team member, not just about TPS reports, but about how they’re doing, what’s causing them stress, what they’re proud of, and how you can help. Holding pre-planned, regular conversations with each team member gives the space to build strong relationships, which is the basis for excellent cultures and excellent results, reducing many cases of ‘the Mondays’. For more information on how to hold success-building con- versations, go to www.kristinaschmitt.ca.
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Hometown St. Thomas • Septembert 2024 • Page 35
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