January: it’s time to talk
The importance of quality conversations at this time of year
How did you find yesterday?
The third Monday in January — 15th January in 2018 — is called Blue Monday which is believed to be the most depressing day of the year.
Whether or not you buy-into the contested science of Blue Monday, there are factors that can contribute to making it a tough time of year: an unpleasant concoction of post-holiday slump, December credit card bills and back-to-work angst.
Research by Glassdoor also indicates that January is the most popular month for job changes, with 23% of surveyees saying that their reason for leaving is that they need a new challenge.
January is a time where many people look ahead to the upcoming year — taking time to think about what they want to achieve and how they might do so.
January is therefore a time where the power of quality conversations shouldn’t be underestimated. It can be a great time to have a meaningful conversation with those around you at work and is particularly important if you lead others.
Quality conversations can have wide ranging benefits including feeling more socially supported and opening ourselves up to new ideas and opinions that allow us to see other perspectives on our situation.
Great questions sit at the core of quality conversations and can help open up conversations that go a little deeper than: ‘how’s that [insert task or project] going?’
Opening up a meaningful conversation with those who are craving challenge or seeking change is an important step to understand what might help an individual feel more motivated at work — and particularly timely if someone is exploring a job change.
Why not grab a coffee and try out this simple 3 questions structure to open up a more meaningful conversation at work:
How do you feel about the level of challenge in the work you do at the moment?
If you could change one thing, what would it be?
Great! Let’s think together about how we might make that happen…
For most of us, January is rarely the highlight of the season… add a little magic through great conversation.
