How do we get back to work when the corona crisis is over? How do we keep our focus? And are there perhaps also positive aspects to the current situation? Today's guests at Werkprofessor are Elke Geraerts, CEO at Better Minds at Work and Martijn Peeters, founder of Camptoo.
We don't know what (working) life will look like in the future, but it probably won't be business as usual. This episode of Werkprofessor is about the future of work.
First of all, says Elke Geraerts, it is becoming more important than ever to invest in the mental resilience of employees. Cash is king, human capital is queen, she says. This crisis is a good time to break old patterns that do not contribute to the well-being of employees,' says Geraerts. For example, will it soon be necessary to spend two hours in a traffic jam just to attend a brainstorm? We are now learning that a lot can also be done via video meetings'.
Keeping your attention
Still, many employees currently miss the closeness with colleagues, the chat at the coffee machine. It is important to actively seek that connection now - and later, when working from home has become more normal,' says Geraerts. That can be done, for example, by starting the week with a video call, in which it is not about work but about how everyone is doing.
It is also very important to keep your attention. Quite tricky in this day and age. For this, Geraerts has a golden tip: when you are hunting an elephant, don't let the rabbits distract you. It is, of course, a metaphor. The elephant, she says, is the big job you have to do one day. The task that requires the most concentration. The rabbits, are the e-mails, the phone calls, the text messages.
Spending time in nature
Most people have the habit of opening the rabbit hutch first thing in the morning,' says Geraerts. By noon, when the to-do list has been ticked off, the big job has yet to begin. And then the postponing begins, until after lunch, after dinner, after the weekend.
So it's important for employers to encourage a 'culture of focus'. This is tailor-made and differs from person to person, but if many people are sharpest in the morning, it is better, for example, to move meetings to later in the day.
Finally, a fine tip from Martijn Peeters. Spend more time in nature, go for a walk more often. That will help you not to feel like an extension of your laptop for a while.
The tips from this podcast
1. Cash is king, human capital is queen; keep investing in the mental resilience of your employees;
2. When you are hunting an elephant, do not let the rabbits distract you; stay focused or your main task;
3. Create a connection on the shop floor, even if the majority of your employees work at home; dare to be vulnerable as a CEO.
Links
https://www.elkegeraerts.com/boeken - Elke Geraerts' books on how to increase your mental resilience
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