Most often the blogs I write contend with situations within a business environment. Still, even when coaching a client dealing with business related issues and challenges I am readily aware of the fact that whatever the issues, they are a part of the whole person and it is often things outside of a job or business that are impacting the individual that need to be addressed.
The Situation we are living with today
There is no better example I can think of than COVID-19 that has impacted us all in ways that know no boundaries. The work we do … or did, the ways in which we 
live day to day and the relationships we have are all going through major upheaval. And although we truly hope that this is only a temporary situation, I do believe that thinking about and creating our individual and collective plan as to what we would and can do if temporary is actually long-term makes good sense. Addressing ‘What if’ allows each of us to have our Plan B … on the shelf … and that alone moves us back to one wagging the tail rather than feeling helpless and victimized.
Regardless of whether you personally believe that Coronavirus is real, manufactured, created by one group or another or receiving an overblown response, the fact remains that we are all having to deal with the reality of it. As such we are living in a state of doing with a day to day or hour to hour focus. How do I get my work done if I cannot go into the office? How to I keep my children occupied in a productive way? How can I provide for my family if I have been furloughed or laid off? What else can I do to generate income needed to live? How do I not go crazy being alone without the ability to see or be with others? These are all real reactions and concerns and yet … remaining here only heightens our concerns and worries.
There is another place that we can go that will put us in a place of taking back control of what is and what is to come. I’ll call it ‘dreamland’. It’s the place of what’s possible … someplace wherein we get to brainstorm all of the things that we could possibly do that might lead to our ability to turn our current state of questions and panic into our ability to design the path we WANT to take. Such a path puts us back in charge of doing what we believe and know is necessary and is best for us in our situation.
In this two-part blog, I want to address things that we all can to do take us to the place wherein we can be creative and devise solutions will apply and work for each of us in our varying situations (dreamland). Once able to effectively ‘dream’ and envision options available to us, we can effectively examine how we might pursue those that make real sense to us. In other words, put us back into the driver’s seat in order to take us to a place that can work … despite being in a COVID-19 world.
Creating the path to dreamland
- Undertaking some activity that we find relaxing … even for minutes in the day
As a first step to taking charge of your situation one needs to identify an activity in which they find comfort and yes, escape from the stress that has been created. This might be meditation, going for a run, digging in the garden or doing a physical workout. Recognizing such a thing as a need rather than a luxury we don’t have time for allows us to create the break from all else going on in our current and tumultuous existence. It allows us to become centered and keep our feet on the ground and is especially important! - Setting boundaries within the walls of our residence
Suddenly many of us find ourselves living 24/7 with others who are not normally around as such. Granted this can be crazy-making and extremely stressful. Yet, recognizing ones’ need to have personal space … time alone … can and should lead to our ability to express our individual needs along with all others doing the same and having them respected. - Identifying opportunities that having a family under the roof full-time represent
Perhaps school-age children can continue their learning via on-line applications or perhaps they are being home-schooled in their regular subjects. Yet, being at home opens the door to you as a parent to be able to expose them to learning that is not covered in the classroom. Maybe it is cooking, cleaning, gardening, on-line courses that help them learn something of interest to them and something that might be of value going forward.
Bring structure to the current situation rather than simply wishing it to end
In an overall sense, we are all used to living our days with a certain structure. If we have jobs, we are expected to be in the office between certain hours of the day. If children are in school, they are involved as such between certain hours. If they are involved in after-school programs it encompasses more time each day. Daily we tend to eat and go to bed at specific times. Such structure is ‘normal’ and we all function with it. Therefore, creating a similar structure becomes a way to create new norms for all.
As a means of operating from within the ‘what if’ arena and being able to move from victim of the past and current to designer of how we want to move forward, transporting ourselves to the ‘dream’ room is key. There we are allowed to envision the possibilities in front of us and is key to taking charge of how we travel through and transcend this world so impacted by COVID-19. We get to be creative recognizing that we are living in a world different than yesterday. As such, we will then see what we need in terms related to ourselves, family, friends, and work.
The next blog will address possibilities available to all of us that allow us to chart the course that works best for us in serving the very real needs we have. In the meantime, following the suggestions that will create your dreamland. View this as your experimental lab. It’s a place to explore and try knowing that some things will work and some won’t. What it will provide is a place that allows us to move forward and that seems particularly important today.
Mike Dorman
Having an area within your residence that you can dedicate to ‘the office’ area is a true value. It provides you with the place to which you go when in the office. If it’s not in a separate room it’s pretty easy to create your home office using a screen that keeps the kitchen, the TV or even the kids out of sight and allows you to be more focused as you are when you go to your regular office. Creating a workspace also means making it appear as your office. Maybe it means using a real desk-like piece of furniture. Maybe it means having the stapler and paper clips and pens you may need. The more you can provide yourself with the look and feel of your office the easier it will be to treat it as such.
When we work in our regular office we arise, get dressed for work, have breakfast and arrive at a certain time. We do our work, take breaks, we go to lunch and at day’s end go home. Taking this same structured approach in a home office is especially important as there are many things that can be distractions and impact the productivity we are expected to achieve. The leaders of our organization, team or department are not inclined to lower their expectations of us because we are working from home.
Obtain and create ways to gain access to technology and documents that you need to do your job
When we leave the office we go home or to dinner or something that represents a true break between work and personal time. When at home this is a bigger challenge just because getting out one more memo or having one more conversation is ‘there’ so why not. Why not is because it is important that we discipline ourselves to separate our work time from other time. It’s important for our own effectiveness in the overall … as worker, family member or friend.
these we each experienced, we were required to make adjustments in our thinking, our preparedness and how we determined we wanted to move forward.
there and how ‘they’ could have done this or … they went in search of other rooms in the maze until they found it and were able to remain healthy and move forward. The first group ended up not surviving. The latter group went on to thrive in their new ‘world’. I have no doubt that all of us want to be part of that second group and the biggest requirement in order to do so is that we become creative to the extent possible in terms of how we approach the world upon which we depend to provide the work and income we require.
doesn’t carry. How do you need to organize a work area and your personal approach to ‘going into the office’ that will provide the structure and atmosphere that will enable you to make this successful transition?
to consider reducing costs by relocating even at the cost of paying some rent to get out of their current lease. Someone who owns a building and was not thinking of selling just a month ago, might have a different perspective and wouldn’t that be ideal in this time of limited available real estate on the market?
in any other mindset is fruitless and frightening and I believe that are all capable of devising some ways that will help us weather this storm. There is cheese somewhere in the vicinity. We just need to go in search of it for in some form and proportion, I must believe it is there to be found.
positives are blinding to creating the strong foundation on which the effort stands and from which it will grow and prosper. Determining roles, structure and responsibilities are too often thought to be ‘obvious’ and thus, there appears to be no or little need to spend time defining the ‘obvious’. Welcome mega-frustration potential.
Wasted dollars
tended goals, some of the foundational items fall from memory. When this happens it too often leads todisagreements around what had been agreed to or the process to be followed if needed ‘down the road’. This reference avoids the need to recall what had been decided and helps to maintain focus on the project or business itself
enough to get this role to grow our skills and the value we offer to the team and the organization. The big challenge seems to come to many in terms of how to successfully execute the role of leader. For some it means wearing the mask of one enabling her or him to play the role as they believe a leader should. Unfortunately, that doesn’t often translate to being authentic and in today’s workplace being seen by others as authentic has become a key ingredient if one wants to be accepted and followed as their success requires.
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Theodore Roosevelt said to ‘speak softly and carry a big stick’. Yet behind the mask a leader associates speaking loudly or even shouting as demonstrating clear leadership and commanding respect. Addressing team members in a quieter and confident tone can do wonders in terms of having willing followers and listeners.
