Resilience is the ability to withstand and bounce back quickly despite significant adversity.

Yet , in the wake of covid 19, as the world goes through a rapid transition phase, this is not an easy task.

Many people are currently experiencing uncertainty, anxiety, and a lack of control and clear direction in life and at work . However , this period, when observed with an open and creative mindset, may offer us a multitude of new possibilities that could be explored and developed.

In order to be able to truly take advantage of this period there is an urgent need to first create a space for exploring and acknowledging that which is happening inside us in the present and then use that deeper understanding and new found energy to bounce forward even higher than we were before.

In our workshop, we will explore the two different phases of resilience and gain evidence based tools with which we can help ourselves and our teams cope with stress and anxiety and regain a sense of control through an active creative mindset.

Belonging is a fundamental human need that extends to the workplace. It is a critical factor in individual, team, and organizational performance.

A 2019 pre-Covid research found that belonging is highly correlated with engagement and wellbeing such that people who feel a higher sense of belonging show:

• 56% higher performance
• 50% lower risk of turnover
• Take 75% fewer sick days off and,
• are 167% more likely to recommend and promote their workplace to others.

However, in the aftermath of Covid-19, the upsurge of hybrid work and the increase of reports on loneliness (especially for young adults), 1 in 4 employees report feeling excluded at work. Working mothers are most affected, with 33% of working mothers currently considering downshifting their careers or leaving their jobs altogether.

In our workshop, we will experience our basic need for Belonging in the Workplace and its impact on performance, connectedness and trust. We will learn why Diversity and Inclusion are not enough to combat loneliness, and how even short micro-exclusion incidents can have a major and immediate impact on our performance.

Finally, we will gain five simple, evidence-based, intervention tools, that we can all start using today, to foster a culture of belonging in the workplace.

The shift to a hybrid world of work has significantly impacted our workplaces, increasing from 5% work at home pre-Covid to over 60% today, with many companies allowing or even demanding more and more hours of work from home.

Hybrid work has the benefit of flexibility, reduced carbon footprint, cost optimization, and increased productivity, to name a few, and has become a magnet in many industries for employee attraction and retention.

While a growing body of research points towards a highly hybrid post-pandemic working environment, it is crucial to consider some of its more subtle drawbacks to both teams and organizations, for example the lack of equal opportunities due to diminished access to resources such as peer support, mentoring, and hardware, but also less tangible resources such as promotion, salary raises, and involvement in key projects. Other important drawbacks include increased loneliness, additional strain on working mothers, and decreased cultural solidarity to name but a few.

In our workshop, we will take a peek behind the scenes into extensive research on the good, the bad, and the ugly of hybrid workplaces to get to know the pitfalls to be avoided and precautions to be taken. We will also learn how to institute Hybrid Cultures, and experience the four distinct conversations required to define the needs of the employees, the teams, and the organizations in order to craft the best Hybrid Culture for your team.

Are you working from home or living at work?

A multitude of studies over the years have shown the hazards of not adhering to a healthy work-life balance. However, recent research continues to indicate that organizations today still have a very long way to go.

In the wake of Covid-19, when the boundaries have blurred to such an extent where it is hard to ascertain if one is currently “at work” or “at home”, surveys show that employees are putting in extra hours while taking less time off, even when they feel unwell. 

The problem, when trying to strike a balance between work and life is that the concept itself is flawed. Rather than concentrating on an imaginary work vs. life balance, there is a need to focus on the energy and engagement we bring into all aspects of our life –our Engaged Living.

In our workshop, we will explore the various research and survey findings of work-life balance in the aftermath of Covid-19, and using five basic principles, will chart our own path to forming an Engaged Living culture in our organization, team and home, thus creating a work and personal environment focused around wellbeing that is not merely engaging and sustainable but also more efficient and productive.