Let’s be honest: There’s comfort in routines and predictable workflows, writes Michelle Eggleston Schwartz. But, navigating life on cruise control lacks the richness and reward gained from accomplishing difficult goals.
Schwartz is correct. The pandemic has enmeshed home and work. Many have discovered the pleasure of applying creativity, new levels of resilience and redefining empathy as we emerge from Covid-19 chaos and confusion. She shares how learning and development teams can help employees embrace change during times of disruption.
Source: Training Industry Magazine, May/June 2020, page 57. Link. Learning and development professionals play a pivotal role in helping employees adjust to business changes and excel in the current climate. Schwartz identifies these ways to help:
- Integrate mindfulness into day-to-day work life
- Promote a perspective of empathy
- Encourage clear, transparent communication
- Connect in meaningful and fun ways
INSIGHTS: Do you remember the first time you used cruise control when driving? For some, it was frightening to feel the car propelling itself. You developed new skills quickly to identify the environmental inputs required to extend braking distances, monitor your position in traffic and determine when to return to manual propulsion.
I believe the most successful animal health pros deploy learning and development skills as part of their day-to-day work. Schwartz writes from the perspective of a department with teams of trainers. However, the four ways she shares to help can be applied to a car-side visit, virtual care interaction, sharing a surgical suite with stricter disinfection guidelines or detailing summer promotions.