My response to Covid-19

I have received my fair share of letters, instructions and information from a range of sources this past week as the corona virus pandemic presents a number of challenges personally and professionally for us all.

I aim to respond as a coach, mentor and trainer, as well as a micro business owner, to my customers and clients.

Providing interventions for groups that involve sustained personal contact such as a training workshop

I am monitoring government and WHO guidelines and instructions daily because the health, wellbeing and safety of clients and customers is paramount. For those I work with as learners in classroom-based settings, I am building in health and safety housekeeping to include the procedure that if anyone feels unwell they should leave immediately, self-isolate, and follow their employer’s procedures.

Agreeing ground rules and ways of working together at the start of a session always happens anyway, so building in a co-operative approach to self-monitoring and management that follows current health advice will be standard practice going forwards.

For now, today, the risk is deemed low to moderate and so I continue to operate within this framework and on the assumption individuals are taking personal responsibility along with their employer.

I aim to support clients who wish to re-consider postponing or altering delivery methods and will work with you to agree the best outcome for you and your learners. The need for flexibility is understood, as is dealing with unknowns and a quickly changing situation.

Moving online

For coaching clients, we work mainly via Skype/facetime together. Whilst many organisations and coaches might still work face to face, the chances are this pandemic will accelerate the shift to remote coaching and mentoring.

I say to anyone who would value some coaching support right now, I am set up and ready to go and can do this with you remotely.

I know that fellow consultants and coaches use a range of apps and software. I also use Go to Meeting and Zoom.

It’s time to move on line - take advantage of technology and embrace more remote working and provide it as a service.

As a micro business owner

As a colleague on Twitter posted last week, when f2f delivery is your payday, the impact on many in my line of work is likely to be high for business continuity and cash flow.

We all have terms and conditions of business and cancellations incur fees. The government has not mandated the closing of training courses or externally facilitated in-house activities (yet). In these extraordinary times there is a need for trust and dialogue on this, however, as clients sometimes make their own decisions for a variety of reasons about what they stop doing.

I would waive my cancellation fees if a client had to postpone but would expect that a booking in this instance is a postponement and is also based on booking an alternative date to be delivered in the future. A good faith deposit in these instances would also be invoiced for.

Social distancing is already having an impact on my small business but my priority remains to find ways to flex and adapt and still support clients. For that I need support and commitment in return.

Opportunities arise from difficult situations

Everyone has a role in helping to reduce the impact of the pandemic and to look after ourselves and each other. Action for Happiness sent out a nice message last week reminding us we can keep calm and avoid gatherings and situations that spread the virus, but also make wise and kind choices.

As a coach, mentor and consultant it is my job to help people deal with and cope with change. This includes peoples’ wellbeing and resilience, and supporting organisations I work with in their response to leading and managing in the testing times the cororna virus is causing.

This is an opportunity to collaborate.

This is a chance to help people overcome testing times and be more resilient.

This is my job. Please contact me if I can help you.

Make optimistic choices

Resilient people and organisations make realistic, optimistic choices.

They have a staunch view of reality and treat diffiicult situations as set-backs that can be overcome. They remember to think about what is in their control and their options for taking action; they’re able to focus on what enables them to adapt successfully to the prevailing conditions.

This ‘brain activity’ (thinking) leads to what might seem to be a super power if you’ve never consciously tried it! The good news is that we all possess the capability to have it. It’s being able to have ‘realistic’ optimism in the face of adversity and the motivational wherewithal to pursue actions with confidence that help overcome obstacles.

Learn to have resilience. It will help.

Resilience is important in these tough times and there are many individual and collective actions, tools and approaches to use.

Employers can implement support and create a healthy psychological environment and employment security.

Individuals can work on and manage their own emotional resilience.

I am walking the talk

Get in touch if I can help with resilience and ways to deal with change.

I’ll blog some more in the coming weeks with tools, approaches and technqiues.