– Daniel Pink
Knowledge workers are employed for their brain power. Their critical thinking, creativity, and innovation. For their powerful insights and ability to produce outstanding, high-value work.
But most organisations create workplaces where it is virtually impossible to do the very thing your knowledge workers are expected to do. To perform the deep work required to create new value, solve big issues and develop solutions that will change the world for the better.
With work practices that work against the brain, squandering your most valuable resource. Open plan offices full of distractions and interruptions. With notifications continually pinging, and the expectation that you are available virtually 24/7 to drop everything and address an “urgent” task immediately.
Leaders unconsciously triggering threat states that activate the fight/ flight/ freeze response. And where people do not feel safe to speak up for fear of embarrassment or retribution. Where they struggle on rather than putting their hands up and asking for help. Wasting so much valuable cognitive energy maintaining their professional façade for fear of being perceived as weak or incompetent.
Where being scattered and frazzled is the norm and there is so much pressure it tips the scale towards distress, angst, and anxiety. At some point your people’s wellbeing may be impacted, relationships suffer, motivation plummets, productivity declines, and the ability to innovate and produce outstanding work decreases. Leading to discontent, disengagement, health issues, absenteeism and potentially workers’ compensation claims.
People are not automatons. They are complicated, messy, emotional, wonderful human beings. Rather than expecting them to be these purely rational, logical beings at work, let’s understand what drives human behaviour and harness those intense emotions to do great work. Your people are passionate about what they do. It’s up to leaders to create an environment where your people can harness that passion and focus their attention on what matters. To do the great work that brings them satisfaction and fulfilment. When people are inspired from within, leaders don’t need to motivate them. They can do less managing and more leading.
Neuroscience-backed strategies, underpinned with compassion, are a powerful force for creating cohesive, high-performing teams where wellbeing is paramount. Wildfire Business Consulting works with organisations to create brain-friendly, psychologically-safe, mentally-healthy workplaces where your people can thrive. Organisations that are purpose-driven and values-based.
With a sense of safety that only comes with a deep knowing that you can truly be yourself. That someone’s got your back. That you can speak up without fear of embarrassment or retribution.
You’re passionate about what you do and want to make a difference. But the pace of change in the workplace is dizzying and the pressure on you is unrelenting.
Your people are relying on you to lead the way, but there are so many obstacles and sometimes the path is unclear. Sometimes the burden is too much.
Chances are, Di has been where you are. Managing teams in high-pressure situations. Leading change in pressure cooker environments. Starting up and running her own businesses. Feeling like you’re going it alone.
Stressed. Anxious. Close to burning out. Sometimes getting to the point where you’re barking orders at your staff. The tension at work starts to take a toll on your wellbeing, leaking into your home life. Your family life suffers. You’re not spending enough time with your kids and when you do, you’re too exhausted and distracted to be fully present with them. You no longer feel like you. You have lost your spark. You start to feel guilty and remorseful.
Leaders need support too. To reignite your passion. To get from where you are now to where you want to be. And to be the leader you always wanted to be along the way. To be there for your people. To be the leader you always wished you had. To be cool, calm, and collected under fire.
Your people need you. Your family needs you. But what do you need?
Coaching offers a safe space where you can simply be yourself. No pretending. No facades. A space where you can unburden yourself with someone independent of your organisation. Someone on an equal footing. A collaborative relationship based on the foundation of shared experience of working in high-pressure environments and navigating challenging situations.
Where you can safely voice your concerns and navigate the challenging emotions that rise in pressure cooker situations. Where you can reflect, get curious and apply critical thinking to complex issues. To discover what those challenging emotions are signaling. Then decide how to channel those emotions into something constructive, with your values and goals as the guiding force. To create a step-by-step action plan. Our brains love action. Creating a purposeful plan and taking that first step brings immediate relief. The endorphins kick in. You take the next step and then the next. Soon momentum builds and you are on your way to smashing those goals.
You will be in the driver’s seat so that you can support your people to thrive. Creating an environment where they are motivated, productive and innovative. Where wellbeing is the norm, and your people produce outstanding work that makes all the difference in this world.
