Rather than waiting for (or blaming) “them” to do something,
get creative and start a resiliency movement yourself.
During my undergraduate years at Jacksonville University, I spent a fair number of hours in the campus library. On the second floor (as I remember), there were a few study rooms. Here a student could isolate himself for quiet. I recall some of these rooms having a typewriter for those needing to hammer out a term paper. Quiet time.
When I taught at Florida State College at Jacksonville, the library had quiet rooms for students to study or practice for presentations. These study groups helped students understand concepts, share ideas, review notes, and encourage one another during exam preparation. Collaborative growth and development.
The image of students pulling all-nighters notwithstanding, some campuses now provide nap zones and nap stations. A rested student is a better-prepared student the thinking goes.
When I visited Zappos headquarters last month, I met the “Zappos Mayor” (Tony Ferrara). In follow-up emails, I asked the “Mayor” about the Zappos nap room. Where there any metrics on its use and success?
Photo by Steve Piscitelli
“Yes, we do have a nap room here at Zappos for those folks that may need a little power nap during their break or lunch times. In addition to the nap room, we have several miscellaneous benefits here at Zappos …. We don’t provide these extras specifically for the purpose of quantifying their results. We provide them as part of building and maintaining culture through employee engagement. For example, we don’t monitor who uses the nap rooms at all. They’re there for the benefit and convenience of team members, not for analyzing metrics.”
Video recommendation for the week.
Arianna Huffington promotes the power of rested employees. As she states in this clip, the workplace “pays people for their judgment not their stamina.”
More than likely, your workplace does not have a nap room. The culture and the leadership may not support such a departure from the industrial work model. OK. What can you do to promote wellbeing?
Rather than waiting for (or blaming) “them” to do something, get creative and start a movement yourself. Consider your own “resilience group.” Create a critical mass for a “resilience movement.” It could start over a cup of coffee or a walk around the campus during lunch.
It does not have to be a venting group. In fact, since it is a resilience group, you may want to focus on positives. What is working in your workplace and how can you create more of it?
Start with a group of co-workers you can trust, talk with, and share ideas; people who understand your experiences. You function as a collegial support group. You might find that you need to bring in a facilitator at some point to bring your “movement” to a higher level.
At times, just having co-workers acknowledge that they hear our concerns, and maybe share those concerns, is the shot of energy we need. Great start. But what action will you take beyond the words? What will your collective resiliency plan look like? When will you start?
Collaboration. Caring. Collegiality. No need to be an island.
It’s worth consideration.
Make it an inspiring week and H.T.R.B. as needed.
For information about and to order my new book, Stories About Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island, click here.
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