Patience and Unity: We've got this - together.

Reflecting on the first full week of the new year is probably where a lot of us naturally are right now. And for us at People & Transformational HR Ltd , it's been an all-hands week. And a good one, for sure.

For me, it was a return to busy meeting-based exchanges, design, research, in-person speaking and travel; and in a positive twist, 2x 3D, in-person days with Kirsten Buck .

Because Kirsten is a Mum to a young child (still in pre-school) travelling from Aberdeen to London is not a whimsical, easy-to-orchestrate affair. Nevertheless, we felt - and realised - the value of being together and made the most of it. So firstly thanks to Kirsten AND her support network of her partner and parents in picking up caregiving responsibilities. We really did make good use of those 2-days together as we work as a Gemini Pairing, our work is pooled and shared so it was nice to see that in full effect not just asynchronous working via digital tools or video calls we've become so much more used to. We are steadfastly virtual/remote working but occasional, high-touch, valuable in-person liaisons are nice to supplement and augment that norm.

Working with Kirsten, and the rest of the team being mostly working Mums, reminded me of this aspect of being their colleague and even in our self-managed enterprise, the founder/source strategy and vision leader.

Patience and Unity.

When Kirsten first started working with me/us in 2019, it was for 4 hours a week around her parental duties. And support for Kirsten was needed across those 4 hours per week in her wider family unit. So we crafted the work and the role itself around those available hours (notice I'm not saying limitations or restrictions on time - not the way to frame this).

As Kirsten's young boy aged, so did her options increase for care and choice for where time was spent, so gradual increases were agreed in hours and were engineered into the work to be done. And now, Kirsten works 28 of our 30 maximum in our 4-day Operating Week.

So the patience I had to show, and the unity we had, has now resulted in a devoted, applied and reliable +1 for me and the work Kirsten and I do together (as the Gemini deal we have between us - we work deliberately in pairs as well as teams on project work together).

Whilst patience is a virtue, it's also clear that as a leader, colleague whatever it's more than that. You have to be aware of not projecting your ways/world onto your caregiving colleague. And that what your colleague values most is bolstered by the value they create in the time they have to make a difference and contribute to the mission and workload of the whole team.

By that, I even mean that what you value might be enthusiasm for new work or challenging assignments, the urgency in doing exciting and demanding things, your agenda/aspirations for new and innovative things, the flexibility you have, and the pace at which you work to. All these things are your way and you have to be careful you don't surreptitiously project them onto your colleagues even if it's excitable, positive and about opportunities.

Because it potentially creates pressure and even a conflict - even if it's not about micro-management and demanding pressures. Sadly a lot of working carers feel they are probably under every day.

Being aware that your working Mum/carer colleague might WANT to be like you and do like you - but has the responsibility of a formative-years carer - needs the patience and even tempering of expectations to kick in.

Our - and my - experiences over the last 3 years of working with those who have parenting/caregiving responsibilities; is that this HAS to come first. And being aware of helping your colleagues maintain a balance is vital.

Effective contributions in whatever flexible hours arrangements you have are still crucial, respected and admired. Your willingness (as their colleague in a unity-based system of working) is to cover and pick things up when the unexpected and natural needs of someone who needs and deserves your care and attention occur. Always being prepared and planning for unexpected shifts in attention and need.

So as a colleague or leader - without those same caring demands - patience and temperance are critical. And you working in harmony and unity with the caregiving colleague helps them feel more supported and appreciated and takes pressure and conflict away from their life-balancing, daily demands.

This is why we've adopted (off the back of a really funny exchange on Slack about the animated children's TV character) our PINGU approach.

People IN Glorious Unity.

And even a family-friendly iconic manifestation of that.

We want to be the most family-friendly small enterprise ever.

Unlimited leave, a 4-day Operating Week, flexible working hours within that, being a remote-first enterprise - all helping with childcare and even adult care (in my case, that's it now - with an elderly widower Father and a wife with Multiple Sclerosis).

So that's the system's aspect sorted.

But it's the behaviours and attitudes bit that makes a really palpable difference.

Back to where patience, flexibility, transparency, care and not projecting come in. That we still have to lobby hard for parental rights and expectations is not in keeping with helping people through crisis upon crisis (of late) but even before that, in living a balanced life.

If, as many engagement surveys and company-stated expectations declare the ubiquitous statement that "people are our...." then we're not talking about homogenous, automatons who perform like a mechanised, programmable machine. We're talking about the variability, adaptations and sanctuary that work could and should provide for people beyond the financial exchanges.

I'm sure that successful and sustainable enterprises are full of devoted people of all permutations. But you have to earn that devotion. And some of that comes in the shape of you - as an organisation and as a leader and colleague within that - showing devotion to what matters to your colleagues outside of their role profile and working contributions. And all adapting to make it a team-spirited positive space for all.

As the African proverb goes "It takes a whole village to raise a child". So it takes a whole team/organisation to support those who are caring for others as part of their life choices, circumstances and responsibilities.

So let's be more PINGU. People IN Glorious Unity.