Why (YMCA) Work Well
We know people are fed up and tired out; but what are we supposed to do to help?
As Catalyst develops into a new chapter one of the tasks I’m taking on for some charities is developing unique leadership development pathways for their organizations. Using many of the tools I’ve built over the last 15 years and designing some brand new aspects particular to the needs of each organization is an energizing challenge for me.
But we know that a large proportion of our teams are not energized at all. It’s one thing to design programs to develop greater leadership in people who are keen and fresh; it’s quite different when even the highest potential people may be deeply struggling with the accumulated fatigue of two years of pandemic on top of all the more regular stresses of life.
So, I can’t just use things that have worked in the past with little tweaks to fit different organization’s causes and cultures. I need to be intentional in learning what developing leaders during, and hopefully after, a global pandemic looks like.
Among the resources I’m finding most helpful is the work of YMCA WorkWell under the leadership of Dr. Dave Whiteside. Their research, reported in part here, captures the stark reality of how we’re doing now, and what might be needed to move forward.
These words are important:
This is perhaps the biggest shift in the data from August 2020 to now. Last year, the data suggested that supporting mental health in the workplace required more: More clarity, more flexibility, more connection. Today, however, the data suggests that supporting mental health in the workplace often requires less: Less workload, less expectations, and less judgment so employees can effectively reset and recharge.
The data driven observations definitely resonate with, and add to, my anecdotal observations from all the leaders and organizations I’m interacting with. I suspect they’ll do the same for you.
Healthy leaders are always considering the current realities of their people, not operating out of stubborn idealism. As much as you may be eager to lead the way out of these COVID times and into a brighter future, you would be sadly mistaken to think the way forward will be possible without truly understanding the state of your team and the need to rebuild strength and trust, restructure to accommodate changed capacity, and factor in flexibility wherever possible.
And by the way; that may just start with reconsidering your own wellbeing first…