Molly Engelbert

Change & Project Management

Molly is an expert in people and projects. With 10 years of experience managing commercial construction projects with a hyper-focus on end user adoption, she is here to help take your project goals to the finish line through a change management lens.

We all understand the importance of staying engaged and connected in the workplace. Remember this convo, circa late February, 2020? Employee engagement and satisfaction is directly proportional to our wellbeing and happiness. If we have a sense of purpose in the workplace, and we relate to and believe in our organization’s visions and goals, we are able to channel our energy into outstanding results for the benefit of not only the organization, but more importantly of ourselves, through the pride and fulfilment that comes hand-in-hand with self-actualization and improvement. Turnover is minimized, shareholder returns are inflated, and we go on with our bad selves where every day blends into the next in our workplace paradise.

So how are we expected to stay engaged in our work while, on the largest scale, our community is fighting for racial equality? While our loved ones lose their jobs, battle COVID and flu season, and danger seems to be knocking at our door with every package delivery? Quite frankly, we are not expected to. YOU’RE not expected to. You are human, and there are external pressures that are a threat to you, your community, and your loved ones’ existence. Juggling these threats whilst managing to run the numbers and still feed your kid a snack every half-hour is not yet, but will soon be, a top seller in the virtual box office as our next SuperHero flick.

And while you’re certainly not expected to have unleashed your 2020 super powers, I want you to find hope in knowing they’re still there.

Let’s break it down and tackle this one step at a time.

Step one: How engaged am I?

You feel it in your gut, and while that’s a great starting point, a more actionable step will be to find a survey that helps put some definition and understanding to your current level of engagement – try the one below for an example. This will be a critical first step in evaluating what kind of transformation will need to happen to get you to a heightened level of engagement, happiness, and compromised bliss in our current state of affairs.

Here is a self burnout test that we have used recently at Hyphn:

Step two: What can I ask for support with?

Communication through a pandemic is invaluable. Keeping an open channel of two-way, candid, and honest communication with your supervisor, your colleagues, and your direct reports in the short term will lead to more evenly distributed workloads and will help you feel like you’re a part of the greater good. In the long term, it will pave the way to a higher level of understanding of everyone’s needs – building connection, empathy, and the secret ingredient that bridges the voids of remote connection: trust. Your colleagues will feel connected in having your back when you need them. And you will feel better supported in taking on whatever this world is bringing you, not only by truly knowing everyone on your team, but by knowing that you are stronger together.

Step three: What is in my control?

While it’s far too easy to get caught in the emotional swirl that is 2020, being intentional in focusing on what we can control can help to break down this barrier. As my dear friend and coach has taught me, at the end of the day, we can only control three things: 1) where we spend our time 2) our resources, and 3) our energy. Voila. Using this concept as our foundation for next steps on tackling our comprehensive health and wellness, think about how you can parcel out these human commodities, to areas that may need some TLC:

Mental + Emotional Health
While many things seem out of our control in this daunting unknown, there are some things that we know that deserve an appropriately COVID-scaled celebration. We know that we have come so far in the face of unwelcome change. We know that there is a sense of peace in understanding that we are all in this together. And we know that every time someone mutters the words “you’re on mute”, a fairy gets their wings.
Take time to celebrate the victories and the precious affordances that have been given to us. If something isn’t feeding you, take a break, or move along. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Take pause and listen to the dialogue in your head. It should sound like words of encouragement, support, understanding, and love, just the way you would speak to a dear friend.

Physical Health
If we could bundle up all the benefits of exercise and pop them into a pill it would be considered a miracle drug. Take time to tap into your physical wellness. Take a senses walk on your lunch and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds. A daily stretch, paired with your favorite podcast or a fully immersive soundtrack can be highly energizing. Be sure to thank yourself for showing up when you’re done.

Social Health
Set time aside to connect, and don’t hesitate to do so. Yes, I hear that your day is flogged with meetings, and your work hours are being merged into your home hours, and vice versa. Which is exactly why it is important that we allocate time to rekindle that sense of connection, belonging, and community. Find a Pen Pal or reach out to someone you haven’t recently connected with and remember why you’ve always enjoyed their company.

Re-channeling engagement in work and in life, albeit difficult to imagine given the circumstances, might be simpler than it seems. And while it feels that it might take some kind of herculean effort in a time where you can’t seem to muster up enough energy to complete your menial to-do list, I got you. WE GOT YOU. It’s time to start exploring this new reality, one step at a time. It’s time to start coming back together, though apart.

Engagement. What is it good for? Absolutely everything!

Molly Engelbert