BECKY PAROZ ENGINEER, PROJECT MANAGER AND AUTHOR
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uilding and construction is tough, we all know that. Add a complex social situation like a pandemic, and you have what seems to be long term pandemonium. Everyone is feeling it, no one is loving it. We have never been so reliant on community and yet felt so distant from the feeling that community usually provides. We need to actively find ways to laugh, smile, to feel good, and to search for that silver lining more than ever before. Find the fun, see the light, enjoy the laughter, in between the mayhem that is everyday life currently. It can be found, and it will make a difference. Be that person that lights another up in a world that is currently a bit darker than normal. Seek your tribe! Find that online group, search out for similar people in your circumstance that collectively and actively participate in social media. Put the social back into social media, and look for the tradie groups, the mining cohorts, and the women who support women in these industries and say hi to the community. I have been unable to work since this began, and have a few more months before my immune system might be protected enough to be out in public regularly. Lots of us are in forced lockdown and can’t do the activities we would normally with friends, family, and those with similar interests. It might not be quite the same as in person, but some of the industry specific groups I am a part of, have been a lifeline of community, fun, laughter, and shared issues, which reminds me I am not alone. I have online friends who collect all the memes and share them every day as their contribution to the smiling and laughter that might be missing from our usual interactions. Their giving is truly loved by their audience, because we do need to remember to laugh, despite what is going on in our world. If for no other reason than it is good for our mental health.
FINDING THE FUN I worked on a particularly tough project (more than once). This one was very high pressure, with government oversight daily, so I started wearing the weirdest and wackiest socks I could find, stripes, crazy creatures, rude sayings, nothing was off-limits. I got my team engaged in the idea and every day I would have someone come up to me saying they were told to come and as about my socks! It would either give them a laugh, or at least a head shake, and that five-second distraction was often enough to reset for the next set of concerns that the day would throw our way. It became so popular that there were bets on what socks would be worn for key milestone days, or what mood I was in based on what socks I wore. A really simple, and very silly, action, but the impact was remarkable and effective. What can you do to create a sense of fun, adventure, and laughter at your workplace, your worksite, and with your team? Nominate crazy work shirt day, if you can get away with not wearing PPE for that day, or even just for the hour you might have everyone in the office for a toolbox. Allowing people a bit of colourful expression can make all the difference in the outlook for the day. What about boots? So many different colours and styles that are still compliant can be found these days, why not have a day that is for the most colourful and still compliant PPE? Whatever you choose, make sure it is inclusive for your team and be the leader in your space for finding the fun. ...................................................................... Becky Paroz has 30 years of experience in construction and building, most of them in leadership roles. She studied engineering before women were encourage to join the industry, and now mentors leaders, business owners, and new-to-the-industry women across Australia on how to develop their own leadership style. She is the winner of many awards, has been published in best-selling books, writes regularly for several magazines, and a much requested public presenter to a variety of forums.
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