On the stress bucket…
I’ll introduce myself first. My name’s Matt Wells. I’ve worked with 50 Degrees on an associate basis for many years and known many of the team for many, many more years!
Recently, I was chatting with Andy and Emily (the bosses), and they outlined their vision for 50 Degrees, speaking passionately (well, enthusiastically at the very least) about how they wanted to build and support the team, as the organisation grows.
Long story short… I was delighted to agree to help them with this endeavour by joining as a permanent member of staff, as the newly appointed Head of Talent and Wellbeing. I should probably say at this point that I have decades of experience in the public services sector, have worked in commercial recruitment (talent attraction and retention!), and have studied corporate and individual wellbeing extensively.
What will I be doing for 50 Degrees? Simple. Helping find and keep great people.
I wanted to talk in this Blog a little about the ‘keeping great people’ bit.
The world of bid consultancy is a pressurised one. Juggling multiple projects. Word counts. Glitching IT. And the ever-present tick-tock of the looming deadline. It’s stressful. Throw in personal challenges from outside work – you know, small things like global pandemics; family relationships; financial worries; grief. We’re constantly filling our metaphorical ‘stress bucket’.
It’s true that some people cope better with stress than others. Some people seem immune to stress no matter what happens to them (outwardly at least), whilst what seems like a small issue can make others collapse in a heap. Why is that?
Why do some people cope better with stress than others, and how can you make yourself more resilient? That’s a fundamental part of what I will be focusing on with the 50 Degrees team in my new role.
A big part of that is understanding the brain. And I would love to go into detail here about the science of stress and the role the brain plays… but am told I must stick to a word count. Bloody word counts! But, working with the team, I’m pleased to say I do have the time to talk to them about the pre-frontal cortex, the neo-cortex and the intellectual and primitive mind… and how anxiety can take a hold.
It can seem theoretical at first maybe, but it’s important to first understand how the brain works and how stress and anxiety is caused. Once we understand that, then we are better equipped to develop strategies to cope.
One of the founding values of 50 Degrees values is:
Fun: An environment that people want to work in, where they can do their best work; we believe that people are most motivated when they’re enjoying what they do.
No one is having fun if they are feeling stressed and anxious. That value could become just a platitude if people working under pressure aren’t supported to manage their anxiety levels; given tools to improve their wellbeing; given support from their peers and provided with the right environment. And, for the record I think 50 Degrees are doing a great job here… but, of course, we can always improve.
So, what does that look like practically? How do we stop the stress bucket filling up with negative thoughts and anxieties about stressful meetings, problematic bid sections and those looming deadlines? Well, the good news is there is plenty that we can do to build up our resilience to stress at work. The bad news is that the word count has thwarted me again… so I’ll talk about some of the practical steps I work with the team on, in my next Blog.
Matt Wells
Head of Talent and Wellbeing