This Week in Talent (16th February)

Well, here we are again! Another busy week has past us. I spoke with many TA professionals over thew past few weeks, and the theme is consistent. It feels like there was never a holiday. Distant memories! Everyone seems to be back in the swing of things….and just like 2022, frantic.

However, there are those friends of ours, particularly in the technology sector, that have faced redundancies due to the market downturn. It’s a challenging year already!

I spent last Wednesday with 10 local Talent professionals running one of my Createfulness workshops. By the time you have ready this I will have completed 2 more!

I run these workshops to help people tap into their creative mindsets, so we can come up with innovative ideas and solutions for the problems we face day to day. Call it creative problem solving, but with a twist. We participate in individual and group creative activities with fresh flowers. So, not only do you walk away with fresh ideas, but you also walk away with fresh flowers. It’s very fun!

Anyway, back to the workshop from last Wednesday. We were focussed on 2023, and what we can do to avoid the stresses of 2022.

Time management was key. There was a lot of conversation about teams being pulled in many different directions, and high demand from businesses. A lot of strain on Talent professionals. One of the key opportunities that was presented was how badly our time is managed. We don’t protect it. Back in the day you could have a “do not disturb” on Teams or Slack, but these days the business seems to ignore it. Out of Office is no longer working. We don’t push back.

Much conversation was had around why this is. And it’s the old chestnut of businesses not understanding how much is on our plate. Talent teams are often underestimated in terms of the complexity of our work, and sheer volume of activity we face every day.

The idea we came up with was visibility. To be clear with the business on what we are working on. Transparency. To highlight what our focus is for the day, and why we can’t be disturbed. Generally, people are reasonable, and when they have access to what our daily focus is, they will naturally provide less pressure and have much more respect over our time.

So, we invented a new way of managing our time. Using email Teams and/or Slack to highlight what we are concentrating on. No more generic “in a meeting” or “do not disturb” statuses. Actual transparent task-oriented statuses. “I am running back-to-back interviews today, so please contact me tomorrow if you matter is not of high urgency”

It’s not huge. It’s not overly ground-breaking, but it is something we are keen to try. Sometimes simple and transparent ideas can have major impact. Imagine a world where talent professionals are understood, and our impact and role complexity respected. It’s something we have strived for many years. Could giving our businesses this level of access to our tasks and day to day activity be the key to unlocking the hurdles we have always faced?

This week’s articles are a little different. I’ve focussed on articles centred around Creativity from around the world. Feels quite appropriate after running so many workshops this past week. Enjoy!

A Deeper Understanding of Creativity at Work

At a first glance I thought this podcast was going to be a little “highbrow” for my vibe. However, it is a great listen. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman (BetterUp) and Martin Seligman (University of Pennsylvania) discuss at a deeper level, the art of creativity at work. The four different types of creativity in the workplace (integration, splitting, figure-ground reversal, and distal thinking) offers a fascinating perspective. Further reading– “TOMORROWMIND- Thriving at work with Resilience, Creativity and Connection – Now and in an uncertain future”

Why Creativity Is the Top Business Skill in the Post-Covid Workplace

A detailed LinkedIn article that I often read back. It gives a great insight into the difference and linkage between Creativity and Innovation, so incredible stats around and research around the value placed on creativity in the workforce. There are also some great examples of creative companies, and why it is working for them.

Supporting creativity in corporate environments

Reading this article by Luke Smith, I naturally thought about Talent Acquisition, and the blurred line between our function, and Marketing. Employer Brand, EVP, making your company stand out from the pack. Using brand and marketing efforts to attract top talent. “When you support creative work and the people bringing it to light, your business will stand out from the crowd and your brand will be more widely recognised by your audience”

Six Self-Care Behaviours to Implement in the Workplace

I’m glad to see Creativity is making it onto these lists, as more and more people understand the benefits. These 6 self-care strategies are simple yet effective. We were working in an ever-changing work landscape, often riddled with uncertainly. It is important we look after ourselves, and this offers a great check list!

7 ways to promote creative liberty in the workplace

Poetic license. Dramatic license. Narrative license. Creative license.

Here are seven reasons why creative freedom can be advantageous to the workplace. From engagement, to learning and development, this clearly highlights the benefits in the workplace and the impact Creativity has on culture. If you are to read just one article on Creativity, this is the one!

Oh the Thinks You Can Think

Ah, Dr Suess! I love this book! It’s magical. So much celebration of imagination and creativity. Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy! It’s so much fun! “Oh the thinks you can think”