Notes by Julie Furlong

THIS POST HAS DERIVED FROM A THANK YOU CHAT I HAD WITH MY TEAM TO SHOW MY GRATITUDE FOR LIFTING ME UP, WHEN I NEEDED THEM MOST.

I keep writing about the silver linings that will eventually come from the unexpected experience COVID brought us. (Read: How to find the silver lining and believe again). I truly believe working from home was one. And like me if you have reached a level of leadership in the workplace or own and/or run a business then watching your team perform from afar was also a positive learning. Working from home exposed us to another level, seeing and understanding our teams had homes and lives outside of work, with family, made us more compassionate humans. And whilst in this, we merged our home life with our work life, we began to view how we manage and communicate differently, launching into the new era of the workplace.

As a result of working from home I noted trust, loyalty and confidence built, which pleasingly resulted with productivity increasing and the satisfaction of watching individuals thrive. During the mayhem of this time, the hard work paid off for those who stepped up, as there was opportunity and time for the team to learn new skills and understand more about the business and services we offer in the agency. It was a time to understand clients better and the people you work with as individuals. All with very different needs, wants, desires and goals. It was a pleasure to witness my team grow at this time and become even more professional, mastering their skill even further – something no one can take from you, and something that is only achieved through hard work.

I believe leading with compassion, connection and love in the workforce, and leaving your ego at the door, secures success for all. (Read: 10 Signs it might be your ego talking). There is perhaps no more powerful way to show people you care about them than this. I have selected the following four focus points to pass on to help you to inspire your team to show up and deliver using their talents;

1. Lead with a culture of love, care, kindness and compassion;
2. Commit time to understand each person and who they are;
3. Mentor them to master their own skills;
4. Show them how important it is to believe in themselves, making them feel worthy and capable.

With this change and experience, I no longer fear the future and the new era for the agency (D+M) and how it will move forward, living with COVID and leading with love, has certainly helped me deal with the unpredictable moments for whatever may arise in the future. (Read: 10 Great ways to stop worrying). As a result, I’m moving my team into a new inspirational, fun, creative space that will compliment the way we are all working now. To secure success, any business should be planning for options like flexible hours and working from home. Clearly this seems to be a hot topic at the moment as I listened to "The Quicky", a mamamia podcast on 3 November discussing this very same issue, but most of all, leaders should be leading with love and compassion. Some who remain or choose to manage through fear will compromise productivity, unnecessary expense and engagement. Thank goodness those days are almost over.

Even after 22 years in business it is important to continue to evolve and change. My intention is to continue to be a present and compassionate when leading my team – with their success as my priority. My advice is to take the time to thank your people, often, with words or a suitable gift. Share memories, don’t just work together, enjoy and laugh, and have some fun together as well. I thank my team for their loyalty and hard work often. Especially going through the pandemic, they truly have stepped up and have been an amazing team to be proud of.

On a final note, I’m often asked by younger people for my opinion on where they should work, or my advice on a role they may be considering, and I always answer with the same thing;

Lookout for the culture, make sure it is nurturing and kind. Surround yourself with good mentors, who know what they are doing and care about you and are prepared to show you the ropes. Because if they are not spending time with you, you are not learning and if you are not learning, you are not moving forward. And if you are constantly waiting for the weekend to come, you are wasting your time.

FIND THAT JOB WHERE YOU ACTUALLY ENJOY EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK WHERE YOU ARE LOVED AND APPRECIATED.

THOUGHTS TO PONDER

1. EVERYTHING WORKS IF YOU BELIEVE IT COULD WORK

For years, I have avoided disappointment at all costs. The beginning of 2020 served me the ultimate disappointment, directly followed by COVID–19, where I had no choice but to go through it. Because the only way through it is through it…right? Here's a few ways to consciously call it forward, reconnect with your belief system, take control and believe again.

TELL ME HOW >

2. ARE YOU RESTRICTED MANAGING WITH LOVE BY THE SIZE OF YOUR EGO?

My ego has trapped me in many past experiences (as with us all?). Someone pushes one of my buttons and bam… it creeps up on me. Here are 10 signs it might be your ego talking.

HOW BIG IS YOUR EGO? >

3. ARE YOU A CONSTANT WORRIER?

When I am in my worry phase, ‘what if’ questions start entering my mind, which realistically only exist among the pixies in my head. And if you are anything like me, very few worries are as painful or terrible as imagined, and are often just nonsense made up in our own minds. Remember, the difference between positive people and those who let themselves slip into a downhill spiral is the difference between worrying a healthy and helpful amount, and worrying too much!

HOW CAN I STOP WORRYING? >‍