The last few months have been very stressful and draining for business owners.  In these circumstances it can be hard to maintain the passion that brought you into the business in the first place.  However, the good news is that despite the difficult times you can reconnect with that passion, and use the opportunity to create a new balance in your life.

Let me share one story with you and then some ideas to put into practice.

About 12 months ago, I worked with a CEO whose company was extremely successful. The focus for the session was ‘communication’, a very challenging problem in most organisations and in life generally. I particularly wanted this client to ‘feel’ leadership rather than ‘think’ strategically.

We met at my farm where we are lucky enough to have space to play with ideas outside in nature. I wanted to engage him with ‘out of the box’ thinking, thus I obtained his permission to work without the sense of sight or language. In other words, to blindfold my client and work without speech; purely by touch. I proceeded to lead him outside using different techniques. Firstly, I was collaborative and supportive, giving him my arm and guiding him with care. Secondly, I gave him the end of a rope to hold and quickened my pace and distance, taking him out of his comfort zone. Thirdly, I went behind him and pushed him gently into the unknown. This carried on until I had exhausted all the different leadership styles that I knew. What he didn’t know was that he was moving towards a horse. Finally, I took him into the outdoor arena and placed his hands on the withers of one of my horses.

What happen next was extraordinary and will stay with him, and with me, forever.

As he felt the strong warm coat of a living thing he spontaneously buried his head in the horse’s side, and he wept. His sense of relief was palpable. The strength and sheer presence of the horse standing strong and patient by his side was immensely poignant. Another living creature had his back and somehow the horse understood that the man simply needed to be in contact with him and needed support. My thoroughbred horse kept completely still. The client was able to let go of his own power for a minute and simply be. To take a breath, feel the moment and gain the insight that it gave him without words, without sight, simply feeling the animal connection and shared understanding.

I asked him whether he was happy to share this powerful moment. Without hesitation he agreed.

“I was born in the high mountains of Pakistan where nature in all its glory is on your doorstep. Connection with all living things had been part of the culture. How far away all that seems now. I had forgotten that deep connection and how much I long for that in my life again”.

He had voiced the core issue that brought him to the farm. Loss of connection with nature.

“I knew something was unfulfilled in my life I now know that the way I am living has to change dramatically. I had all the trappings of success, but no idea why I felt this emptiness inside.”

Later he told me the most liberating aspect of this experience.

“I re-evaluated the way I conducted my business and brought in a senior manager who now runs the day-to-day operation. This has freed me up to connect with nature and I have found this to be a wonderful bedrock of ideas. I am now positioned to utilise my natural creativity and have someone else handle the daily process for me. Our company has gone from strength to strength.”

Why is this story significant? It’s time to look at different approaches.

Here are some suggestions for allowing nature to ground us right now and going forward:

Connect with natural phenomena – Watch a sunrise or sunset, either on your own, or with the other members of your household. The ‘dawn of the day’ and the ‘end of the day’ are perfect times to reflect on the beauty of nature.

Connect digitally – Add a beautifully scenic screensaver to your computer. Change your ‘Zoom’ background to something aesthetically natural. Sometimes these small changes to our regular working lives can reignite our enjoyment of the outside world.

Connect in your kitchen – Simply add some potted plants to the windowsill. There’s something very rewarding about planting seeds and seeing new life grow, taking responsibility for cultivating something organic and beautiful. Science tells us that plants ‘bring happiness’ to a room. Choose some pretty pots and get growing.

Connect in your local area – Walk in the park and count the different types of animals you see, trot up the highest hill in your neighbourhood and take in the vastness of the sky, stroll through the woods and smell the under-forest. There’s an incredibly emotive experience to the feeling that you’re a small part of something bigger.

Connect with adventure – Swim in your local ‘open water lake’. Embrace the brisk water, and the rewarding feeling of being physically connected to nature. The cold water soon feels warmer, enjoyable, invigorating.

Connect with your reading – Find an engaging book that describes and visualises nature. “Rewilding Yourself” by Simon Barnes is particularly good.

Connect with a documentary – Who doesn’t enjoy a David Attenborough documentary? These documentaries are a fantastic way to remind ourselves that there is a world of beauty out there.

Connect with philanthropy – Subscribe to an intuitive, reputable and beautiful wildlife magazine. I find the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to be exceptionally good.

Connect with fun – Support your sanctuary or wildlife reserve. When COVID restrictions are lifted, go spend the day with your family, surrounded by the world’s most beloved creatures. For an extra sense of connectivity, ‘Adopt an Animal’ to harness support of the natural world.

Why is it so important to stay connected to nature?

The human spirit can be restored by nature. If we ignore it and continue to believe that manmade solutions can replace our connection to wildlife, we are seriously mistaken.

When I am working with clients I remind them that: We are not in nature, we are nature. One of the wonderful things about nature is that it connects us to the here and now, and also connects us to something bigger than ourselves.  There are huge benefits to savouring the present moment instead of always focusing on the goals of tomorrow. Using the suggestions for connecting to nature will help you reconnect with your passion for your business and in turn help you to establish a new balance in your life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosie Tomkins is founder of the Natural Capital Consultancy and author of ‘N-stinctive’, an inspirational book that introduces an alternative to traditional leadership training by unlocking the power of the natural world to provide strength and confidence to people who are shouldering huge responsibility.

Rosie’s clients include the GB Olympic hockey and England rugby teams, the NHS and multi-national companies in the airline, engineering and pharmaceutical industries.

Website – www.n-stinctive.com

Instagram –  https://www.instagram.com/nstinctiveintelligence/

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/n_stinctive

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCuRgTFuoWKk4BaHSlQirg

Facebook – www.facebook.com/nstinctiveintelligence/

Are you taking to the saddle to commute to work? But what to wear? There are some great independent brands creating functional and stylish clothing and kit for cycling to work. And there’s not a fleck of lycra in sight.

Cycling is definitely becoming a popular option for getting to work as the pandemic continues – crowd free, gridlock free, and free. And there hasn’t been a better time to cycle. Since the pandemic started, air pollution in some UK cities has reduced by a huge 40%, road traffic has dropped significantly and £2 billion pounds is going to be invested into cycling infrastructure to increase and improve bike lanes and cycle routes.

And, thank goodness, cycling to work no longer means inappropriately-fitted lycra! Young brands are designing for life with a saddle. Here are some great independent brands, designing stylish kit that works for life on – and off – the bike.

The Bike Bag

The trick of getting to work without a sweaty back is a pannier bag. And it also saves your back.  

Panniers have historically been pretty ugly – made out of plain black PVC with hooks that dig into your back as soon as you carry the bag off the bike. But since 2013 Hill & Ellis has been on a mission to design bike bags that look good on and off the bike and work perfectly in both situations – making them the ideal cycling to work accessory.

Their most recent collection is made in cotton canvas with a range of striking patterns all designed by award winning London print designers. They also have a striking collection of British made satchel bike bags in bold colours. These pannier bags use German manufactured, adjustable pannier hooks to attach securely, fit a laptop, and all come with features for the cyclists such as a waterproof bag cover and reflective detailing.

www.hillandellis.com/shop

The Helmet

The roads might be quieter but safety is still key – and luckily wearing a helmet no longer means compromising on style.

British brand Dashel design chic bike helmets, all with a retro style that are worthy of wearing inside the office as well as on the bike. All their helmets are made in the UK, they have a stunning carbon fibre helmet and their latest range of Re-cycle helmets can be recycled …into another helmet.

All their styles are extremely slim fitting and light, designed without compromising on safety. Both ranges are tailored to fit, via special coolmax pads inside which keep you cool and prevent any helmet hair.

SHOP ALL

The Jacket

As June has already reminded us, the British summer can never be relied upon, and bright sunshine can turn to a summer shower quicker than the proverbial duck to water.

So, a light, water-repellent jacket is the perfect answer and British designer Oliver Spencer has just teamed up with Brompton to create a stylish jacket that works perfectly for cycling to work. Made in Portugal in light-weight, water-repellent fabric, it is also anti-crease so it can be folded into your bag, but a cunning feature is that the jacket also has straps so it can quickly be transitioned to wear across the back when you’ve pedalled hard up the hill and need to cool off. A pricey £385 but think of all the money you are saving on travel!

https://oliverspencer.co.uk/brompton-blazer-obree-navy

For an alternative for ladies, Georgia in Dublin make elegant jackets that are also lightweight, stylish and water-proof.   

https://www.georgiaindublin.com/product/the-hustle-bustle-elegant-rain-jacket/

The Shoes

Tracey Neuls has been a London shoe designer for 20 years and she is already a shoe icon. Her shoes are beautifully crafted – designed in the UK and made in Portugal. Tracey herself has a penchant for cycling and designed a range of reflective shoes for men and women over 10 years ago and they remain one of her best sellers. They are crafted in reflective fabric that is a matt grey during the day and glows under lights at night, they also have a rubber sole for comfort and better wear on the bike pedals. They are stylish and perfect for cycling… and clubbing (when that time comes).

Female Range:

https://traceyneuls.com/collections/women-1/products/geek_black-reflective-flat-shoe

Male range:

https://traceyneuls.com/collections/sale/products/karl-lace-up-black-all-reflective

The Rain option

The best option for cycling in the rain is a Poncho. One’s thighs are at the mercy of the rain and always get drenched in a downpour but as the poncho covers your upper body and your legs (like a mini tent), it saves your legs from a complete soaking and you don’t need to worry about faffing with waterproof trousers.

Otto London is an independent brand that makes cycle friendly unisex ponchos in a beautiful collection of bold colours. Designed by Otto Lauterbach and Eleonora Perez, both artists and avid cyclists, these ponchos have lots of neat detailing for the cyclist… and they can double up for the 2021 festival season.  

https://www.ottolondon.com/poncho.aspx?master=poncho

The Accessory

Glow and See is a not-for-profit global enterprise led by London fashion designer Comet. They work with women from low socio-economic backgrounds across the world who knit a range of hats and neck warmers from sustainable wool and reflective yarn for comfort and visibility. 

https://www.glowandsee.com/

There has never been a better time to dust off your bike and get in the saddle. And with such cool, fashionable cycle gear now available, you can look fabulous whatever the weather and wherever you’re going.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine Ellis is founder of Hill & Ellis, which produces a range of high quality, stylish cycle bags. Each bag, designed in the UK, is created to transition perfectly from home to bike to boardroom to bar. They are functional, fashionable and hard wearing.  There’s plenty of space inside for a laptop and other essentials, and each bag comes with patented pannier clips that fit almost any bike, allowing you to clip the bag on and off quickly and easily.

Web: www.hillandellis.com

Twitter: @hillandellis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HillEllis/ 

Instagram: @hillandellis

As the lockdown eases and businesses start to reopen and bring their employees back to the workplace there is a lot to get done. One way to cut through the work is to ask three questions:

1. Are your people feeling fearful about a return to work?
2. Have you implemented the lessons learnt and developed a clear transition plan?
3. Are your people motivated and ready for change?

Let’s look at each question and how the information and ideas can help your business reopen smoothly:

1) Are your people feeling fearful about a return to work?

As we transition out of the pandemic, people have the dilemma of balancing safety with security of employment.

Engage with your team and help allay people’s anxiety by talking to them and listening carefully.  In advance of returning to work consider arranging a Back to Work conference call, with clear and concise messages about what happens next and when. Zoom or other platforms allow for anonymous Q&A chat during the call, helping you address immediate concerns.

People will need time to reflect on what you’ve said.  So, set up one-to-one follow up calls, ideally two days later.

In client conversations we’ve noticed that people have been working longer hours through fear, uncertainty or boredom. Restore work-life balance on their return to work.

A ‘lessons learnt’ workshop is a great way to help restore this balance. Help people feel they can share their experiences and opinions, listen to what worked well during lockdown, and identify changes that were efficient and allowed simplicity to flourish.

Can your team leaders use their emotional intelligence to manage a potentially emotional time for staff? Maybe you can support team leaders with access to eLearning to enhance their skills in this area.   

2) Have you implemented the lessons learnt and developed a clear transition plan?

Your people will be very proficient at their ‘normal’ role. However, the return to work and necessary changes may mean a drop in productivity, the need for additional training, and the ability to deal with frustrations that changes inevitably bring. 

Managing the back to work transition requires a plan which includes the lessons learnt and then covers the 5 W’s:

• Why are the changes needed? As teams come back together, they’ll discover that everyone’s experience of Covid-19 was different. This may affect their behaviours and how they adjust to the new norm.  Help teams reconnect by creating an environment where people are respectful of other’s positions. Set the ground rules clearly and explain why these are needed. This will help the team reconnect.
• Who is doing the work?  Ever heard of the analogy of “you’re playing in my sand pit”? People can get precious about their job role or the part they play in a team, and when someone else gets involved it can create child-like emotions of not wanting to share. During Covid-19, with people furloughed and teams stretched, it is inevitable that people will have been asked to pitch in and do things that were not usually part of their normal day to day role. Effective delegation is needed to reallocate or reassign the workload, whilst being mindful of individual’s emotional responses. Setting clear roles and responsibilities, briefed well, will help your team settle into the new norm.

• Where will work be carried out? I’ve been asked to visit construction sites to carry out Covid-19 assessments. When this can’t be done remotely, I visualise where I am going, how am I going to get there and who will be there. This helps me plan what’s needed and ensure that everyone can adhere to the current social distancing rules. As an employer, you can give clear information about where people will be working and how they can get there. This will help to alleviate anxiety. 
• When will this happen? Whilst the situation remains fluid it is important to give your teams ample notice of when these return to work measures will be in place. This will allow them to make arrangements in their home life and mentally adjust to the change.
• What is the new work or role? Prior to Covid-19 everyone knew their job role and the tasks that they needed to complete. If you have conducted a ‘lessons learnt’ review, you may find that you have updated some of your processes. These changes will affect the people returning to work, and the people who took on additional tasks during the lockdown. Make sure that your Back to Work plan clearly communicates these changes and embraces them.

As an employer or manager, it makes sense to treat the return to work as a project in its own right. You need a well-defined and concise plan, that is clearly communicated to your team, and managed with an understanding that in these unusual times we don’t have all the answers. When your team know that you have a plan in place and you are working with them, taking their challenges into account, you can ensure a smooth transition and a united team.

3) Are your people motivated and ready for change?

Ensuring your staff embody the behaviours you want to see and focus their efforts on achieving the team’s goals, is a key part of team development.

When your team has taken part in the lessons learnt exercise, demonstrate through your actions, not just your words. that their concerns and ideas have been heard. They’ll embrace the necessary changes much quicker.

With teams fragmented, team spirit will have been tested during lockdown. As everyone comes together, consider a team building exercise. This can be as simple as a fun ice breaker or a quiz.

In an unusual situation such as the easing of lockdown there is a lot to do and to think about. Reopening your business will require preparation and plentiful communication. Involving your team, communicating with them in advance and as you all come back to work, plus investing in training where needed will all contribute to keeping motivation high.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Strahan is founder of C2C Training Group, which offers high quality assessment/competency-based courses in Health and Safety, leadership, business skills and personal development. Joanna brings 18 years industry experience to her training courses to ensure that learners are engaged and change is generated. C2C Training’s aim is to break industry norms and influence positive change to the way training is delivered.

Web: https://c2ctraining.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c2c-training/

As more people begin to return to the workplace for at least for some of the week businesses and staff now have new issues to contend with.

While those working from home may now be finding the novelty of working in their pyjamas and being able to put a load of washing on between calls and emails is rubbing off, those in the first group of the returning workforce will be faced with fresh anxieties; such as whether their journey is safe and how it will feel being in the office without many of their colleagues.

Now is not the time to get complacent about your team’s mental wellbeing. Indeed, you should be revisiting the concerns you had initially about keeping your team in touch and connected and, most importantly, retaining the sense of camaraderie that can be lost when people are working apart.

According to hrdive.com, “Relationships with co-workers are a leading contributor to employees’ well-being, a new report concluded. Well-being in the Workplace, a three-year international study by Martin Boult, senior director of professional services and international training at The Myers-Briggs Company, found that relationships with co-workers were what matters most to employees’ happiness in the workplace. The report included data from 10,000 people in 131 countries.”

What can businesses do increase and maintain camaraderie in our current circumstances? Here are ideas for businesses to consider:

1. Regular video meetings

Zoom, Skype, Facetime. All have been well-utilised over recent weeks. It’s not only important to speak regularly, it’s important to see your teams and colleagues, read their facial expressions and body language and smile at one another! Ideally, these communications should be regular and scheduled. These give everyone points in the week to look forward to and to keep them motivated.

Really make sure that everyone is given a voice during these meetings. If there are too many faces on the screen, some might melt into the background. Make time for everyone to speak and be listened to. This is crucial for mental wellbeing and to enhance feelings of togetherness and team building.

• Set working hours

While this may not be possible for all business models, if you can, give everyone a set working day. Give them a start time and set times for tea and lunch breaks and a finishing time. You can then encourage them to ‘have lunch’ with the colleague they would previously have sat with in the kitchen or met for a Costa and also ensure that they are able to separate work and home life. If they are staying at their workstation to finish a project and not leaving until 7pm, they are not likely to be motivated to start at 9am the next day and a lack of routine can be very demotivating.

Of course, there are some workers who will need extra flexibility. Perhaps they need time to shop for elderly relatives or will need to take shorter, more frequent breaks to allow them to help children with schoolwork. Bear that in mind, too.

•  Motivate your team to achieve together

There are few feelings as good as when you achieve something as part of a team! In the office, you can high-five when you hit a target or finish that project. That’s not so easy when you are all in different places. However, there are ways to help your team feel together when they are apart.

Remind your team of your core values and discuss in a group how they can be applied and tweaked to fit with the current situation. Ensuring everyone engages with these values is critical for a successful business and even more so when working remotely.

You could encourage your team to have – and share – morning motivations, where they each write down “What I accomplished yesterday… What I am planning today… What the challenges are for today”. This is a moveable feast and one that colleagues can talk to each other about; “I had a similar challenge last week, this is how I approached it, and this is what worked”. “I have the same plan today, shall we speak later to see how we’re both getting on”.

Having regular brainstorming sessions is a good idea and team leaders and managers should leave phones open for staff to call with new ideas. Again, voice or video calls are preferable to email, keeping communication verbal and more fluid and interactive.

• Socialise “at work”

The culture of business has changed so much over recent years; it is far more sociable in its nature. So, keep this going. You will have to trust your team to spend an appropriate amount of time socialising within the framework of the working day but it is likely to be highly motivating and encourage that camaraderie if they can still have a virtual chat by the water cooler, using an app such as Tandem.chat or set up a group chat on WhatsApp. Alternatively, why not suggest they play an online game in their tea break? For example, they could play scrabble on Facebook or a site such as Lexulous or fans of Uno can play online either one-on-one or in groups.

• Fitness fun

Perhaps your team is more likely to hook up at the gym or gather for a casual five-a-side game. A team fitness challenge could be a great way for your team to socialise, while boosting their physical and mental wellbeing through exercise. Of course, they can’t go to the park and have a run together, but they could all go to their own local park and have a run at the same time. Then they could share photos on the chat group of your choice. Or make it a walk that they all do in different locations and chat throughout about what they are seeing. Perhaps one is in the countryside, one at the beach and another simply walking round their garden.

WORK AND PLAY

• Creative (non) away days

Of course, a great thing to build team spirit is an away day together. As impossible as this sounds, you may be able to replicate it and give your team some fun to take their minds off everything. It will take some creative thinking but perhaps they could all go fishing at their own local catch-and-return lake and have a competition to see who can catch the biggest. Or, instead of go-karting, they could play online karting games together. What about a day at the races? Your team could dress up, get the prosecco on ice, and bet on races being run abroad. You know your team.

• Team training

Some businesses may still be working at full steam, but others will have slowed down. Perhaps now is the time to get some training booked in – the things that so often get bumped by other priorities. Again, to boost camaraderie, try to include team training that will benefit everyone, even if it’s not specific to everyone’s role. If you usually train in-house, this can also be done via video calling. If you generally employ outside trainers get in touch and see what they are offering.

If your team roles are diverse, you could make the training about something non-work related or have a slot each week where each team member spends some time giving more detail about his/her role. This will let your team better appreciate different aspects of your business and the pressures on their colleagues.

If you feel this isn’t something you’ve paid enough attention in the past – it’s never too late start, and trying some fun, virtual activities is a great way to get the wellbeing ball rolling.  Supporting the development of camaraderie is good for people’s mental wellbeing as you will quickly discover, and it will increase a team’s ability to work together effectively in difficult times as well as better times.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Craig Bulow is the founder of Corporate Away Days, a corporate wellbeing events company delivering engaging, inspiring and exciting events focussed on Wellbeing and Reward activities. Corporate Away Days also creates, designs and builds corporate wellbeing policies and provides leading experts for interactive workshops, seminars and talks on improving mental health and overall wellbeing.

Web: http://www.corporate-away-days.co.uk/

Instagram: corporateawaydays

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-bulow-3b227721/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-away-days/

Over recent weeks most business have been fire-fighting: getting staff set up to work from home; analysing the various forms of government help and evaluating how best it can be applied in our particular businesses; projecting the immediate and the longer-term financial impacts. Simultaneously, we had to make changes at home including deciding how best to look out for vulnerable relatives and friends; and unexpectedly taking on educating and entertaining our children – all day!

The world is different. But not unrecognisably so. The future we thought we were heading for is different too. But it is more likely to be one with fully stocked pasta shelves than Hunger Games. So, when we get back to normal, or become accustomed to a close-as-we-can-get-to-normal interim period, you and your business need to be fit-for-purpose. And you will need to make sure your customers know it.

The time for PR moving up the list of priorities will vary from business to business. For some, it is vital to maintain profiles right now, for others it is wiser to let the dust settle. But whatever the timing, whatever the budget, sooner or later, you are going to want to get out the message that you are ready to provide services and/or products.  

Should you be finding time to think about and plan this now? Yes! Let’s look at why this is the case:

Online publishing and radio are flourishing

Inevitably, sales of newspapers and magazines are down, as people cannot physically purchase them easily. Sadly, some publications have temporarily suspended their print editions.  However, online publications have seen their readership increase dramatically. For example, the Mailonline editor is claiming a 50% increase in visitors to its homepage.

As many people have a lot more time on their hands, radio audiences have gone up considerably.

According to Radio Today: Global says that there has been a significant increase in connected radio listening, with daily reach up 15% and hours up 9%, between 9-17 March. LBC displayed the most notable growth, with its daily reach growing 43% and listening hours increasing 17%.

Journalists are looking for relevant content ideas

Inevitably, businesses have not been focusing on PR in recent weeks and, frankly, most of the press has been focused on the ‘here and now’ of the virus. However, journalists are well set up for working from home—many already did, pre-Covid-19—so they are looking for relevant content ideas going forward. With fewer press releases coming in, they are more receptive than usual to those they do receive. Provided, as always, those releases are right for them.

If, a few months ago, you felt that you were a small fish in a big pond when contacting media outlets, these days , if you are in touch with journalists, you may still be a small fish, but your pond is far emptier. You are more of a catch.

Periods of economic uncertainty

The world being caught in the grip of Covid-19 is extraordinary, but we have been through economic uncertainty before (for example, the 2008 financial crisis) and in these circumstances, similar patterns are found. Amongst the most notable is that businesses that can and do invest in PR at the time of a crisis almost always fare better in the longer term. Analysis of crises also reveals the same three phases.  

THE THREE CRISIS PHASES

Here is what you should be doing at each point of the current crisis and why.

Phase 1: crisis is happening

Unless you are at the frontline of the news, there is not a vast amount you can do here, other than offering advice and consolation. Make your contribution relevant and sensitive.

If you are an accountant, offer practical advice on how people should protect their finances. If you can offer advice on how people can maintain their mental health at a time like this, do so. If you have insight into entertaining and/or educating bored children, now is the time to get it out there. Also, if you have a product that is particularly relevant do make sure people know about it. If you can offer an effective delivery method that others can’t, make sure the people that can benefit from it are aware of it.

To be clear, this is not about profiteering. The majority of people are stuck at home and, if your product or service can benefit them, let them know it is there. If you can afford it, help them out by offering as much of a discount as you can. This is the right time to be helping others as much as possible. Your efforts will be remembered. Make sure your efforts are the type you can be proud of.

Phase 2: the end is in sight

At this stage, the end of lockdown and the crisis is close. From a PR perspective this time is critical.

Planning and activity are on the increase. Businesses are starting to re-open, and those that remain closed are about to put their recovery strategies into action. People are feeling more positive. They are thinking about the next few months and what they will be doing. In other words, the pond is getting busier.

If you have been visible (for the right reasons) during phase 1, then you will be in a much stronger position; you will have the profile of a bigger fish. You need to maintain and grow your position, which means keeping up your PR efforts with as much helpful advice-based content as possible.

If you have been quiet during phase 1, then it is important to start making yourself visible again. Useful, relevant advice is the best way forward, so you will have been wise to have spent some time during phase 1 thinking about what people will want and need during phase 2 and working out how best you can provide that. Also focus on positive stories about your business: how you survived and your plans for the future are worth considering. There will be an appetite for good news.

Phase 3: the recovery phase

People are going back to work, they have money in their pocket again, and the kids are back at school. While things are not quite how they used to be (some things may never be the same again), people can live lives that feel familiar and normal: eating out; visiting places as a family; getting a haircut. People are customers again.

And this will see businesses resuming spending their marketing budgets. For those business profiles that disappeared, budgets will have to work far harder to gain traction. But for those that managed to be present throughout the previous stages, they will have acquired big fish status.   

Working on your PR today

Now is the right time to look ahead and work on PR idea for your business. If possible, get yourself some practical advice on the PR process and the best way to implement it. If you have budget available appoint a good, reliable agency.  If budgets are tight, see what you can yourself. It is vital to plan what you will do with your PR as we move through the Three Crisis Phases.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist, founder of Panpathic Communications and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET, the UK’s first ethically focused radio station.

For more information see: www.panpathic.com

Twitter: @panpathic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PanpathicCommunications/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/chantalcooke

For business-owners it is essential to keep going despite the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 lockdown.   Given all the difficulties this creates, many of us, whether we are employees or business owners are feeling the pressure and are generally more anxious than normal. It’s easy to slip into a downward cycle of worry, lethargy and depression.

Given the reality of the threat what we can we do? We can boost our resilience, finding ways to keep our morale up. 

Two principles are particularly useful. First, managing anxiety takes mental strength and energy, if we don’t actively recharge, we will become depleted.  Secondly the state of our morale affects the state of our immune system (At this point I have to say this doesn’t mean that anyone who becomes ill wasn’t positive enough!). So, if we pro-actively attend to our morale, we are also pro-actively attending to our health.

Let’s look at some ideas you can use for yourself, personally, and in your business:

Keep in contact with friends and relatives

Social contact is another thing that is very important to our wellbeing. This is something we are missing if we are working remotely. I am fortunate that I am marooned with dear beloved. Even so, I am resolved to talk on the phone to at least one person who isn’t him every day. You might want to talk about the situation, that’s fine. However, I would suggest you also ask them about their plans for the day, what they are hoping to achieve during this period of lockdown. In other words, try to help them see a silver lining relating to business and personal life. Ideally you will both come away from the phone call feeling slightly better not even worse!

Get into flow and out of yourself

Just ‘not thinking about it’ is hard, we need to find things that take us out of ourselves. When we are completely absorbed in things we are in a state of ‘flow’ and when we are in this state, we are not focused on our feelings. It’s like getting a holiday from your worried self.

For me writing, gardening, and complicated cooking (or these days ‘creating from what we have got to hand’) all offer me productive escape time. Sometimes it’s hard to get yourself over the initial hump into the activity, but once you’ve started to apply yourself, time falls away.

The book, ‘Positive Psychology at Work’ explains flow and other positive psychology concepts that might be useful right now. ‘Positive Organizational Development cards’ take twenty of the key positive psychology concepts, including flow, and give you questions to help you explore them and brief ideas for action. Or you can go straight to the master’s voice and get Csikszentmihalyi’s classic book, ‘Flow’.

If you have to worry, have a worry appointment

Some of us are born worriers; suggestions of optimism only increase anxiety. If you are someone who finds worrying reassuring, try to limit it so it doesn’t become overwhelming. A time-honoured technique is ‘allowing’ yourself a specific allotted time to worry as much as you like. So, if you need to, spend a specified 15 or 30 minutes allowing yourself to name all your worries, business and personal.  Write them in a diary if you like. Or arrange a strictly focused and time limited phone call with another ‘worrywart’. And when your time is up, it’s up. Stop, close that box and move on with your day knowing you have another half-hour of worry time allocated tomorrow. Allocating this time and allowing yourself a good worry, should reduce the likelihood of doing your worrying at the crack of dawn, which is the worst possible time to do it.

1. Pro-actively managing your news feed and other anxiety amplifiers

We are being offered 24-hour, worldwide updates. Following this minute-by-minute is not likely to do you any good. So, take positive control and limit your daily diet. You might choose to read rather than watch the news. One benefit of this is that there is less ‘emotional contagion’ from the written word than from a person’s voice, so less transmission of anxiety.

What we want to do is replace anxiety with optimism. Two great resources with ideas about how to do this are ‘Happy Brain Science’s Happiness at Work’ game and ‘Positran’s Positive Action Cards’. Happiness at work contains over 100 science-based ideas for how to change mood or deal with some common work challenges such as ‘I work remotely, rarely seeing colleagues face to face’. While the positive action cards, also science-based, give easy to follow instructions for over sixty ways to increase your well-being.

Count your blessings

The new science of positive psychology has proved the benefits of the old adage of counting your blessings. There is an exercise known as the ‘three good things’. At the end of each day, identify three good things that have happened during the day. It’s good practice to write them down. Doing this regularly helps train your brain to look for the positives amongst the gloom, to find the silver linings, if you like.

For instance, perhaps you saw a report in the paper on the positive effect of the lockdown for wildlife. You can find lots of similar proven exercises in Vanessa Keys excellent book: 10 keys to happier living. Based on science, written for everyone, it is full of ideas for boosting your mood.

Take exercise

Exercise is very important to both mental and physical health. Don’t stay hunched over your work screen. You know the rules about keeping your distance. Put your face mask on and get out there and yomp for an hour somewhere green.

I’ve started doing a morning workout with my almost daughter, through the wonders of the internet. She has Jo Wicks ‘Seven days of sweat’ (and I can tell you, she didn’t tell me it was called that before we started!) on the computer her end, then we link up over face time and she instructs me. It’s social time and I get a great feel-good buzz afterwards. The point is, I would never do it without her company.

Use a project to draw you toward the future

Starting projects suggests an optimism about the future that becomes self-reinforcing. Uncertainty can act to paralyse us. By pro-actively starting a project we can break out of that paralysis. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do it will draw you forward. It might be a new business idea you want to develop. It might be a hobby. In my case this is a tapestry kit. These take me a long time to complete. But every evening I can admire the couple of square inches I’ve completed and feel I’m making progress.

Positran do another great set of cards called ‘Positive Transformation Cards’. They are resilience building cards, full of uplifting quotes and insightful questions to help you boost your optimism, hopefulness, and self-confidence in a mindful way.

Practice Appreciative Living

Appreciative Living, which is based on Appreciative Inquiry, is all about seeing and seeking out the best of life. We can’t deny the reality of a worldwide threat to our whole way of life, but we can still appreciate the things that make life worth living, today. Developing an appreciative eye, especially in times such as these, takes practice and isn’t always easy, but the benefit to our health, well-being, state of mind and ability to remain pro-active in the face of threat, in fact to our resilience, is beyond question. Keeping doing all the things you need to do to stay safe, and start living appreciatively at the same time.

Jackie Kelm is the guru of Appreciative Living, you can find her videos on YouTube and her latest book, Appreciative Living, on Amazon. Or try the Appreciative Inquiry card pack, with pictures, quotes and questions. Or you might find Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management by Lewis, Passmore and Cantore of interest for a more work orientated explanation.

As the restriction continue, and many keep working remotely, take good care of yourself, support employees and encourage everyone to make use of the tips that feel right for them. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Lewis C.Psychol., is the principal psychologist at Appreciating Change, a strengths-based psychological consultancy that is committed to applying well-researched positive psychology ideas and interventions to workplace challenges and opportunities at an individual, team or whole organization level.

Sarah is an associated fellow of the British Psychological Society, a principal member of the Association of Business Psychologists, and a member of the International Positive Psychology Association.

Sarah is an acknowledged Appreciative Inquiry and Positive Psychology expert, a regular conference presenter and author of ‘Positive Psychology at Work’ (Wiley), Positive Psychology and Change (Wiley), ‘Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management’ (KoganPage) and Positive Psychology in Business (Pavilion).

She also collects great positive psychology resources to support consultants, trainers and coaches in their work which are sold through the Positive Psychology online shop. https://www.thepositivepsychologyshop.com/

Web: https://acukltd.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahlewis1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlewis1

Given the sudden, unexpected nature of the pandemic the energy we’re feeling right now is sadness, anxiety, despair, uncertainty and lack of control. Lockdown with our families does not replace the energy of our work teams and our colleagues and we can feel as if we have been caged.

So how can we find some uplift to sustain us in our business and our person life and we move forward?

My view is that we have to look to the unstoppable force of nature. Nature continues onwards through the cycles and seasons and which, in my part of the world, is currently celebrating spring in all its glory.

That’s the power of Natural Intelligence (NQ). NQ is the positive use of your instincts, insights, and perception. It requires you to be open to the senses, picking up invaluable information, by watching, listening, spotting patterns, noticing energetic transfer, and recognising boundaries – exactly like an animal in the wild. This translates into a dynamic combination of self-awareness, multiple intelligences and highly developed interpersonal skills.

Let me share some ideas to help you understand and access the power of your NQ and use it to support yourself and your business during lockdown.

1. Look out of the window and consider how nature endures great hardship.

Animals in the wild wake up in the morning to face far more daunting challenges than we do.

We only need to look at nature to be inspired by the qualities of courage we see as animals defend their food, territory, and their young from seemingly overwhelming odds.    We can also understand the hugely motivational stories of animals adapting to new circumstances and surviving despite severe famine, environmental disaster, drought, bushfire, Tsunami, loss of habitat, migration and man’s destruction.

Use these stories to inspire you, to help you feel motivated to tackle the current crisis head-on and thrive through it – not just survive.

• Allow yourself to slow to a new level of productivity.

Many of us will have been working night and day and risk burnout – perhaps thinking that you have to do the same number of hours that you would do in the office. The risk to your health, creativity and well-being is at stake. Animals in the wild don’t to do this they conserve energy; animals are experts at expanding or conserving energy as needed. Healthy animals rest more than they hunt; they know how to moderate their outputs and ensure something is left in the tank, should it be needed.

For example, a cheetah, after an unsuccessful hunt, does not leave herself open to attack by depleting all her reserves, she makes sure there is enough fuel to get herself to a safe place where she can recover. She has mastered the art of multilevel recovery; sprint-break-sprint -break. The cheetah does not try to perform three hunts a day to try to increase her output or annual yield. She hunts when she needs to, and rests to ensure she has the energy she needs.

Take inspiration from the cheetah and work hard for a period, then give yourself a rest – a proper rest. When you work, put your focus into doing the work and being productive, and then stop. When you rest, focus on resting. Don’t burn yourself out by trying to work all the time – your productivity will drop, and your chance of burning out will dramatically increase.

• Don’t fight reality. Take your foot off the pedal and handle one issue at a time; aim for depth, not breadth!

Perhaps, the most important thing we need right now is courage. If you feel you need more courage, then make that your focus. It is relatively easy to lead in good times when business is buoyant. However, it takes a certain kind of leader to deal with crisis and turbulent times. What examples of courage in nature can give us inspiration?

There are more than 10,000 different species of ant. Among those species their strengths vary considerably. Most ants can carry more than three times their own weight and can survive in water for weeks, if necessary, by forming a living raft.

Hummingbirds build a nest in the same trees where hawks are nesting, confident that they can evade capture by their flying prowess. They know lesser predators will not risk coming close to nesting Hawks. A dangerous, but courageous, strategy.

What is extraordinary about animals is that they never doubt their personal power, not for a moment. Not simply because, like a cheetah, they have sharp claws and powerful jaws. Look into their eyes and see what comes back at you – and be prepared to be amazed.

• Acknowledge the current emotional environment, and your own emotions.

You will be stressed, possibly in ways you may not realise, and a stress animal is an unpredictable animal, it doesn’t always help itself. Have you ever seen a stressed sheep running into a wire fence? Without wire cutters it can be a difficult job to release them. Even though the wire may be cutting deep, the distressed animal struggles with its rescuers. Logic, patience, calmness, all disappear at this time and what should be a relatively easy release becomes a battle of wills serving nobody.

Never forget we are animals. We can end up entangled in the metaphorical barbwire, and we can panic so much we simply can’t extract ourselves, even if we’re offered a helping hand. So, take a breath, learn to manage yourself, stop and think, pause, take another breath and stay balanced.

• Become an expert in energy management.

Nature is the expert in managing energy. For most animals being aware of energy is the difference between life and death. What can we learn from nature? What anchor can this give us?

Biologically we are great big balls of vibrating energy and it is important to understand how to increase, preserve, nurture and protect this valuable asset – especially at this time. We need to be aware of our own personal energy and how this impacts the world around us. By understanding how to manage your energy you can impact your life in many ways.

The best way to become more aware of this is to observe nature; it is just as important to know how to stop as it is to know how to go. While we acknowledge how powerful the use of high energy can be, we must also recognise there are times when it is vital to use slow energy – to stop, reflect and regenerate our minds and bodies. We live in an always-on society, with the constant noise of information in our work and private lives. Covid19 gives us a chance to stop, contemplate and engage with our energy in a different way.

What is your natural energetic state?  Perhaps you’re a fast person, always moving, never stopping.  Maybe you are you slower, finding it difficult to do anything at speed, more comfortable relaxing than doing? Recognise which you are, and then consider how you can shift your energy along the spectrum just a little. Take some time and decide on which animal will provide the inspiration to guide you.

In conclusion

During Covid-19 and its aftermath we need to tap into our Natural Intelligence (NQ) as never before.  Learn the lessons Nature has to offer and let NQ guide and shape your business activities

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosie Tomkins is founder of the Natural Capital Consultancy and author of ‘N-stinctive’, an inspirational book that introduces better ways to lead and deliver a competitive edge in today’s fast-moving, increasingly disconnected and uncertain world.

As an alternative to traditional leadership training, Rosie unlocks the power of the natural world to provide strength and confidence to people who are shouldering huge responsibility.

Rosie is passionate about taking leaders and individuals out of their comfort zone and challenges their deeply held beliefs in a way that makes them stronger, more confident to initiate new ways and ideas.

Her clients include the GB Olympic hockey and England rugby teams, the NHS and multi-national companies in the airline, engineering and pharmaceutical industries.

Website – www.n-stinctive.com

Instagram –  https://www.instagram.com/nstinctiveintelligence/

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/n_stinctive

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCuRgTFuoWKk4BaHSlQirg

Facebook – www.facebook.com/nstinctiveintelligence/

As vast numbers of us continue to revise the way we work and move our meetings, presentations, mentoring, advising and training online we are all learning about how to make online work for us. I am one such person and have learned some valuable lessons as I have conducted meetings and coaching online. Let me what I have learned to help you make your online communications effective and create the maximum impact.

Video-Making for Business

There are some simple strategies to ensure that your business video is of the best possible quality to serve as an effective vehicle for your message.

With his permission, I refer to Haydn Rushworth – Senior Research and Communications Officer at the National Assembly for Wales – and a superb video he recently posted on LinkedIn. In it, he shares, then demonstrates, simple but effective tips for producing better video from any device: 

1. Don’t stand or sit with a window behind you – you quickly turn into a silhouette. Facing a window or source of natural light gives much better lighting for your videos.
2. Wherever possible, find a quiet place. Background noise can be incredibly distracting for you and those you communicate with. The quieter the location, the better people are able to focus.
3. Use a tripod, wall, or lean your device against a steady object to ensure the video is smooth. Holding your device or moving around often compromises the video quality and focus, meaning you are harder to follow. Keeping a steady shot allows you to more readily replicate a face-to-face conversation and ensure people maintain focus on you.
4. Look at the lens, not the screen – more on this later.
5. Ensure you are in focus – this can be done on most smartphones by simply tapping the screen and ensuring the lighting is adequate.
6. Choose a flattering camera angle. Ensure the device is at least at eye level – nobody wants to see up your nostrils.
7. Film in landscape (horizontal) mode where applicable – the video is then easier to post and view across multiple platforms.

Communication Strategies

Once I adopted online communication, I quickly discovered several strategies that have served me well as a professional speaker are equally vital when communicating via technology:

Eye contact – this should be maintained 30% of the time for a conversation to be deemed fit for purpose. To establish and maintain relationships of trust and respect, this rises to between 60% and 70%.

In online communication, it is incredibly tempting to look at the face on screen for much of the time, thinking you are making eye contact. You are not. Eye contact is made by looking at the camera lens. Stick a Post-It Note or arrow near the lens (or, if you’re like me, a pair of sticky eyes) as a reminder that when you speak, this is where you should look. It takes practice, but it will pay dividends as viewers will feel more involved in the experience. 

Vocal variety – When you give a stand-up presentation, people can see your entire person and can therefore read facial expression, body language and gesture. Speaking on camera limits this, which places more emphasis on the voice. Varying pitch, pace and volume can help you tell your story with greater authenticity and emphasise key points with greater authority. It will require an investment of energy and commitment, but your voice will need to compensate for these other aspects of communication that are hindered by the limitations of online platforms to help your message be delivered with clarity. If you are optimistic, sound optimistic. If you are concerned, sound concerned. This will make it much easier for participants to correctly interpret your intended message.

Speaking from the heart –I highly recommend ‘Storytelling Made Easy’ by Michael Hauge. All meaningful communication elicits emotion and our stories are one of the most effective ways to achieve this. In these difficult times, an authentic personal story can bond individuals. It takes vulnerability and courage, but never underestimate the power of a sincere story, compliment, or expression of gratitude. Endeavour to start each interaction with something of this kind; it will help foster a positive spirit and ensure any succeeding communications are better received.

Improving the Experience

Communication is highly nuanced. When we speak in person, it is much easier to read facial expressions, observe gestures, detect body language, and discern variations in vocal tone. All of these combine to give us a clearer a picture of precisely what is being said from how it is being said.

Online communication can present barriers to detecting some of these nuances. Poor video quality may obscure facial expression, intermittent audio reception may betray the subtle variations of the voice and restrictive camera angles may hide the true meaning of body language or gestures.

Though it may require a small financial investment, a HD webcam, good pair of over-ear headphones and USB microphone are three pieces of equipment that have notably improved my online communication experience: I can see more clearly, hear more clearly and speak more clearly. My hands are also free to use appropriate accompanying gestures, not being encumbered with wires or handheld equipment. I would estimate the total cost to be around £100, but they have proved invaluable to my communication. I highly recommend this investment, especially if you are providing sensitive services such as coaching, mentoring or counselling; this improved equipment will help facilitate a more immersive experience for all participants.

The move to working online may have been a big change for you.  I hope the points above will help you to make the most of the experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Day is a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, visit www.toastmasters.org