Steven P. MacGregor's Blog, page 2

Working From Home: 3 things you should know so you don't end up Living At Work

On 27th January I gave a live talk for Speakers Associates, launching their new live series. Here are my notes on the 3 things I think you should know.

#1: Lower your mask

For almost a year now I’ve been wearing a mask every time I go out. On the streets of Barcelona everyone has one. And it makes it harder to communicate with people, to read their emotions. One of the basic, most valued gestures of human connection, the smile, has sadly disappeared from view.

This hiding of emotions got me thinking of how we often do the same in a metaphorical sense, ‘putting a brave face on things’ in the midst of this global collective trauma.  Anxiety, depression and stress have sky-rocketed during the pandemic, accelerating an already worrying trend of the past few years in the digital age. And most of us tend to keep it inside, without sharing our problems with others.

I’m making a call here therefore to be vulnerable.

Vulnerability is not a show of weakness. It is a show of strength. At the onset of the crisis, the Marriott Hotels CEO Arne Sorensen published a video message on Twitter talking of the huge crisis facing the company which was, in his words “worse than the 2007 economic crisis and the September 11 World Trade Center attacks combined.” He showed real emotion in his address, coming close to tears on several occasions. Even his appearance, bald while undergoing cancer treatment, was an exercise in vulnerability. The message was hailed on all sides as a show of the type of leadership necessary to navigate the crisis.

So share your own concerns and fears. Open up. With your family of course. Yet consider also your colleagues and superiors at work. When we increase this transparency we help to build a culture of psychological safety, and research has shown that psychological safety helps to build the strong team bonds that results in high performance.

When we start to share more of our own emotions at work rather than always sticking with our rational selves, we draw others towards us, building loyalty and trust which gets us through the tough times.

So how might this look in practice? Perhaps you set up a virtual coffee with your boss or peer to share some issue that has been bothering you. If you’re nervous of doing this first, think about how you might pay attention to, and help others who might be vulnerable. How could you ‘check in without checking up’ perhaps with a more junior member of your own team? A simple “Is there anything I can help you with?” will help immensely with any issues that might detract from work performance and atmosphere that is made more difficult when people don’t see each other face to face. Keeping the social fabric strong when everyone is working at distance is paramount. Give, in order to receive. Lower your mask to feel safe. Be vulnerable. Enrich the social fabric of your workplace that is at risk when everyone is working at home.

#2: Re-design your R&Rs (Rituals & Routines)

I have a coffee grinder. I get up early and grind coffee. I’m tired and it’s hard work. I could pop in a coffee capsule and make my live easier, but I love that coffee grinder. There is a special moment when I begin to smell the freshly ground coffee and then hear it slipping out the stainless steel grinder as I empty it into the coffee filter. It’s a special morning ritual.

Rituals are more than habits or behaviours. They are imbued with meaning and purpose. They satisfy deep-lying needs. We may talk of rituals within the context of religion or history, but may not readily associate them with the workplace. Yet our pre-pandemic world of work was full of ritual. That early morning commute, or the coffee-machine catch-up. The Friday afternoon celebration with the team and an office glass of wine. All served a purpose. Any they’re all gone. Perhaps we think we miss some and not others. The daily commute might have been stressful to a degree but it was an important transition ritual that ensure we made the switch between home and work, giving us the best chance of being present in both places.

We’ve easily replaced many of the elements of our pre-pandemic working lives on a functional level, but what are you missing from before? Only now might you realise that flying gave you a special 30 second meditation before speeding down the runway, or that the overnight stay gave you a chance to invest in your own self, momentarily away from family and professional duties.

What I’m saying here is that you need to be pro-active in designing for your emotional needs.

Rituals and Routines save us from a blurred work-life existence which truly means we end up living at work, highlighting the negative side of our current shared experience, rather than working from home, which embraces the flexibility and distraction-free productivity.

For many, entrenched working patterns have been broken. Days, weeks, months, and years of our working lives often pass with ever tightening patterns of behaviour and unchanging habits. So let’s use this time as an opportunity to re-design our working lives for the better.

Start by asking yourself what you’re missing from your previous working life. Then start to actively design rituals in different spaces, considering both time and place. Perhaps you consider a new weekend ritual, or a way to mark starting or finishing work. And don’t forget the non-work elements since you’re at home, mealtimes or connecting deeply with family.

Re-design your R&Rs. Cater for your emotional needs. Create the boundaries necessary so that work and life don’t create a messy middle. 

#3: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping

I’m reading Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules for Life.” The above statement is his second rule and I think it’s a great way to focus on the topic of self-care.

As Peterson talks about in the book we often take care of others, even our pets if we have any, much better than ourselves. Ask yourself each day on whether the treatment you are readily dishing out to yourself – both your actions and thoughts – would make you recoil in horror if you were to do the same to a cherished family member or friend.

I’ve long held the view the way we’re working isn’t quite working. I’ve focused the past 20 years of my career on looking at a more positive notion of work where health, wellbeing and the joys of life aren’t separate, or indeed compromised by how we make a living.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside-down.  Yet it also offers us an opportunity to reset the way we work. Many of the vulnerabilities that are being openly talked about in recent months, including mental health, and balancing work and family commitments, have been eroding work happiness and productivity for years. These issues have been magnified, causing much pain to millions of workers globally, yet show the undoubted business and life benefits of addressing wellbeing within the context of a working life.

Because health is such a multifaceted concept, it can often be a challenge to tick every single box when our lives are so busy and demanding. The key thing is to check in with yourself. And if you’re not okay for whatever reason,

acknowledge it and try to take action to address it. But don’t get too worked up over it, you’re not a problem to be solved – it’s ok not to be ok.

And at the risk of inducing a different type of fatigue on certain readers who have heard this a thousand times (it’s worth the risk because it’s important!) ‘put your own oxygen mask on first’. If you have a family to look after, or a team that needs to perform – they won’t get the best out of you if you run yourself into the ground.

I’ve covered countless areas of self-care in Sustaining Executive Performance and Chief Wellbeing Officer. It can be overwhelming, so many things to do. But just start by having a discussion with yourself, perhaps start a nightly journal and focus on the things that are going well. Studies have shown that gratefulness makes a huge difference to mental health. Do one thing a day that makes you smile. And then another. Joy and happiness are in the moments of life. Savour those moments. Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.

Working From Home: 3 things you should know so you don't end up living at work

On 27th January I gave a live talk for Speakers Associates, launching their new live series. Here are my notes on the 3 things I think you should know.

#1: Lower your mask

For almost a year now I’ve been wearing a mask every time I go out. On the streets of Barcelona everyone has one. And it makes it harder to communicate with people, to read their emotions. One of the basic, most valued gestures of human connection, the smile, has sadly disappeared from view.

This hiding of emotions got me thinking of how we often do the same in a metaphorical sense, ‘putting a brave face on things’ in the midst of this global collective trauma.  Anxiety, depression and stress have sky-rocketed during the pandemic, accelerating an already worrying trend of the past few years in the digital age. And most of us tend to keep it inside, without sharing our problems with others.

I’m making a call here therefore to be vulnerable.

Vulnerability is not a show of weakness. It is a show of strength. At the onset of the crisis, the Marriott Hotels CEO Arne Sorensen published a video message on Twitter talking of the huge crisis facing the company which was, in his words “worse than the 2007 economic crisis and the September 11 World Trade Center attacks combined.” He showed real emotion in his address, coming close to tears on several occasions. Even his appearance, bald while undergoing cancer treatment, was an exercise in vulnerability. The message was hailed on all sides as a show of the type of leadership necessary to navigate the crisis.

So share your own concerns and fears. Open up. With your family of course. Yet consider also your colleagues and superiors at work. When we increase this transparency we help to build a culture of psychological safety, and research has shown that psychological safety helps to build the strong team bonds that results in high performance.

When we start to share more of our own emotions at work rather than always sticking with our rational selves, we draw others towards us, building loyalty and trust which gets us through the tough times.

So how might this look in practice? Perhaps you set up a virtual coffee with your boss or peer to share some issue that has been bothering you. If you’re nervous of doing this first, think about how you might pay attention to, and help others who might be vulnerable. How could you ‘check in without checking up’ perhaps with a more junior member of your own team? A simple “Is there anything I can help you with?” will help immensely with any issues that might detract from work performance and atmosphere that is made more difficult when people don’t see each other face to face. Keeping the social fabric strong when everyone is working at distance is paramount. Give, in order to receive. Lower your mask to feel safe. Be vulnerable. Enrich the social fabric of your workplace that is at risk when everyone is working at home.

#2: Re-design your R&Rs (Rituals & Routines)

I have a coffee grinder. I get up early and grind coffee. I’m tired and it’s hard work. I could pop in a coffee capsule and make my live easier, but I love that coffee grinder. There is a special moment when I begin to smell the freshly ground coffee and then hear it slipping out the stainless steel grinder as I empty it into the coffee filter. It’s a special morning ritual.

Rituals are more than habits or behaviours. They are imbued with meaning and purpose. They satisfy deep-lying needs. We may talk of rituals within the context of religion or history, but may not readily associate them with the workplace. Yet our pre-pandemic world of work was full of ritual. That early morning commute, or the coffee-machine catch-up. The Friday afternoon celebration with the team and an office glass of wine. All served a purpose. Any they’re all gone. Perhaps we think we miss some and not others. The daily commute might have been stressful to a degree but it was an important transition ritual that ensure we made the switch between home and work, giving us the best chance of being present in both places.

We’ve easily replaced many of the elements of our pre-pandemic working lives on a functional level, but what are you missing from before? Only now might you realise that flying gave you a special 30 second meditation before speeding down the runway, or that the overnight stay gave you a chance to invest in your own self, momentarily away from family and professional duties.

What I’m saying here is that you need to be pro-active in designing for your emotional needs.

Rituals and Routines save us from a blurred work-life existence which truly means we end up living at work, highlighting the negative side of our current shared experience, rather than working from home, which embraces the flexibility and distraction-free productivity.

For many, entrenched working patterns have been broken. Days, weeks, months, and years of our working lives often pass with ever tightening patterns of behaviour and unchanging habits. So let’s use this time as an opportunity to re-design our working lives for the better.

Start by asking yourself what you’re missing from your previous working life. Then start to actively design rituals in different spaces, considering both time and place. Perhaps you consider a new weekend ritual, or a way to mark starting or finishing work. And don’t forget the non-work elements since you’re at home, mealtimes or connecting deeply with family.

Re-design your R&Rs. Cater for your emotional needs. Create the boundaries necessary so that work and life don’t create a messy middle. 

#3: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping

I’m reading Jordan Peterson’s “12 Rules for Life.” The above statement is his second rule and I think it’s a great way to focus on the topic of self-care.

As Peterson talks about in the book we often take care of others, even our pets if we have any, much better than ourselves. Ask yourself each day on whether the treatment you are readily dishing out to yourself – both your actions and thoughts – would make you recoil in horror if you were to do the same to a cherished family member or friend.

I’ve long held the view the way we’re working isn’t quite working. I’ve focused the past 20 years of my career on looking at a more positive notion of work where health, wellbeing and the joys of life aren’t separate, or indeed compromised by how we make a living.

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside-down.  Yet it also offers us an opportunity to reset the way we work. Many of the vulnerabilities that are being openly talked about in recent months, including mental health, and balancing work and family commitments, have been eroding work happiness and productivity for years. These issues have been magnified, causing much pain to millions of workers globally, yet show the undoubted business and life benefits of addressing wellbeing within the context of a working life.

Because health is such a multifaceted concept, it can often be a challenge to tick every single box when our lives are so busy and demanding. The key thing is to check in with yourself. And if you’re not okay for whatever reason,

acknowledge it and try to take action to address it. But don’t get too worked up over it, you’re not a problem to be solved – it’s ok not to be ok.

And at the risk of inducing a different type of fatigue on certain readers who have heard this a thousand times (it’s worth the risk because it’s important!) ‘put your own oxygen mask on first’. If you have a family to look after, or a team that needs to perform – they won’t get the best out of you if you run yourself into the ground.

I’ve covered countless areas of self-care in Sustaining Executive Performance and Chief Wellbeing Officer. It can be overwhelming, so many things to do. But just start by having a discussion with yourself, perhaps start a nightly journal and focus on the things that are going well. Studies have shown that gratefulness makes a huge difference to mental health. Do one thing a day that makes you smile. And then another. Joy and happiness are in the moments of life. Savour those moments. Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.

The winding path of 2020

I spent some dark days in March thinking my business may not survive the pandemic. All 2020 bookings for The LAB seemed to disappear overnight.

At the end of a rollercoaster year I'm truly humbled to learn this has been our most successful year since we started trading in 2007. Heartfelt thanks to all our clients, not just for their faith in our work, but for supporting health, wellbeing and positive performance in the midst of a crisis.

Pictured below is an illustration we used in the final chapter of Chief Wellbeing Officer. It's a view of Barcelona from the city mountain path, Carretera de les Aigües, where I do most of my running and thinking. Quoting the final paragraph:

"Putting aside the magnificent views and perspective that [it] gives, the biggest benefit is the range of paths presented to us. We may be travelling along the main path but by raising our gaze we are presented with myriad options; up, down, narrow and wide. They offer us new ways of arriving at the same destination or present us with a new end point. Often, they lead us to a dead-end and we need to backtrack. The joy is in the discovery. Getting lost and finding ourselves again."

Very best wishes to all for a restful holiday and brighter 2021. Happy Christmas.

Building Authentic Communities with Standing on Giants Co-Founder Robbie Hearn

We finish the year on the Chief Wellbeing Officer podcast with our final reflections on community with Standing on Giants co-Founder Robbie Hearn. Discussing cases from Airbnb to giffgaff we consider how community engagement can strengthen the business in times of adversity, helping organisations embrace vulnerability and better align with their core values. See you in 2021!

Chief Wellbeing Officer · Episode 35: Building Authentic Communities with Standing on Giants Co-Founder Robbie Hearn

Where the business case meets the moral case with O2's Will Kirkpatrick

In episode 34 of the Chief Wellbeing Officer podcast we talk to the Head of Sustainability Operations at O2 Will Kirkpatrick on how a view of community might add value to a business. From considering the corporate case for O2 and specifically how digital and mobile help connect people, to small business and their place in the local community, we examine the space where the business case meets the moral case.

Chief Wellbeing Officer · Episode 34: Where the Business Case meets the Moral Case with O2's Will Kirkpatrick

Mobilising change with The Wellbeing Project's Elissa Goldenberg

Kicking off our Q4 focus on community on the Chief Wellbeing Officer podcast we talk to Elissa Goldenberg, COO at The Wellbeing Project. We discuss the work of The Wellbeing Project and how they support social entrepreneurs to understand the importance of individual wellbeing and how, through giving and receiving from their community, may help mobilise the change the world needs.

Chief Wellbeing Officer · Episode 33: Mobilising change with The Wellbeing Project's COO Elissa Goldenberg

Ripples in the Water

I wrote a few words on social media last Sunday after my morning run. I was saddened to hear of the death of Sean Connery the day before and thought it would be an idea to acknowledge his role, via the founding of the Scottish International Education Trust, in my fledgling career. As I write these reflections five days later the post has just passed 1 million views on LinkedIn. I’m thrilled that so many people found the story inspiring and this unexpected reaction to it has made me think more deeply in a few areas this week.

On Being Grateful

In difficult times, as we all experience the shocks of a post-pandemic world, we might just find solace in the small things that are going well. In much of my work these past several months in the areas of resilience we have highlighted the importance of savouring the small moments of joy each day and being grateful, which studies show makes a huge difference to our mental health. William James, the renowned psychologist said over 100 years ago that “What you attend to in this moment becomes your reality.” Stay aware of the less positive news that surrounds us all these days by all means, but perhaps try to pay more attention to the good in our midst too.

On Legacy

Many of the comments on the post this week have regarded legacy and paying it forward. Almost half a century after Mr. Connery’s decision the Scottish International Education Trust still provides opportunities for many young Scottish men and women. Yet we all have an opportunity to leave our own legacy each day, through our actions and words. I’ve been very fortunate to talk to close to 30,000 people face-to-face in the past 15 years, mostly in a leadership capacity regarding their health, wellbeing and lifestyle choices. I believe I’ve made a positive impact and my experience this week has made me even more determined to go further and multiply that impact as much as possible.

On Opening Doors

I believe part of Connery’s motivation was related to his own modest upbringing and his desire to raise others up who just needed a chance. I had a wonderful childhood in a fairly typical West of Scotland working class home. Yet I grew up just as the predominant industrial heritage of my home town was crumbling, sending many families into poverty. Many people lost purpose, hope, and their lives. I was fortunate to have others open doors for me and am more attuned now to the importance of social mobility in an era of increasing inequality. If you’ve been fortunate enough to climb a few rungs of the ladder where might you let it down so others can climb up?

On the Good and Bad of Big Tech

Of course, it is not the first post to hit 1 million by any means. I’m sure that many will do so each day, with a fair percentage of them, frankly, nonsense. It brought home however, on a more personal level, the immense power of Big Tech. Many thousands of people came across my story and my name for the first time. Perhaps they forgot it the very next instant, but the potential reach for all of us these days is indeed incredible. Yet we have a responsibility to use this power in the right way. We need only look at the current US elections to see how social media can be used in the wrong way. Extremism, conspiracy theories and fake news fills the void where education has been sorely missed. The experience this week was also addictive. I talk in my programs of the dangers of dopamine and social media addiction but with every refresh of my feed bringing hundreds of new profile views, likes and comments from the four corners of the world it was hard to let go. I’m glad to be going on my weekly 24-hour digital detox this evening. I certainly need it.

As the pandemic tightens its grip worldwide in a second wave we may be feeling more isolated and disconnected from one other than ever before. It’s times like these when we may just realise how important we are to each other, the ripples we cause by our actions, and how we’re actually more tightly connected than ever. I have been blessed with my education and will pay more attention to the ripples I cause from now on.

Dr. Steven MacGregor joins Tictrac as resident workplace wellbeing expert

We’re delighted to announce that our Founder, Dr. Steven MacGregor is joining Tictrac, the leading wellbeing platform as their resident workplace wellbeing expert. The launch interview and details on the first campaign, which begins with a focus on mental health, can be read here.

Leading through crisis with Hilton's Stephen Cassidy

In the third and final episode of our Travel theme for Q3 we talk to Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Hilton UK & Ireland Stephen Cassidy. Framed around his leadership response in one of the travel sector's most badly hit industries we find messages of hope in stories regarding care for NHS workers and the positive legacy that may remain post-pandemic regarding a new way of working.

Chief Wellbeing Officer · Episode 32: Leading Through Crisis with Hilton's Stephen Cassidy

Re-Designing Travel with McKinsey's Melissa Dalrymple

In the second of three episodes based on Travel for Q3 we talk to McKinsey Partner Melissa Dalrymple about her recent article, "Make it better, not just safer: The opportunity to reinvent travel" including the current pain points for travellers in a "friction-laden experience" and how we might get back to the golden era of travel when romance and excitement, not stress and inconvenience, were features of the travel experience. How travel companies might pivot in their ways of working and customer engagement frames the discussion around concrete action.

Chief Wellbeing Officer · Episode 31: Re-Designing Travel with McKinsey's Melissa Dalrymple