Debra Buckley
Debra BuckleyCEO of the New Zealand Institute of Management and Leadership.
www.nzimleadership.co.nz
The post-holiday blues – is there such a thing?
You may recognise that ‘jump into January’ phase, when we are excited to be back and share our holiday stories with our work family. Also ‘forge into February’ momentum, when we are furiously ticking things off our to-do list.
Some of us will also experience ‘marching in March’ — as in marching out the door and leaving a current role for pastures greener.
It would seem that time off work has an impact on how we see our job.
Why is it that for many of us, after just a few months back into the grind of daily work, we are feeling over it and seeking change, believing that somehow a new job will provide us with a new view on life?
One explanation could be that most of us have jobs that were designed before we set foot in the interview room and we then simply slotted into it. By contrast, on holiday we spend most of our waking hours doing things we want to, throwing into focus how much we miss out on when we spend our days mostly under the direction of others.
Our perception of choice could significantly influence whether we are content to stay, or decide to jump ship. So what can organisations do to keep their teams loyal and connected?
We can find ways to be inclusive of each person’s priorities, develop a career path based on each individual’s personal strengths, and continue to focus on building a positive work culture.
It’s a simple message — by accommodating the strengths in your people, you bring out their best and increase their opportunities for fulfillment.
You could ask your team members what it would take to create a workplace they wouldn’t want to leave — a place where they would find it hard to imagine working anywhere else.
Not all of this is about the tasks we have to do — it has as much to do with how we feel about the environment we do them in, the way we are asked to participate and how much freedom we have to express ourselves.
Do ‘post-holiday blues’ exist? Sure they do… but with a little understanding and attention you can turn it around and keep your people from marching out the door.
