Even though we are now well into 2021, the Roman namesake of the first month of the year, Janus, is a powerful touchstone for leaders and organizations facing 2021 and beyond. Janus was the god of beginnings and endings, standing watch over every entrance, departure and change. Because every door and passageway is bidirectional, Janus is traditionally depicted with two faces, each looking in opposite directions. Over time, this dual view has become equated with wisdom.
Janus-like, we reflect back on 2020, recognizing and honoring the perseverance and determination our teams and colleagues showed and maintained to keep each other and our organizations afloat — it was a year of incredible, impressive and inspiring efforts. We endeavor to learn from the innovation and creativity generated so that we can take the lessons forward with us. At the same time, our look back reminds us that as individuals and teams, we aren’t invincible. The 2020 level of heroic crisis response and adrenaline-fueled perseverance simply is not sustainable.
As we turn our attention to Janus’ other face, we notice what is around us now and what lies ahead. With this present and prospective gaze, part of what we see is encouraging news of vaccinations, milder weather on the way, signs of economic renewal and more schools reopening. However, what we also must see is people hitting a “pandemic wall” at work and at home.
The aftermath of 2020 is a story of increased burnout. Millions of us no longer “work at home,” but, rather, we are living at work. The comfort and cadence of our pre-COVID boundaries and routines have dissolved, and in the void many of us have created new habits that may not serve our well-being. We are still processing profound loss in so many ways.
Further, 2021 brings its own changes and disruptions as we seek to redefine “normal,” to find our footing with the hybrid workforce, to rethink organizational cultures and reconfigure the work/home dynamic. The new ways of working hold the potential to radically enhance engagement and efficiency if we are wisely and energetically positioned to leverage them. This makes intention around recharging essential to performance in 2021; this year and beyond is all about helping everyone burn bright instead of burning out. The reasons are myriad:
- Tired employees simply lack the cognitive wherewithal to truly learn from their experiences in 2020.
- Worn-out teams will detract from business goals rather than enhance them.
- Exhausted colleagues will struggle to lean into new inclusive behaviors.
- Emotionally drained leaders likely won’t create psychological safety.
- Distracted teams will have a hard time embracing curiosity, collaboration and creativity.
Indeed, without intention and attention to creating the conditions for everyone to bring their best selves and burn bright versus burning out, we engage largely in superficial learning and development. Organizations offer up programs and learning journeys and engaging webinars, hoping that people will do something with the content, while not establishing the essential, supportive foundation necessary for any sustained learning and behavior change. And keep in mind, burnout was hitting epidemic levels before the pandemic.
The present and future of leadership and learning is about attention to “resilience as recharge.” In this way, we build the dynamic foundation upon which sits the ability to learn from the turbulence of 2020 and build a productive and positive 2021.
Here are four ways to enhance daily recharge in 2021 to boost learning and performance for both yourself and your team.
1. Get micro.
Asking already time-crunched colleagues to find 30 minutes or more for any activity, however beneficial, isn’t realistic and won’t be replicable. Instead, embrace and promote the notion of micro-habits and “time confetti.” Coined by Brigid Shulte in her book “Overwhelmed,” time confetti refers to the small fragments of time we do have available to us during the day, no matter how busy we may be. Reframe these small scraps of time as opportunities to meaningfully recharge: six minutes of movement, four minutes of music, eight minutes of working on a puzzle or 30 seconds of deep breathing. In just minutes, a meaningful micro-habit can give us a much-needed energy boost, whether before, during or after a meeting; in the middle of a learning event; or at the end of the day as we transition from work to home roles.
How might you identify and practice micro-habits that provide meaningful recharge? How can you encourage your teams to do so, as well?
2. Get mindful about meetings.
Countless organizations have simply recreated the face-to-face office meeting in an online format. Same schedules. Same work cadence. And the same number of, if not more frequent, meetings. As recent research from Stanford highlights, all this camera-to-camera time brings with it extra exhaustion. Today is a perfect day to take time to collaboratively review your “meeting map” — the number, duration, frequency, style and path of daily and weekly meetings that chart much of the course of your work. Was it reactively converted from the pre-COVID landscape? Consider asking, “Is this meeting camera-worthy?” If not, lower the cognitive load by going audio only.
What else can you do to be more mindful about the frequency and form of your meetings?
3. Get moving.
With just a little intention and creativity, we can supercharge our meetings and learning events with movement. In the spirit of time confetti, think “movement” instead of “exercise.” The latter immediately sparks thoughts of needing more time, equipment, a change of clothes and a shower. But movement fits perfectly as part of an eight-minute break between meetings or a 10-minute recharge in the midst of a webinar. Take it even further and find at least one meeting on your calendar this week and convert it to an audio-only “walk and talk” meeting.
In what ways can more movement be incorporated into your daily schedule?
4. Get meaningful.
People are purpose-driven. An ever-growing body of research connects higher levels of engagement and performance with a belief in contributing meaningfully to something larger than oneself. As American academic Theresa Amabile and others have shown, progress in meaningful work triggers a sense of accomplishment and overall positivity. To leverage this powerful force, consider how you can regularly highlight for colleagues and teammates how their work contributes to meaningful forward movement for the organization.
What is the story that needs to be shared to remind your teams and colleagues about why their work is important? And, more personally, how might you grab some time confetti to connect more deeply with your own purpose and values and link them explicitly to your work? This might involve revisiting and reaffirming the values that drive you. What are your values and how are you embodying them during this time?
These four rechargers help create a burn bright versus. burn out mindset. If you apply a tailored version of this toolkit to reimagine your organizational culture, you can set the stage for a decidedly different 2021. With your prospective, forward-thinking Janus face, you can help build a year marked by wisdom through reflection, learning agility and newfound tools. You can energize resilience throughout your organization and help create more workdays defined by a sense of purpose.
