How Flexible Are You At Work?

“I don’t know how to plan for the coming year. “  my client said to me.  “One day we are virtual the next day we are in the office and then they shut us down again.  I can’t even plan from day to day. “  Who isn’t feeling that at the moment?!

Yearly planning seems impossible.  Monthly is hard too.  But this client felt she had to have something to aim for even if she wasn’t sure about the interruptions she might have. She knew adjustments were possible during the year if necessary.  What about you? Is it hard for you to plan this year?

Now more than ever leaders need to let their team know where they are headed.  Otherwise you will get nowhere and be very frustrated.

In very different times at AT&T I was encouraged to forecast sales in 3 ways: best case, most likely case, worst case.  For management I gave my most likely but I always knew where I was vulnerable and where I had a challenge.  Maybe looking at the year that way would help others this year.

My client decided that what was best for her and her team was to go for a challenging goal but she had an understanding with her manager that if the virus made the business close again that number might go down.

Another coach on a webinar described a lawyer client he had who told him he was frustrated.  His assistant was slow in getting his work done because she was at home alone with young children trying to support 4 attorneys and teach her children at the same time. Coaches help clients solve problems, but some problems have no great solutions but just an adjustment to the situation. 

Other coaches on the call pointed out that the assistant had had these problems before the pandemic. Maybe one positive element that came out of all this is that her manager was now more empathetic to her situation.  As you contact others are you more aware of their particular situation than you were before? 

The client I mentioned before who had so much trouble planning also found the pandemic isolating.  She couldn’t see people in the company that she used to see just walking around the office.  It made her feel disconnected, so she took it upon herself to begin calling people to get an update on what they were doing and how they were feeling.  This in addition to her new way of planning made her feel more a part of the organization again.

How about you?  Are you managing to stay connected with all the people you used to see in the office?   Staying connected is really important right now whether you are working at home or in the office.  Networking has always been important but now it is imperative if you want to stay part of a cohesive organization. It helps to give you a sense of belonging. 

Staying happy at work is a challenge when you are not used to working at home or when you are bouncing back and forth between your office and your home.  It is up to each of us to make adjustments in our planning and connecting so that we can find the right combination to once again be happy at work.  In the meantime, we are learning a lot about how to be flexible, how to try new things and how to listen to ourselves to learn what makes us happy.

An invitation

If you feel stuck and unable to move forward in your job or your business, talking to a career and business coach can help.  Just talking about your situation will be helpful.  As I ask questions clients often see something that they hadn’t noticed before.  At the very least you will have someone else learning about your situation and helping you to find alternative ways to move you forward.  Call me at 781-598-0388 or email me at asparker@asparker.com. If you feel after our conversation that my coaching would be helpful we can set up some appointments.  If perhaps the time is not right for you, I will understand.  I never press anyone to become a client.  Coaching only works if the client is ready, willing and able to move forward.  Only the client knows the answer to that.