As managers, it’s crucial to seek support when we need it.
In this episode of the Managing Well podcast, Tonya Ladipo discusses the challenges that people managers face when they are going through difficult times themselves. She shares a recent lesson she learned surfing and how it served as a metaphor for navigating tough times.
Key Takeaways:
- Often we talk about how to be a great people manager and how to support your team, but there are times when we [people managers] need support ourselves.
- Remind yourself that everything will be okay . . . and this too shall pass.
- You may not be at your peak every day. Your best and what you are capable of changes with the stress of life. But you keep going.
Reflection Questions:
- You often pour into your team. Do you care for yourself the way that you care for others?
- Do you struggle to ask for help before you’re at a breaking point? If so, what makes it difficult to seek support?
- Reflect on a difficult time in your life. What did you do to get through those moments? What worked that you can implement now?
Action Items:
- As a manager, get your own support. Enlist your manager’s support by asking for what you need. Advocate for yourself so you can tend to your own needs and also support your team.
- Double down on basic self-care. Get enough sleep. Drink water. Move your body. Listen to calming music. Take a walk and look at nature. Practice doing things that bring you to the present moment.
- Take deep breaths and speak kindly to yourself. The goal is to recenter and overcome a highly reactive state. Whatever is happening in your personal and work life may not change overnight. But pausing each day and taking deep breaths helps regulate and calm your nervous system, and allows your brain to get more oxygen, and to think more clearly.
Additional Resources:
- Leaders, Take Care of Yourself, HBR
- Mangers, You Don’t Have to Put Yourself Last, HBR
- Why Leaders Should Take Care of Themselves First
- The Self-Care Guide for Managers | Calm Business
The Managing Well podcast, with host Tonya Ladipo, talks about wellness in the workplace with people leaders, mental health professionals, HR experts, and more. Click the link to subscribe to the podcast and get the latest episodes.