I Wrote. You Voted.

As we start 2021, none the wiser of what it will look like as we did at the start of 2020, I thought I would take a look at the LinkedIn articles I wrote during last year which grabbed people’s attention.

It was quite different from the analysis of 2019 articles. The top 5 that year were about culture versus technology, constant change and leadership.

I have listed the top 5 based on the number of reactions the articles received rather than the number of views. That is, I have counted the ones readers took the time out to like, celebrate, support, love, found insightful or made you curious.

Number 1. Organizational Change Management From A Distance

This article demonstrated that most assignments we need to undertake can be delivered virtually. At the end of 2019, I was asked to undertake organisational change management for a significant project for a very large Australian organisation. The location of the sponsor and majority of stakeholders was in the Australian Capitol Territory (ACT) whilst I am based in Victoria (VIC).

The first physical face-to-face meeting with the sponsor was held on the 22nd January 2020. It was also the last!

The entire engagement has been conducted remotely throughout 2020 and will most likely continue to be the case in 2021.

Stakeholder feedback has been brilliant.

Your change process is the best I have ever experienced. I have been in this organisation for nearly 10 years and endured many changes and their associated change management processes. 

Never before have I felt:

·         So, informed (of good news and bad)

·         So, consulted, and

·         Like I have been a part of the whole journey

Whenever we deliver an engagement, but even more so when it is done remotely, the key to success is:

• Keep it simple - go back to basics

·    Plan-on-a-page. No more. Period

·    Communicate, communicate, communicate - you cannot over-communicate - and communication is a two-way conversation

·    Be consistent

·   Measure and report on progress

Number 2. The One Question We Should NOT Ask At This Time

This June article generated a lot of conversation.

It was written in response to the question being widely asked 'when will we return to normal?'

Clearly now, in January 2021, that question was more than premature!

The fundamental message of the article was that we had learned so much in even just the first half of 2020. We had already been presented with so many opportunities to do things differently and better.

Yet, most of the commentary on the 'new normal' was very black and white. It was either a total return to office-based working or a total continuation of working from home.

The fundamental point being missed was that work is something we do, not somewhere we go. It is an activity, not a location.

Employees should be given options to work from wherever they can be their best. Thankfully, in January 2021, more employers are talking about employee flexibility and choice.

These decisions should made with input from employees. Co-design the best solution for all stakeholders.

Number 3. The Resiliator Is In Print

July 2020 was an exciting time for me. My two books 'Unleash the Resiliator Within. Resilience: A Handbook for Individuals' and 'Unleash the Resiliator Within. Resilience: A Handbook for Leaders' were published.

This article answered some of the questions people were asking me about the books.

The two main questions were why did I write about resilience and why were there two books.

I wrote about the need for workforce resilience as the speed of change, its uncertainty and ambiguity, and its unprecedented nature is going to keep on increasing. I was saying this well before COVID was a word.

If our employees are going to be both mentally and physically fit in the workplace, they need to be resilient and embrace the uncertainty, be truly agile, diverge and converge, and be ready to adapt and reposition at pace not experienced before.

We need to be The Resiliator. The Resiliator has a myriad of superpowers to use in the face of adversity, challenges and problems.

The Resiliators don’t just bounce back from setbacks – they bounce forward and make good of the situation. They embrace change and are ready to adjust as necessary.

I am passionate about the mental well-being of employees everywhere and these books equip them with the superpowers they need to thrive.

There are two books and each contains 20 superpowers.

There are twenty for individuals – which is everyone. There are twenty for leaders - which is anyone tasked with leading others.

There are two sides to the resilience coin. Everyone can learn how to be resilient, but leaders also have to create the best environment in which that can occur. The leader's superpowers equip them with that capability.

Number 4. Dear 2020

This article was my letter to 2020 written on 30th December 2020.

I thanked 2020 for the opportunities it had presented me and also aired my frustration about the lack of commitment by so many employers to truly invest in building a resilient workforce and caring for the mental wellbeing of their employees.

I informed 2020 that I was talking, writing, presenting on the subject of resilience in the workplace well before it foisted COVID-19 upon us.

All of a sudden it became a word overused, misused, abused and lost its true meaning.

Resilience is about being able to bounce forward as a result of a challenge, setback or adversity – not just bounce back. If we just keep bouncing back, we make no progress.

The majority of organisations are paying lip service to the situation and if they are investing they are doing so with point solutions. Resilience and mental wellbeing in the workplace need a holistic approach. It comprises an ever-evolving ecosystem of interventions and support mechanisms.

It is far more than mindful Mondays and yoga on Friday.

I told 2020 in no uncertain terms, that it had just made things worse and many are not listening. My parting words in my letter were:

2020? Before you go, can you have a word in 2021’s ear about that last point and ask 2021 to have a word with me before f**king it all up like you did?

Number 5. Resilience - Psychological Safety

I was pleased that this article in particular got some traction as just like the word 'resilience' was losing its meaning, I felt that the term 'psychological safety' was also suffering in the same way.

I explored one of the leaders superpowers from 'Unleash the Resiliator Within. Resilience: A Handbook for Leaders'

This superpower was The Caretaker.

The Caretaker makes sure that there is psychological safety in the workplace.

When team members sense psychological safety they will speak out, share ideas, take risks, and be innovative and creative. They do this knowing that they will not be ridiculed in the process. They know that their contribution to a discussion is a valued one.

They feel able to speak up, question and challenge, present new thoughts and ideas, without adverse repercussion.There is no place for fear in an organization today if it is going to sense and respond in a world of constant change. There is no place if the organization is to innovate and experiment.

With fear comes silence. The unspoken can kill an organization. Silence is a deadly killer.

Summary

I thank-you for reading this far and allowing me to share the top 5 LinkedIn articles that grabbed the attention of my readership.

I look forward to sharing with you and learning from you in 2021.

Wishing you a safe and successful year ahead.