The End of the Honeymoon Period… Now What…?

By Karen Amos

A few weeks ago I wrote a post describing workplaces as being in the ‘honeymoon period’ of dealing with the pandemic.  Whilst this seemed incongruous in terms of the crisis that was occuring, there was by and large, a strong sense of the Blitz spirit of ‘we’re all in this together’.

I’d suggest we’re now well and truly out of that honeymoon period.  Thinking and behaviour is becoming fractured and in many cases, fractious.

In the workplace, tensions are rising.  Obviously so in places like schools, who are pulled in many directions, both practically and ethically, but also elsewhere.  Some people are returning to work, whilst others remain on furlough.  Pressure heaps upon managers and business owners to justify their decisions and reconcile these with staff teams.  Performance and behaviour management issues are back on the table.

On top of this, many of us are experiencing an unwelcome return to a more frenetic pace of life and trying to work out how to resist being dragged back into old, unproductive ways of working.

It sounds messy and in many cases it is.  So, what to do?

I believe this is the kind of situation where coaching as an approach comes into its own.  Leading  teams is challenging at the best of times, but increasingly so when tensions run high and staff are spread over numerous locations.

Individual coaching has obvious benefits – helping the person to address the particular difficulties they are facing.

Team coaching however, is a perfect answer to many of the issues businesses and organisations face right now.  Teams need to build a new identity, find ways to solve emerging issues and build accountability, responsibility and equity when the ‘workplace’ can mean many things.

Team Coaching brings an opportunity for teams to challenge themselves and own the situation they find themselves in – whether management, project, function or operational teams.  It also acts as a development tool to enable team members to take responsibility for problem-solving within the workplace.  This takes away the excuses and expectations that it’s the manager’s responsibility to provide all the answers.

So, whilst it’s no magic wand, Team Coaching really can provide the road map for businesses and organisations to negotiate their way out of this unchartered territory we find ourselves in – moving out of the honeymoon period to longer-term, more harmonious working relationships.

If you would like to book team coaching for your business, organisation or school, or would like an informal, no-obligation chat about how this can work for you, call us on 07714 855757, or email [email protected].

You can find out more at https://brightbird.wordifysites.com/services/training-courses/

Karen Amos is an executive coach and founder of BrightBird Coaching & Training. She supports business owners and managers to get the best out of themselves and their teams. She brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to improving working lives through better leadership, communication and working relationships.