Like Dumbo, We all need a 'magic feather' sometimes

What's not to love about Dumbo? He is a baby elephant, with big eyes and large ears that he can wrap around himself when he's cold. Unfortunately for the little guy, his ears, which cause him to trip and stumble get him into all sorts of trouble. He's feels ostracised by his community for being different, useless and loses belief in himself - Dumbo is unhappy.

How many of us have felt like Dumbo at some point in our lives? I know I have.

Luckily for Dumbo, he has a mechanism that makes him believe in himself again... his magic feather given to him by Timothy Q. Mouse. With this feather clasped tightly in his trunk, Dumbo is able to use his large ears... to fly!

At the film's climax, Dumbo is atop a burning building, preparing to leap and fly for the entertainment of the crowd. As he hurtles towards the ground, he loses the feather... he panics... but at the last moment Timothy Q Mouse comes clean and tells him he really can fly…he doesn’t need the feather…it was just a tool to make him believe. Confidence restored, he extends his ears and swoops up into the air - pachyderms can, in this case, fly.

It's a happy ending to a poignant story - one that is just as relevant today.

At some point in our lives, it is likely that we will also need a magic feather. That placebo for re-building confidence in ourselves and our abilities. It could be after or during an extended absence from work, e.g. through sickness, restructuring or parental leave.

With an estimated 285,000 couples eligible for shared parental leave every year, employers must facilitate their return to work sympathetically to get the best out of them.

We know that going back to work can be an emotional shock, (remember returning to school after the holidays!). The guidebook says "that employees will get back up to speed quicker and smoother if they are provided with the right support from their first day back". However, a quick scour of the internet tells us that despite this support, returning to work is a huge source of anxiety for many people. Whilst on leave, the loss of community, lack of contact and inability to practice their skills are all common contributors - in other words, like Dumbo, they lose confidence.

So what is the 'magic feather' for those on extended leave?

At Ethical Angel, we believe that volunteering facilitated, sponsored and supported by their employer is the solution, why?

1. It gives those on extended leave the opportunity to contribute and remain an active part of a familiar community (their employer) that values their contributions.
2. It gives them the chance to practice their skills and challenge themselves to learn new ones with a mechanism that records their learning and development.
3. Volunteering can be done in their time-frames, they can choose to 'phase their return' and fit it around other priorities... like babies!

We believe that all businesses should offer a magic feather to employees who need it. Like Dumbo, sometimes we need a tool to help us re-build confidence in ourselves and our abilities. Let's make returning to work less anxious - get in touch to learn more.

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Alexander is the Founder and CEO of Ethical Angel, a high-touch service with powerful technology that develops and engages employees through community outreach. More information can be found at www.ethicalangel.com.