Shoulder to shoulder in your team with The FISH! Philosophy

The times are full of worries, uncertainty and disturbances. And we don't know for how long:

How can we support each other as a community and as a society? Here are a few FISH! philosophical thoughts that you might be able to use.

BE THERE 
Sometimes we get worried when we communicate more via technology than face to face. Now the situation is completely different. Now our smartphones, tablets and PCs are red hot. The recommendation is clear. Talk to family, to friends, to customers. Contact those you haven't spoken to in a while. Ask how they are doing. Encourage them to talk. When they talk, listen carefully. It is especially important to reach out to people who live alone. They need your ear and your voice and your concern.


MAKE THEIR DAY
This is not the time for a surprise party with 100 guests. But there are other ways you can show your interest and attention. When you are in the supermarket, you must keep a distance of 2 meters - with a smile. Show that you are interested in the safety of others. When you get the chance, say thank you to the staff, the public servants, the health workers, the sanitation workers, the shop assistants and all those who are important in making the days work. They are the heroes.


PLAY
Throughout history, people have lived through even the most serious situations with determination, courage, sacrifice - and not least laughter. Laughter reduces stress. Don't forget the things that will make you smile and laugh. Watch a funny movie. Play a board game with the family. Go for a walk (remember the distance rule!) Or go to the garden. It is important that you take care of yourself and others. Play is one way to go that maintains a serious ease.


CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE
There are plenty of attitudes to choose from right now: frustration, anger, fear and hopelessness to name a few. No matter how you feel right now, you are right. People suffer in many ways - physically, financially, mentally. At a time when we all feel helpless, we can help ourselves by asking: What attitudes help myself and others best right now, so that we can all look forward to the day when our world returns to what it was becomes our new daily routine.


This is how FISH! can help you and your employees through a difficult time
We humans are connected to each other. Just like the animals that live in communities, we humans are also wired to feel the same as those we move among. It is an evolutionary trait. When a cave dweller anticipated a threat and quickly alerted the tribe, the safer they all were.


It works pretty much the same way today, except the threats aren't furry mammoths. Our stress stems from being asked to do more with fewer resources. Too much information. Fear of failure. Tensions between colleagues. Possible layoffs.


It is estimated that approximately half of a group of employees see work as the most important cause of stress in their lives. This means that either you or your colleague feel caught off guard. When one feels this, the other will inevitably begin to feel the same.


There are plenty of proven strategies for reducing individual stress — meditation, regular exercise, plenty of sleep, good nutrition, rest to recharge.


But how can we help each other? Here are a few tips to help colleagues manage stress more effectively using FISH! the philosophy.


Be there: stand together shoulder to shoulder
The human brain has evolved to be able to process incredible amounts of information. But it has trouble keeping up. We are exposed to five times as much information daily compared to 30 years ago.


When the advanced areas of our brains that govern decisions and analysis are overloaded, our primitive areas of control intervene. We switch to survival mode. It overrides our ability to reason and solve problems. We get distracted, scared and frustrated.


The logical answer should be to adjust the requirements so that the brain can keep up. Congestion will cost money in the long term through decreased focus, productivity and revenue.


However, we know that the requirements will continue to increase. What is the best answer? Be there for each other. When people support and trust each other, neurochemical adjustments occur that allow the advanced brain to wrestle back control.


If you feel stressed, don't try to deal with it alone. Your colleagues don't have to stand alone either. Try to create some 'human time' for yourself after at least two hour periods. Check and see how colleagues are doing. Encourage them to share their experiences. When they share, listen fully and attentively. The more you invest in the relationships, the more people will be there for you when you have a need.


Make their day: Help them reframe the problem
Stress causes tunnel vision. Even the routine challenges turn into insurmountable problems. You can help colleagues regain perspective by 'reframing' the situation.


For example, they may be unsure of how to handle their growing workload. Talk to them about what is most important. Which steps or sub-tasks need to be completed first? Is there something that you or another colleague can help with?


Doubt help
Are they on their own to do the job? Remind them that you've seen them achieve their goals in the past. Ask for their ideas, recognize the best and question the less promising ideas.


Are they in conflict with a colleague? Let them tell their version and ask them to look past their feelings. What does the other colleague think? Is it about misunderstandings? Help them figure out how to talk to the colleague in a positive way.


Helping others reframe their way of thinking is a great way to make them happy. And when you help, you also learn something.


Choose your attitude: Be aware of your short fuse
When you are stressed, it is extremely easy to have mood swings. Shame, guilt and sarcasm. We all try it once in a while.


You can be patient, supportive and cordial 95 percent of the time. But the last 5 percent, where you completely lose your spirit and patience, has a huge impact on others, especially if you are a leader. It is difficult to relax with a person who can explode at any moment.


If your mood swings often, people try to avoid you. When you're around, they don't perform well. This affects the whole team.


When you are tempted to lash out in anger, ask yourself: How will my response affect my relationship with the people I depend on so much? How can I handle the situation with this person if we were to go out to dinner together tonight?


If you are upset with someone and need to talk to them, focus on solving the problem. Get all the facts before you judge.


Ask yourself every day: 'Which person do I want to be?' When you fall back into what we all come to, say sorry - and prove you mean it.


Play and humor
Most babies laugh a hundred times a day. Adults laugh on average just 15 times. According to Gallup, we laugh far less on weekdays than on weekends.


Research shows that play and humor relieve stress, ignite creativity, boost analytical skills and increase the ability to collaborate. Why don't we just play and laugh some more?


The big obstacle is that play and humor are experienced differently. It is crucial that you respect each individual in the team. Remember this FISH! recommendation about play and humor: Play and humor work when you are there for others, when you make them happy and choose a caring attitude.


The message is that you can easily try to make more room for play and humour: make fun of yourself more. Laugh at life's craziness. Also laugh at the problems you are trying so hard to solve.


Play and humor are closely related to learning. A study in the Harvard Business Review shows that when you spend more time learning on the job, stress levels are reduced. Seeing oneself grow with the task gives resilience to new challenges.


Try to reformulate your short-term effects of stress into long-term opportunities to learn: 'Yes, yes, stop, you know, I only have two hands' can for example be reformulated to 'If I do C first, then A and then postpone and collect B, then I'll get it all right'. It is so easy to write, but so incredibly difficult to remember in the situation. You can therefore seek input from colleagues for your challenges. They will be happy to help you see the new perspectives.

Get more inspiration from FISH! about renovating your company culture right HERE

Michael Meinhardt
LEADERSwarehouse.com 

☎ +45 71 92 55 63 ✉ info@LEADERSwarehouse.com