As we enter a New Year, now is the time to take stock and reflect, not only on how much we’ve changed already – using awareness, resilience and adaptability to navigate a post-pandemic world – but on how we would like to change in order to be who we want to be in a world of work that, despite the huge shake up, is opening up opportunities to live, work and progress life at our own pace, and in line with our own dreams and aspirations.
These past two years we’ve seen organisations adapt overnight. We’ve seen leaders step up to manage change, teams step into new ways of working, and individuals dial into an incredible amount of resilience – whether that be on the front-line, or in their own home. But no matter where you’ve been these past two years or what role you’ve had to play, one thing is undeniable, and that is your ability to adapt: not only adjusting to a world pandemic, but finding ways to be even more productive, more flexible and more ‘aware’ than you were before.
In order to step up, we’ve had to dial up different colour energies – adapting our preferences to a fast-changing day-to-day reality. In fact, 74% of learners who retook their Insights Discovery profile in 2021 adapted so much that they changed wheel position entirely. And it’s no wonder, because the more our environment changes externally, the more likely it is that we will have adapted internally – our responses to world events changing in accordance with our preferences.
So far though, we’ve been adapting in a reactive way – flexing and developing our ‘resilience’ muscles in order to survive – whereas now, as we enter a new world of work for the long-term, we can adapt in a proactive way; setting new objectives as organisations, empowering our teams in new ways as leaders, and reaching new heights and driving our own goals as individuals.
So, who are you now? And who do you want to be in the post-pandemic world? Now is the time to find out how you’ve changed – as individuals, teams, and organisations. Now is the time to rediscover who you are in the here and now, in order to aspire to who you want to be later.
Because the more the world is changing, the more opportunity there is for you to change too – and be who you want to be in the new world of work.
At Insights, we believe we all have four colour energies within us. It's the combination of these four colour energies that creates the unique YOU. But in the same way our styles and behaviours can change depending on the situation or the environment we’re in, this unique colour combination can change too. Despite what we might think, our personal preferences are not fixed, they’re dynamic. And it’s a good thing they are – because ultimately being resilient and aspiring to be different to who you are today is about one thing, and that’s adaptability.
So whether you've dialled up different colour energies consciously – using self-awareness to draw on areas you know you need to during times of stress – or subconsciously, using instinct and intuition to adapt to the moment and use it as an opportunity to aspire to new roles, partnerships or opportunities, chances are you’ve stepped up this past couple of years, drawing on your power to adapt. From the power of empathetic, Earth Green leadership, to the necessity of strong, Fiery Red decision-making; the calm, analytical insight of Cool Blue, to the inspiring Sunshine Yellow perspective driving us forward – what new colour energies have you drawn on in order to be more resilient this year? And what colour energies do you want to dial up more, in order to achieve your aspirations this coming year?
Reconnecting teams in a post-pandemic world and acclimatising to the new, hybrid workplace is the most urgent concern of organisations right now. How are teams going to feel coming face-to-face after such a long period apart? How are teams going to work together when individual preferences for ways of working have changed? And what about those teams that have changed completely – been down-sized or introduced new starters who haven’t stepped foot in the office yet?
This is where the team wheel comes in. The team wheel plots every participant's wheel position on the 72-type wheel, allowing the group to see the colour mix within their team.
If one or two people in the team have changed wheel position – or if even one person has left or been introduced into a team – the whole team wheel and the dynamics will be affected. Communication styles may have changed, preferred ways of working may have shifted, and newcomers may have added new energies into the mix.
So once you've retaken your Insights Discovery profile as individuals, the next best step is to review what your team wheel looks like. Speak to your Account Manager today about how you can Rediscover yourself and your team.
Understanding our team wheel and mix of energies has helped us build stronger unity across the team by highlighting and appreciating our differences. We have a greater understanding of ourselves and others.Helen Pye, Improvement Lead for NHS Morecombe Bay Trust
