Read this if you're not feeling up for work today

"How was your holiday?"

Back to work. Already?

I spent the first week of the holidays cocooned in bed with COVID. Ironic given my last newsletter of the year was on how to not get sick after an intense period of work. 😆

In December, I asked a group of managers at Te Whatu Ora to rate themselves on the Holiday-o-meter... Out of 10, how much are you in need of a holiday? The answer: 9s and 10s all round.

Sadly, research shows that the Christmas holidays can be rough - not relaxing - for many people. This poll on work-life satisfaction found that 44% of workers feel more stressed than usual during the holiday season. Plus, 65% admitted to doing some work over the holiday period.

If you're not feeling as well rested as you'd like, you're not alone on that front.

The challenge of change this year

I find much of the rhetoric about the new year unhelpful. "I'm going to make 2024 the best year!" 🙄

As if it were as simple as willing that into being.

Of course, all the challenges from last year just roll over into this year. And if the research above is anything to go by, you may not even have the energy to change the sheets at home - let alone change the biggest thorny issues in your work.

Making collaboration count

I've just been on the phone with a favourite old client who spoke about the collaborative groups his team facilitates. When everybody is in the room, it's all yes, yes, yes for the shared aspirations.

But then everybody heads back to their day jobs. And the collaborative priorities slip down the list amongst the latest pressing concern.

"I just wish we make it so other people do stuff, not just us!" he lamented.

Back on episode 34 of the Beyond Consultation Podcast, I interviewed Adam Kahane, author of five books on facilitating collaboration.

One of his big messages is to let go of our expectations, our plans and our opinions. He writes:

"Many of us... get stuck by holding on tightly to our opinions and plans and identities and truths. But when we relax and are present and open up our minds and hearts and wills, we get unstuck and we unstick the world around us."

If you'd like to unstick your team's collaboration this year, then let's talk.