by Lola Fong | Apr 24, 2020 | Articles
As we celebrated the new year on December 31st, 2019, we all had plans, hopes, dreams , ready to land in 2020. It was shaping up to be a good year, the start of a new decade, a leap year yes, but that didn’t matter, it was going to be a good year. What could go wrong? There was some talk about a virus developing in China, but that had nothing to do with us, pour the champagne, it was going to be a good year.
And then we literally blinked and everything that we have always known to be true, everything that we had taken for granted, everything that had made our lives comfortable, everything that made sense just changed, just evaporated, just turned upside down.
We all know the phrase, “every disappointment is for good” but is it though? Seems like disappointments have become the order of the day in all aspects of our lives. For the high school student, it’s final exams, prom night; for college students, it’s job fairs, internships, graduations; for business owners, it’s that new product, expanding the business; for corporations, it’s enhancing productivity, developing staff; for others it’s weddings, birthdays and even worse, funerals. Our best laid plans have either been shelved, cancelled or delayed. Murphy is smiling with that I told you so look, “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong” but we didn’t think that meant every facet of our life?
But our mindset is going to be the secret to our success, the secret to riding out the storm. Adjusting quickly and efficiently, facing the reality of our situation, not dwelling on the cancelled event or plan, revising the plan, changing our schedules, accepting loss, embracing delay, that is the required mindset. Words such as faith, trust, hope, love, patience take on a greater meaning now more than ever.
There is a lot of debate about which personality type will fare better in this time .The Introvert who knows the benefits of alone time, the Extrovert who knows the power of optimism, the Planner who has a spreadsheet for every eventuality, the Pragmatist whose favourite phrase is “reality check”, the Analyst who has researched every aspect of everything , the Control junkie, who has mastered the art of staying on top of everything, the Relationship guru who is driven to connect and communicate. Truth is they all have different attributes which will take them through the Covid-19 storm differently but will take them through.
Let’s talk about it, let’s coach and train through it, it’s a fascinating journey. Maybe every disappointment is really for good.
by Lola Fong | Apr 17, 2020 | Articles
The 3N challenge – Navigating the New Normal
It cannot be said enough, these are not normal times, life as we know it may never be the same. Life is a double edged sword and the task ahead for all of us, regardless of where we are in life is how to manage the 3N challenge that is enveloping us like an English fog. I have coined it the 3N challenge, Navigating the New Normal. After all, is there another choice? Like an oncoming wave, those who face it head on and brace for the onslaught will minimize the impact and get back to shore stronger, not necessarily unscathed but better positioned to face the next wave.
Accepting the fact that the employment arena has been turned inside out, the questions are coming fast and furious.Do I have the right skills to stay employed after Covid-19? Do I need to change my skills set? Is it time to re-think my career? Is my profession outdated? Will I even find employment? Now, these questions did not arise because of a marauding virus but they have certainly become more relevant since the entry of said virus.
We now communicate differently, we work differently, we need different services. The previous non-essential worker, delivery personnel for example, have become very essential; technology is ruling the kingdom right up there with the on line entertainment media and yes, those Millennials and Gen Zers , they are not happy with the restrictions but they are very adept in maneuvering the new space and adjusting quickly. But this is all temporary we say but is it? I put it to you, communication, entertainment, how we work, will never go back to what it was.
It is not only technical skills and physical space that are undergoing a makeover, our assessment of ourselves is daily and shifting. Should I adapt? How quickly can I adapt? Do I even want to adapt? We will see some employees opting for early retirement just because, others will now take the leap to start that new business that they have been dreaming about. Still others are completely unsure of their next step. It is daunting, it is scary, it is disruptive.
What is becoming clear to Boomers, Millennials, Gen Zers, Doctors , Lawyers, Indian Chiefs , is that they may need someone to help them understand themselves and their role in the new normal , someone to help them to navigate the new normal and someone to help them find their place in the new normal. Enter the Coach, the fastest growing profession before Covid-19, the essential profession after Covid-19.
A solution-focused Coach works with their client to inspire them, to move them towards whatever makes the biggest difference to accelerate their development choices at the particular stage of their life. Everyone agrees that there is always a need for professional flexibility and creative thinking, for improved relationships and accessing deeper meanings to life. Coaching advance persons toward a clear appreciation and understanding of their own unique path to satisfaction and success in a fast changing and different world.
Is it time for you to call a Coach?
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