The team meetings at VIE People always start with a check-in: “how are you today?”. In such an opening, each person tells, in a few sentences, what is going on with them.The first time I saw this I thought it was bizarre to start a meeting that is about numbers and results in such a way.
Yet the effect was surprising. A colleague just had a tough conversation with a business partner. The other just heard he was about to become an uncle. Some else was anxious for a call they had to make and someone shared she was struggling with a deadline that morning.
Simply sharing these mental states or jammers that are in your head have three effects:
- It is out and therefore disappears into the background
- The others know how you are and that is useful
- You shared something already and with that, you are “on” and more ready to take part in discussions
Earlier this week at the meeting with Maven@work we also started with a “how are you today” check-in round. CEO Sander Ruys said exactly the same thing as what I hear from other managers and entrepreneurs during these last weeks:
“Everything is going pretty well but everyone is walking into a wall in with their workload. And I am kind of worried about that”
This brings me to the subject of this article.
Such an odd phenomenon when you think about it. The idiotic work sprint almost everyone experiences in the last weeks of December. I mean, we have 52 to weeks to do our work. We plan, organize, advise, sell, develop, implement and administer all year long. And just several days a year we all collectively halt the Dutch Industry machine for a couple of days for x-mas and new years.
Thank God.
Yet, running up to those last days of the year it is like everyone is preparing for the end of days. All of a sudden the budgets need to be finished, products features need to be included, orders need to be placed and new todos need to get done by this year.
Your co-workers run around with sunken eyes: “December is only half a month. Including the Dutch Sinterklaas celebration and all the Christmas parties…”
Those last two weeks are like a bottleneck everyone squeezes everything through that wasn’t done during the year.
Let’s straighten that bottleneck and look at the label on the bottle. It says 2018.
Was it a good year for you?
Did it bring what you hoped it would bring?
Do you manage to stand in place, zoom out and observe yourself from a distance?
In the madness of the present, we often forget this. The danger is that everything become as important and our own level of success keeps moving up. Fed by the plethora of stimuli all around you. What is the competition doing, when do you really count, are you visible enough?
So stop.
Breathe in.
Breath out.
Focus on the question we started with: How are you? At this moment. Here and now.
Are you ready for a reflection of last year?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What was a success this past year? Something you are incredibly proud of.
- When was the last time you laughed your socks of and why?
- What gaff don’t you want to repeat next year? Moreover: what did it bring you?
- Who or what will get your extra attention?
- What will you do different the coming year? What action can you do today for that?
You don’t have to answer these questions today. Or even think about it too much.
Why not just right them up in a small notebook or a blank sheet of paper. After that give yourself some time outside. Literally. Go for a walk in the forest. Go for a walk on the beach.
The next day you get up an hour earlier (yes, you can do it!). Then write out the answers to those questions. If this is too lonesome for you, share your thoughts with someone dear to you.
Reflecting is standing still and feeling. The reflection is about you. About all you do, what problems you encounter, how you solve these and continue. Mostly unnoticed.
Reflection brings out what you are good at. What still needs to be worked on and where you wish to learn
Allow yourself that!
Have a good one.
Tessa Knaven
VIE People Feedback and growth culture specialist
