Coming Out of Lockdown And How Mentoring Could Guide Us Back To Routine And New Direction

Countries world over are slowly easing out of Lockdown. Vaccinations are ongoing, however, new strains of the virus are being discovered every other day.

With the easing of the lockdown restrictions, many organizations are gradually opening for business as well. However, many have chosen to maintain the hybrid work from home option open to their employees.

In opening for business, however, many organizations are aware of the emotional and psychological strain the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on management and employees alike. During the pandemic, some were diagnosed with COVID 19, those that lost a loved one, and in some cases, some organizations lost employees to the virus.

Mentoring is one of the best ways an organization can help its employees to find their footing once more. It’s in mentoring that an individual finds a space that’s judgment-free. A person finds themselves through internal reflection and pondering. Mentors make it possible for mentees to find themselves by asking the right questions, providing a listening ear, and giving their time.

Mentoring can, therefore, help a workforce coming out of a lockdown by providing guidance on how to get back to routine and find new direction by;

● Helping mentees face their fears and anxieties. This period has been characterized by fear and anxiety. There’s been fear of the disease, fear of losing loved ones, fear of job loss, and fear of lacking essentials. With fear comes anxiety, and the two just don’t go away. They need to be addressed.

By talking to a mentor, mentees can vulnerably express their emotions as each one opens up about their feelings. The exchange between the mentor and the mentee helps them to realize that their fears and anxieties are common, and a path to healing is established. With healing comes better productivity and performance for both the organization and the individual.

● Helping address the changes going on everywhere.

Covid-19 has forever changed the way the world operates- starting with the SOPs that have become a part of us. The new hybrid routine may require that half of the workforce continue to work from home, and therefore a conversation on how to get work completed with unadulterated synergy needs to be had. Also, many organizations are expected to undergo strategic changes, forcing them to pursue a new direction. Either way, employees are expected to fit in. Mentoring helps to make this a seamless transition for both employees and the organization as a whole. It helps the employees discover where they fit in the organization, and how they can best deliver by allowing peers and managers to share visions and experiences for personal advancement and organizational growth.

● Helping address uncertainty and unpredictability.

People are no longer certain of what to expect. Even as countries are opening up, others are going back into lockdown due to the more dangerous strains coming up. This kind of uncertainty and unpredictability can be contained in part by mentoring especially at the workplace. In mentoring, one is given a listening ear, and time to express their fears, but also mentors share knowledge and experiences on how best to navigate uncertainties which is a very important skill to possess in these times.

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