Humans in the Workplace

Hello friends,

I’ve just spent a couple of nights glamping at Port Lympne Safari Reserve, which was lovely (had generous sized enclosures for the animals, most of whom they are attempting to ‘rewild’), but I still had concerns about how bored the animals must be, especially as they don't hunt their prey, but are fed.

I was chatting to friends about this very thing when a ranger overheard us and stopped to talk about how hard it is, although they do try, in a variety of ways, by moving enclosures, or providing ‘toys’ or activities, and he told us that occasionally wild animals (rabbits, foxes, seagulls) do get into the enclosures and… well, you know what that means!

It got me thinking about us humans in the workplace.

Stick with me…!

Do we get enough stimulation in our workplace? We spend roughly 45% of our week (waking hours) working and/or commuting to work. This is a really significant amount of time, even if we’re working from home. And let's, for the sake of this email, imagine work as a metaphorical enclosure.

Being stimulated at work isn’t just a ‘nice to have’. When your role sparks your curiosity or challenges you to learn something new, a ripple effect happens:

• Your interest grows. Tasks feel less like chores and more like opportunities.

• Your skills develop. New challenges stretch your abilities, building confidence and competence.
  Performance improves. Engagement fuels creativity, problem-solving, and productivity.

• Job satisfaction rises. Feeling stimulated is deeply linked to motivation, happiness, and the desire to stick around.
  

Unfortunately, for many of us, work can slowly shift into autopilot. We do what’s required and tick off the to-do list, but stop thinking and developing. It's likely that we finish the week feeling drained and maybe even dreading the next week.

If you’re not feeling that spark right now, I want to share some questions that you could reflect on to help you figure out what you need:

• What do I actually need to feel more positive about my work?

• How do I want to feel about my work?

• What’s missing?

• What excites me?

• What small change could I make this week?

• What do I need from others (my team, my manager) and how can I go about asking for it?

• Is this the right role/ team/workplace for me or do I need a change?
  

Or of course, you could also contact me for some 1:1 coaching so I could ask you the right questions to help you gain the clarity you need in order to move forward positively and purposefully. Yes that's a shameless plug, it's my newsletter, I’m allowed to!😁

Let me know how you get on- and give me a shout if you want a hand.