How do you feel as the UK prepares to unlock?

It’s been a long time coming, but Boris’s roadmap out of lockdown has provided welcome relief for many. As some of the uncertainty we’ve all been grappling with for the past year has finally been removed, we can all look forward to life after lockdown.

This past twelve months has been a rollercoaster that everyone has experienced from their own unique perspective. The repercussions of the pandemic are different for us all. Most of us will have experienced loss of some kind. Loss of loved ones, loss of income, loss of social connections and family support networks, loss of familiar routine and structure, loss of freedoms we used to take for granted.

Some may have actually gained something too though. More time with their children, more time normally spent commuting, more working from home or flexible working, more time for simple pleasures such as baking, listening to music, or getting lost in a good novel. We may have gained more perspective of what really matters to us.

We have all lived through what will undoubtedly become a significant turning point in history, where the way we live and work has shifted permanently. Whatever your own personal experience of lockdown has been, now is the ideal time to pause and reflect. Consider the following questions;

●     What have I learned about myself?

●     How has the way I live and work changed?

●     What changes do I want to take forward into my ‘new normal’ and what should I leave behind?

●     Have there been any difficult changes, and if so, how have I coped?

●     What do I want my future to look like?

You may have learned a lot about yourself in terms of where your strengths lie. If this is the case, use this knowledge and play to your strengths. We achieve our optimal performance when we concentrate our effort on things we enjoy doing and know we are good at. This is what I call flow. Now is the ideal time to take command of your future, make decisions about your future direction and find your flow!

You may have had to adapt the way you work to enable you to continue. What changes have your customers or colleagues welcomed or engaged with? Consider what has worked well and harness this for future success.

It’s important to unpack and process the negative too. Acknowledge that it’s been tough, and give yourself time to heal. It’s a good time to reflect on each element of the Resilience Wheel. Talking to someone you trust can help, as can coaching, so consider who is in your network that you might reach out to. It may help to refer back to my previous blog on the benefits of coaching if this is something you are considering.

If you’re a senior leader, ask your teams what their experiences of the pandemic have been too. Gathering and evaluating this insight could be hugely beneficial in leading the team to play to their strengths and work in a way they want, as well as appreciating the toll Coronavirus may have taken on their wellbeing.

Ask your team what they want for their future....

In addition to your own self-reflection, listening to your team, and understanding and understanding their expectations, can help you to make better decisions as we look forward to unlocking.