Transitioning back to full working capacity

Leadership through Crisis – Hope and recovery – Part Three
Transitioning back to full working capacity – Psychological welfare of your organisation’s people

Emintell is a high-quality provider of conscious leadership and executive coaching services, based in the East Midlands. Since 2011, we have worked with organisational clients, both nationally and internationally supporting them build their leadership capability. Predominantly, we work with senior leaders and their teams, in both private and public sectors, across a diverse range of industry sectors.

This is third in a of a series of articles exploring how senior leaders and teams support themselves and their people, maintain focus, commitment and their psychological health as they navigate through this extraordinary period of ambiguity and adaptation. In this article, we are exploring the factors that need to be addressed and agreed, as part of a well-defined plan to transition employees and teams back to full working capacity.

Context

This week has been difficult. The mother of one of my daughter’s close friends died from the effects of Covid19 virus. Both parents contracted it and ended up in intensive care. Her father recovered and came home. Her mother did not. Meanwhile this 21-year-old woman was in self-isolation for 2 weeks at home, whilst these tragic events unfolded. Yesterday, I received news that the youngest daughter of an old school friend died suddenly in her sleep, at the age of 20 years. These events have naturally shocked us and shook our world.  It is as nothing compared to the shock and grief that the husband, parents, family and friends of these two different women are experiencing.  Their recovery from this level of loss will be slow and difficult. Most of all it will take a lot of time.

V- recovery, bounce back and bounce forward

What is the relevance of sharing this personal information currently? I notice that there is lots of social media and print media talk about V shaped recovery and the need for businesses to pivot, and re-purpose. Alongside this, there is a lot of talk about the need for people both inside and outside organisations to “bounce back” and “bounce forward”.

The definition of “bounce back” is the ability to return quickly to a normal state, after a difficult event or setback.  This infers a rapid recovery, after a period of decline. We all have innate levels of resilience, which is completely individual to us. Every individual will have different experiences of loss, stress, anxiety and frustration, as a result of this dreadful pandemic. To assume, infer, or otherwise set the expectation that we all have the ability to bounce back and bounce forward in this situation, is both disingenuous and potentially harmful.

As people gradually return to full working capacity, in whatever the new normal working environment and pattern is, their ability to adjust and acclimatise back to full working capacity and performance will vary enormously. The same holds true for all of us as we navigate our way to developing a new daily life, which will be different for a significant period.

Emotional responses to transitioning back to work will vary widely from feelings of elation and positivity to being back at work with renewed purpose allied with feelings of relief at having survived through the period. For others, they may experience a lot of more challenging emotions and feelings related to anxiety about the return to work and concerns about their role allied potentially with genuine worries about the possibility of contracting the virus in the future. Lots of people will be suffering from varying degrees of loss, and will experience sadness, guilt, anger through to full grief.  For some people, they may be suffering with exhaustion as a result of the mental strain of adapting to a completely new situation, suddenly perhaps allied with childcare and home-schooling responsibilities as well as concerns for elderly relatives, family and friends.

How people adjust and make this transition back to full working capacity, will vary on a spectrum from “very well”, right through to “not at all”, and everything in between. As a result of the experiences, some people will be far less affected psychologically. In extremis, at the other end of the scale, there will be people for whom PTSD will be the ultimate impact of their experiences during this crisis.

Implications for Senior Leadership, HR & OD functions

What does this mean for senior leadership teams and their OD and HR function as businesses and people make the transition back to full working capacity (where relevant)?  It means:

1. As part of the plan to transition back to full working capacity (where relevant), you will need to carefully consider the psychological impacts of this crisis on all their people, including themselves.
2. You will need to agree on an overall strategy and detailed plan, for both helping identify the psychological requirements of their workforce employees and offering both individuals and business teams, access to wellbeing support, which is timely and need appropriate.
3. As part of the plan to transition back to full working capacity, you must also explore how individual and team wellbeing is put at the heart of the organisation culture, and not just as a tick box, compliance approach.
4. An inclusive approach is which employees can voice their thoughts and ideas about the ways in which a great and healthy working environment can be developed, will also be an important factor.

Our core message is this:

• Do not underestimate the level and varying impacts of living through this pandemic has or will have on your organisation’s people.
• If you can, set realistic expectations within a clearly thought out and defined return to work plan, taking account of these impacts.
• Ensure there are appropriate forums and ways in which people can be encouraged to articulate and share the impact of their experiences good and bad, which is fully inclusive. To acknowledge the psychological impacts, openly in a safe environment will be an important stage in the overall recovery and re-grounding process, as people find their feet, and re-establish their working rhythm and performance.

In the next article, I will be exploring the factors to consider, when designing and implementing psychological wellbeing strategies, that will support your people’s safe and healthy return to a full and flourishing working capacity and performance.

emintell is an enabler of conscious leadership solutions for senior leaders, senior managers and their teams, which it delivers through specialist support;

Master Level Executive Coaching   Team Coaching   Resilience and Wellbeing Services

If the points raised have resonated with you and you are interested in having a conversation with us about how we can support you and your teams through this crisis period and beyond,  please call emintell on 0203 733 2335 or email hello@emintell.com