Let’s be honest – December in the workplace is absolute carnage, isn’t it?
Secret Santa gone wrong. Someone’s ordered three pairs of shoes on company time. Dave from Accounts is three sheets to the wind at 2pm. And don’t even get me started on the passive-aggressive battle royale over who gets Christmas week off.
Why Believing in Yourself is the Key to Career Success
Today brought me the most wonderful news that perfectly illustrates why self-belief is so crucial for professional success. Someone I’ve been mentoring over the past few months has just achieved Chartered Fellowship of the CIPD – one of the most landmark levels in HR.
I’ve just had a really interesting chat with one of my clients about bringing our authentic selves to work following the pandemic, and also how the transition from corporate to business owner makes us feel when it comes to being our true selves at work.
I’m currently writing this from my office wearing my favourite Spice Girls sweatshirt for context…
I have been inspired to write this post after I recently read the books The Comfort Zone and The Key to Positivity by Kristen Butler. I found both books were incredibly inspiring, and when juggling running a business, managing a team, and all whilst trying to spend time with family and friends, it’s safe to say it is difficult to stay positive consistently when managing stress.
Managing stress is a subject I have studied for many years, not just as part of my CIPD studies, but when meeting the many different people I am fortunate to work with. I am always curious to find out what works for people, because the answers are never the same, from the variety of solutions available, it is interesting to learn from others on what works for them.
The recent BBC Panorama episode “Should we still be working from home?” has thrown a spotlight on one of the most contentious workplace debates of our time. Since Covid-19 transformed our working patterns, we’ve seen an unprecedented shift in how Britain works – but as the dust settles, some uncomfortable truths are emerging.
While the Office for National Statistics reports that 13% of UK workers now never commute to work, there’s a growing disconnect between what employees want and what businesses actually need to thrive. The conversation seems to have shifted from “how can we make this work?” to “this is how I want to work” – often without considering the broader implications for business operations, team dynamics, and long-term sustainability.