HR Ghosts and Hopes

Sometimes we let things hang around too long, in our heads, rememberings of difficult times passed. Letting our today be dominated by something that’s gone and that we cannot do anything about. I know that I did. Sometimes our dearest hopes prove false, or something comes along that takes us on an unexpected path. I know that that was the case for me.

Right now, you may now be wrestling with the ghosts of 2020 past, lockdown present and future hope. Coping well or not so well with the impact of what you have had to face and what you have had to do over the past almost 12 months. You may be similarly faced with very real and tough demands on you right now.

And we are told that the worst is behind us. Isnt it? For many its more trudging sameness with depleted personal, practical and physical resources and often gritted teeth.

The challenges for you and our HR profession have been huge – furlough, people working from home, isolating, bereavement, return to work (safely), redundancies, business closures, and the list goes on and on. Government instructions coming out late on a Friday afternoon and you being expected to know what to do. Having to deal with incoming calls and outgoing comms straight away. Working late and weekends just to ultimately help your people.

If any of us had known what was coming maybe we would have thought twice about whether we were up for the challenge or not. But as we know, that wasn’t an option.

So, we have battled through. Doing what had to be done. Caring as much as we could. Working whatever hours were needed, and beyond. Using up a lot of our own personal resources.

Maybe you had chance to refresh those depleted resources over Christmas? Maybe. Or maybe that just seems like a long time ago now. You may be hoping, oh so hoping, for better very soon.

And all this whilst coping with your own personal situation. Perhaps working from home yourself with kids and partners needing time but also adding to your challenge. Perhaps you have loved ones who are ill or worse.

Your health may have suffered too, both mentally and physically. Many have found it hard to maintain good practices or slid into bad diets, no exercise and sometime substance abuse? You could facing very real burnout not just from the practical demands but having to adjust ways of working. I hope this is not the case for you, but for many people I know differently.

But hopefully you have had fantastic recognition for your efforts, helping to sustain you and drive you on.

Often though HR can be a lonely place, without people to confide in, or just to sound of too. I know that feeling, having to maintain so called professionalism whilst switching off very human emotions and frailties.

In the face of all this who is helping you? Have you got a professional support bubble? Is there someone who you can confide in, who will understand and just listen or maybe even give practical support? Who is caring for your Professional and personal well being?

I ask these questions because you may have all these things in place and that is great. Or you may be feeling somewhat isolated or vulnerable and unable to confide, and need just such support.

I have worked in HR through all sorts of situations over the years, and felt all those things. Never really feeling that I had support and confidantes outside of my organisation. Or if I did being fearful of talking outside of school.

Right now I want to make sure that you don’t have to face the same situation alone.

That is why I have put together a Blue Tree HR Thrive Programme for you. This has been specifically designed for your needs right now, to help you to cope even better, and to move forward stronger and with even more impact.

First of all there is a FREE 30 minute webinar, highlighting the 3 areas of the full programme – HR Help, HR Influence and finally HR Impact. This is pre-recorded so you can watch and listen at a time to suit you. This taster may spark you into action, or may lead you to book onto the full Blue Tree HR Thrive Programme.

The HR Thrive programme is bite size and manageable within your busy lives. Consisting of three 2 hour interactive webinars through the early Spring months, a personal workbook, a chat group and individual check-ins, we aim to provide you with what you need to thrive and move forward. There will be HR professionals similar to yourself joining the group in a completely safe and confidential environment.

For more information email phil@bluetreeconsulting.net

I hope that I can provide the help that you need.