WORKING WELL - 2023 & WHAT WE LEARNED
Working Well – 2023 and what we learned
Well, Fans of Plans, we made it through 2023. I’m sure you’ll all agree it was another year that really did have its ups and downs. We weathered many storms, and we are hopefully a little bit wiser and a little bit more resilient for it.
As always, there have been lots of outside pressures that have changed the way we work, some for the better, but some with harder decisions and consequences. So, let’s look at what has shaped us and what we have learned.
The continuing cost of living crisis – winter 2022 was tough and as we entered into the spring and summer of 2023, pressures eased off slightly, but once again, we find ourselves facing the pressures again. What we can learn from this as a business is to be mindful of our employees and understand the pressures they might be under, both at home and in the workplace. While pay increases might not be possible, there are other areas businesses can look at to assist colleagues. Having a robust wellbeing strategy can help to focus businesses on making sure we are doing all we can for employees.
Find out more about wellbeing here: GLOBAL CRISIS AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING - Make Me A Plan
Celebrating diversity – Diversity and inclusion continues to be high on the agenda, and rightly so too. There’s been a lot in the news about hate crimes and we need to make sure that we as businesses are the antidote to this. It’s well documented that businesses thrive with diversity – bringing a variety of experiences and backgrounds into the workplace can open us up to bigger and better ideas.
Find out more about diversity and black history month here: CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH - Make Me A Plan
Working green – In my last blog, I looked at the effects and outcomes of COP28. Colleagues and customers are increasingly savvy on environmental issues and understand more about ‘green-washing’ - where companies appear more environmentally friendly than they really are.
Find out more about working green here: WORKING WELL, WORKING GREEN - Make Me A Plan
From all of the above, my major takeaway from 2023 into 2024 is that authenticity is key to success. With so much access to information, our customers, clients and employees are more clued-up than ever and can see through any false statements or gestures. So, Fans of Plans – I wish you a prosperous and authentic 2024.
PS If you want to stimulate your brain outside of the workplace, check out the Philosopher-in-Residence blog – out fortnightly on Thursdays, courtesy of Make Me A Plan’s Principal Planner, Anna Pascoe. Browse the latest edition here:
