FINAL WORD

Bringing hope, peace and unity to the good brethren of the business supplies community

The good Father on the joys of lockdown communication, digital blessings and unfortunate camera angles

oom or Teams

Wor Skype or whatever your choice of video call software may be, they’ve made such a difference during this lockdown, haven’t they? I can’t remember the last time I was in the same room as someone, but I can tell you everything you need to know about how many fillings they’ve got and what sort of biscuits they prefer and what they wear when relaxing (although it appears that just a pair of underpants is not acceptable).

I don’t know if anyone actually feels comfortable on these calls though. You really are in the spotlight for everyone to see and unlike when you are in a room, you don’t know who is looking at you, or if, in fact, the whole zoom call is looking at you. Discovering your best position is very important - it’s all to do with finding your best angle and your best background. Mrs O’Reilly, who looks after our IT, HR, warehousing, administration, and logistics, found this out very quickly when the camera had focused on one of her warts during a zoom call. The guys at the other end didn’t sleep for three days and she was so embarrassed that she made sure that her positioning was perfect from then onwards.

I always put on my best cassock during these calls and make sure I start the meeting with a small blessing where I bless all of those working in office supplies and wish them a successful future with fewer damages, less picking errors and more customers to hear complaints from. I think people appreciate this gesture during lockdown as it seems that more and more people are looking for some sort of guidance - like how to unmute themselves and how to switch their camera on.

The times have indeed changed, it would be so nice to go out and actually visit customers again or meet up with them in person. It helps to cement relationships much more than talking to them on a computer screen and you can also keep an eye on who’s been supplying them with office products during lockdown when they’ve been telling you there is no one in the office to buy any.

A mindful return

HAYLEY JAMES, mindset coach at Hayley James Coaching, on why you need to put employee being at the forefront when returning to the office

After months and months of working from home, the thought of returning to the office for many people is daunting. For others, it can’t come quick enough! For any business welcoming back employees who have been on furlough or working virtually, it’s time to put in the right health and safety protocols to keep their employees physically safe. But, what about their employee’s wellbeing?

Many employees will be feeling anxious about their return to the office. Worried about their safety, what will the office look like? What will the new rules be? Do I have to wear a mask all day every day? What if one of my colleagues comes too close? What happens if one of my colleagues brings the virus into the office?

All these questions and feelings are perfectly normal. The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for each and every one of us in one way or another. Not everyone adapts to change well. Not everyone wants to open up about how they are feeling. For some people, the feeling of anxiety can be completely new, something they have never experienced before the pandemic.

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) is about how we take in information or experiences that happen outside of us, how we process that information or experience and how it affects our thoughts, our beliefs and our behaviour. So, it’s no surprise that the last twelve months has had an affect on how we feel, we think and behave. It’s enhanced our feelings of fear and our feelings of sadness with many of us experiencing the loss of loved ones. It’s enhanced our feelings of loneliness. All of these feelings are perfectly normal.

It’s important to be mindful of how people around you might be feeling. Returning to the office isn’t just about hand sanitizer stations, or maximum

Hayley James

Mindset coach at Hayley James Coaching

capacity signs in meeting rooms, or one-way systems. It’s also about creating an environment for employees to feel safe and feel that they can be vocal about how they are feeling. It’s about letting them know it’s okay to feel this way and provide support where necessary.

If there is one thing this pandemic has taught me, its about being kind to yourself if you are finding things challenging and to others. Your experience can be and will be a very different experience to someone else.