For Those Who Stayed….
Just like everywhere else, SNP has experienced, and is navigating The Great Resignation, or as we call it The Great Reshuffle.
We see new Zoom backgrounds, new faces on screens, and hear new voices. We spend our time training and explaining. The previous expectations are not to be expected anymore. It’s just simply not the same. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad.
Good things have come out of this experience…
The Experience
There have been many moments over the last few years, sitting in my bedroom nook, checking off boxes on my neatly written to-do list in my orange monogrammed notebook, and then I pause, open my window, and sigh. Being someone who naturally moves fast (like really fast), a pause for me holds tremendous weight. My pause usually involves me dazing out that cracked window and daydreaming. Daydreaming off sitting at pod-like desks, deciding where to eat lunch, going on mid-day walks and talks, and happy hour down the street once the clock hits five. This visual, this daydream, was my reality for many years. And it all involved my coworkers – a set group of individuals who made up my idea of “going to work.”
It was in recent months that during one of these pauses, I started to feel sad. Sad because at that moment I realized something: my idea of going to work is no longer a reality. The people changed. Many have left, some have moved, and new people have started. There’s been an unspoken (or spoken) transition during these virtual years. And for some reason, the shift in who I communicate with every day didn’t translate in my mind to who I’d see in person every day.
Life has gone on. And change is everywhere. Movement is happening whether that’s with companies, positions, houses, or states. And some people have stayed put (myself included). I currently work at the same company, live in the same city, and with the same partner since March 2020. I’m still (for the most part) checking the same foundational boxes every day. It’s the boxes I can’t check that have me daydreaming and out of sorts.
So, how do we handle this change, this great reshuffle, when we’re often confined to coping with these transitions in our own homes by ourselves?
The Lessons & How To Navigate The Great Resignation
Despite everything I just said (bare with me here…) about missing my old work life, I actually love change! When dealing with change, you have to lean towards the positive. A few lessons I’ve learned…
1. Mind over Matter
The internal dialogue can vary and it’s easy to start with the negative. We often find ourselves initially saying, “Suzy is leaving? How are we supposed to cover all of her work?!”. Rather than focusing on the negative, focus on the positive. Change that conversation to something like, “Suzy is leaving? Good for her! It will definitely be a transition, but we’ll find a solid replacement for her soon”.
By staying positive, you’re not only excited for the individual and their experience, but you’re focusing on the good to come. Attracting that positivity. The Law of Attraction applies here too, right?!
2. Get to Writing
A way that I stay positive is by journaling and focusing on what I’m grateful for. Life can be hard, overwhelming, and overbearing. But if you focus on what you do have (a job, learning opportunities, room for growth, new connections…the list goes on) it’s easier to stay in that positive mindset. Write these things down. Remind yourself of what you do have.
I start everyday with writing down three things I’m grateful for, three goals, three affirmations and three intentions. It really sets the tone for my day. And it gets me into that grateful, positive mindset right off the bat. Because at the end of the day, everything’s going to be ok. Just because someone is leaving, doesn’t mean they’re gone. You just get to start a new relationship with them! From colleagues to friends to maybe even customer.
3. Over Communicate
Everyone always says communication is the key to success, right? It is. I love to communicate. And when I say communicate, I mean over communicate. In regards to the Great Reshuffle, it’s talking about the changes with each other. Vent, cry, strategize, laugh…whatever it is you need to do, do it. And do it together. This helps make the already strong bonds stronger. And ensures that you aren’t on your own island as you go through this change. It’s so important to lean on, and to empathize with each other during this time. Talk to your boss about it in your 1:1’s, find times to connect with people live, or hop on a quick 5-minute “pulse check” slack call.
Those things right there are my secret sauce to success. To be able to adapt to change (and enjoy it!), to work long hours, through grueling projects and with tough customers.
The Way Forward
One would say it’s complicated?! Yeah, sometimes I might still daydream of life prior to the Great Reshuffle. But we wouldn’t have learned what we’ve learned if it was all the same people, right?
We’ve become smarter, more resilient, and more efficient. It’s allowed us to take a step back and observe what, who, when, where and how. To think through the details and be more deliberate and intentional. And most importantly, it’s brought in new perspectives and ideas. A fresh pair of eyes. A clean slate.
The Great Reshuffle can be overwhelming. And luckily, we’re all going through it together. Whether it’s us, our friends or family – movement is happening across the workforce. The key here is staying focused on the positivity and remember that we’ll come out stronger on the other side. Because ultimately, change is hard, but it’s good.
One of the best ways to help your employees navigate their newfound workload is hiring during the Great Resignation––we have some tips on getting started.
