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Our titles and job descriptions can contain any number of grandiose phases, but in the end our foremost job is being a person. Only when we perform this complicated system of tasks effectively can we take on any more responsibility, such as a role within an organization, and authenticity is a key part of the puzzle. Part II of the conversation within this MindTeam Solutions episode goes into detail about why being successful starts with being human.

[1:11] Peak of the Week?
In the sweet spot between early week doldrums and anticipation of the weekend lies Wednesday, seemingly with an energy all its own. Of course, this is all in our minds, but few would argue that feeling fully engaged with the work we do makes us more effective at doing it. Therefore, reverse-engineering “the Wednesday connection” can be a helpful idea to keep in mind when struggling with issues such as workplace burnout. How do we feel during our best days at the office? What concrete factors contributed to our positive frame of mind?

[3:49] Remember the Person
In the course of the less exciting everyday efforts that drive any successful organization, it can be easy to forget that your colleagues are complete human beings with emotions and desires instead of office equipment with a friendly face. This means that a measure of transparency can be an essential tool between team members…if someone is struggling through a tough day, addressing the issue as appropriate can help alleviate emotional stress to some degree and foster the greatest possible sense of focus on the task at hand.

[5:08] The Merits of Mental Maintenance
The benefits to company culture are far from the only reason to provide your team members with as much space as possible to be complete human beings. Numerous studies have shown that addressing the mental health and overall happiness of employees is a measurable factor in the success of leading organizations. In fact, besides being the right thing to do, every dollar spent on mental health can translate into as much as $4 in profits..

[7:53] A Personal Perspective
Mental health initiatives can seem abstract in nature, but have concrete effects on the performance of your staff. Repressing emotion is not only unhealthy, but unsustainable. Sylvia shares an anecdote from her career teaching photography in which she suffered tremendous anxiety after witnessing an incident that left a treasured pet dead minutes before class. Instead of suffering silently, she took a moment to share her experience with the students before continuing, which re-centered her in her role, enabling her to do her job.

[11:01] Okay Days
Margins of error are part of life, and expecting your team members to have their best day every day is an ideal recipe for failure. The people we rely on face challenges that have nothing to do with what we expect from them in our professional roles, and although consistent performance is a valuable attribute in an employee, it is also important to recognize the value in working around a less-than-ideal situation to create a satisfactory outcome…sometimes avoiding the worst-case scenario has to be good enough.

Connect with MindTeam Solutions:
Website: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/mindteamsolutions
Email: Info@MindTeamSolutions.com
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/mindteamsolutions