Our Blog

So I missed the last deadline to submit a blog. Yikes! It wasn’t because I chose not to write it. It isn’t because I didn’t have a friendly invitation from Teresa. It was Monday and then it was the next Monday. This happens to us as leaders. We have “to do” lists. We have a routine. And, then our plans get interrupted by the unplanned events. These times we are in are certainly some of those crazy, surreal unplanned events.

When we miss a deadline as leaders, or when our staff miss deadlines, we need to take that as a moment to ask the right questions and respond accordingly. We need to look at the circumstances surrounding our lives at the moment of the missed deadline/task. Did we have control over it? Did missing our deadline cause harm? If so, how do we rectify and to whom do we need to acknowledge our missed tasks so that they aren’t further impacted? Was the task critical or is it something that needs to be rescheduled because of current circumstances? (This is a whole other topic on leadership...letting go of what we don’t need to do anymore, but I digress!) We need to communicate with the individuals involved, if needed, to make sure they are not struggling in any way during these times. If the missed task is a pattern, then we respond accordingly as leaders. The important thing is that we take a quick moment to look at the circumstances and not just react to others or to ourselves.

Then, we can respond. We take whatever action we need to do to follow through and move forward. We do so in a compassionate manner. We do so in a clear and professional manner. With our work environment so drastically changed, leaders must be in a reflective mode and be more diligent in their own planning and organization. Our new “normal” requires us to be flexible, organized, and responsive. It also requires us to clear our heads, take personal care, and be kind to ourselves. There is no better example of that than the staff at R9. Thank you, Teresa, for the gentle and positive reminder that we have an important blog to complete. That’s leadership.

P.S. I may have also watched the new Little Women on tv. What are you doing to relax during self-isolation?