Empathy: Why We Need It

by Angela Copeland | Jul 27, 2020 | Career Corner Column, Coronavirus, Newsletter

“He’s just not paying attention in meetings!” “She’s just not the same person right now.” “It’s like he doesn’t care anymore about his work!” “She missed her deadline.” These are all things people are saying about their colleagues right now.

I get it. You’re frustrated at work. Not everyone is carrying their weight in the same reliable way as they were before March of 2020. But, this is the thing. There is more going on behind that work from home computer screen than you know. The pandemic is not impacting everyone equally. It’s just not. And it is very likely that your coworkers will not feel comfortable to tell you just what’s going on in their personal lives.

For example, you may have one coworker who is trying to homeschool their children while maintaining their job. Another may be in poor health themselves, and they may not be able to venture outside for the things they need. Some people are dealing with aging parents who are homebound. Other colleagues may have family members who are dealing with terminal illness, while this is all going on. Some people have lost family members or friends and have been unable to grieve in the normal way. Single people have often been completely removed from other human beings for months, longing for real connection. And, some people have someone in their house who has COVID.

We tend to believe that hard work is the answer to everything. If you want to make your way to the top, you’ve got to climb. The best person should win. It’s a little like Darwin. But, really, we are facing a global pandemic. It’s worse than anything we’ve likely ever experienced in our lifetime, and on a massive, massive scale that is extending on for months.

People are struggling. They have good days. They have bad days. And, they have some very bad days. It doesn’t make the person less worthy of the job they had in February. And, I get it. We have to make money in order for businesses to stay in business.

This situation reminds me of growing up in Oklahoma. We had tornadoes; really big, destructive tornadoes. Sometimes, one would come through and tear up entire neighborhoods. People would be without homes, without water, and without power for days. The only way they survived was this: together. They pulled together, and together, they all made it out.

That’s what we have to do here. I know, it’s frustrating. It feels unfair when you have to do a little more work than normal. It’s upsetting when a coworker is late on something they promised you. It’s annoying when someone takes a day off for their mental health out of the blue.

But, this is the reality we’re living in. To make it out, we need to do it together. And, we need to do it with empathy for one another.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Maintaining Motivation

by Angela Copeland | Jul 14, 2020 | Career Corner Column, Coronavirus, Newsletter

I’ve heard from many people lately who are struggling to stay motivated at work – and for good reason. The pandemic is dragging on much longer than anyone hoped. Sometimes, it feels a bit like Gilligan’s Island. We thought we’d be working from home for a few weeks. Now, four months have gone by, and there’s no end in sight.

I’ve heard from people that are having a tough time keeping up their focus at work. They’re struggling to create routine. They feel distracted by the constant onslaught of difficult news. And, they feel disconnected from coworkers they normally see in person every day. Stress is up and productivity is down.

I know it’s tough, but if you are fortunate to be able to work from home (and you still have your job), you have to actively work to maintain your motivation level. The job market is awful today, and your current job will help to protect you from a potentially higher level of stress.

Maintaining your motivation begins with self-care. Regular sleep is critical. Then, try regular exercise in the form of walks. And, work to maintain your social connections. If you’re living alone, reach out to loved ones by phone or video. Others are also feeling lonely and many are open to connecting.

Then, work to create a daily routine, even if you don’t have to. Decide what time you want start and end work each day. Is there a time each day that’s best for meetings, lunch, more intense work, and breaks? You can divide this time up on your online calendar. Or, you can also create a breakdown using Excel, or a paper calendar.

If you’re feeling disconnected from your colleagues, think of new ways to connect. Perhaps you could try calling someone you work with out of the blue. Try chatting about normal things that may not be work related. You could also consider organizing group activities via video.

If the news is a major point of stress, you may want to set aside time to review the day’s news after work is complete each day. And, you may want to avoid checking social media during normal work hours.

My theory with all of this isn’t to ignore the important changes that are happening in the world. It comes from an observation that people are really struggling to keep a sense of normalcy. But, it’s that same sense of routine that will keep you on schedule and on task.

Staying on schedule will help to contribute to a more secure work situation. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t control everything. But, there are things you can control. You can influence your own motivation and focus each day. It won’t be perfect. You will stumble. There are days you may fail. But, you have to wake up each day and try. You owe it to yourself to try to maintain your motivation.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach