Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s blog, I can’t believe this is #5 of the year, I hope people are finding it interesting, if not I apologise!
The month of March has been focussed on getting out in front of more of our fantastic clients for lunch, on the golf course and hosting the Midlands APSCo event that I Chair. It’s also been the month where as a business we have been implementing our core values, which I spoke briefly about in my previous blog, on the back of these values our brilliant marketing team Sophia and Danny are working with the business and our marketing agency to produce a brand-new BB website, coming later this year.
Getting in front of our clients I have been having conversations that have led to discussing working practices, this also was a big topic at the APSCo event I hosted, very much around expectations, and needs for both employers and employees.
One particular conversation I have had was focussed on the need to ensure that culture and engagement are maintained within a business, one example given, around internal collaboration was that people behave very differently on Teams in terms of waiting to speak, not saying something that could add real value due to the moment passing as appose to being in the office together kicking around ideas, offering solutions and being creative to come up with ideas, different viewpoints to get to an agreed outcome.
The general view here was video technology in terms of Teams, Zoom etc are great tools and the pandemic has moved this way of working forward by c5 years, however, the point is also the need to engage face-to-face with your colleague to build strong relationships, trust, creativity and culture.
The conclusion from conversations I have weekly is that it needs to be right for the business, right for the employee and right for the team, this means flexibility by all parties, which leads to a hybrid model rather than fully remote. The consensus seems to be 3 days a week in the office vs. home working. I expect this will open up an interesting debate
This article by Garner gives some good insight on flexibility to attract the best talent.
My Fitness journey update…
March has felt like hard work, this was probably down to a few extra nights out with friends and family and more client lunches, meaning my diet hasn’t been exactly on point, however, I managed to lose 2.4kg bringing me down to 101.9kg, I have targeted myself to be at 98kg by July which I should be on track for. The Easter Bank Holiday weekend hasn’t helped mind, I have no doubt added a few extra pounds over the weekend!
I have stepped up my cardio this month, aiming to do 5k on the cross trainer before my weights session 4/5 times a week and then a 10k session 1 day a week, I am hoping this will help to burn more fat over the coming months, I’m aiming to burn 600-1000 calories per session without burning hard-earned muscle mass.
This one is from the High-Performance Podcast with Tyson Fury aka The Gyspy King. Love him or hate him, I felt this episode was a compelling listen.
In this episode, they dive into Tyson’s mental health struggles, his challenging childhood and the dangerous nature of obsession. They explore the difference between Tyson Fury and the Gypsy King, Tyson is a father, son and mental health patient and also how the Gypsy King is mentally concrete, and unbeatable. Although Tyson has celebrated the highest highs, he has also suffered the lowest lows, with the most monumental events in his life leading to deep depression and suicidal thoughts. Through Tyson’s struggles, he has now become a mental health advocate and is at a point where he is able to share valuable lessons, explore what he would have done differently and how he is now living one day at a time, being present in every moment.
Have a great April all and look out for my next blog next month!
