In his second blog, Adrian Ashurst one of Cygnet’s specialist trainers, shares his personal thoughts about how we communicate with our colleagues post COVID-19 lockdowns.
Happy New Year to all our service users, colleagues, visitors and suppliers.
I spent the festive season with my sister in a quiet village situated in North Wales near Snowdon and was surprised to see the negative effect that having no access to the internet, social media and limited connectivity to my mobile phone had on me personally.
I was frustrated and kept trying to reach some signal, even during the night!
Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook have now become an integral part of my life. I send and receive dozens of emails every week alongside attending regular Zoom meetings, and I realise that the art of letter writing and personal ‘face to face’ conversation has changed forever.
During my stay at my sister’s, I had time to reflect on how we can better manage the way we communicate at work by not having to rely so heavily on the internet and social media.
Positivity as a way of life
It is easy to replace important words with emojis but these can sometimes be misunderstood by the person receiving our messages. Nothing quite beats a real-life smiley!
Being positive is a way of life and I’ve learnt that a smile at the right time can really help someone who may be feeling low when you meet them at work.
A breezy ‘Good morning’ can be a lift to a member of night staff who may have had a challenging night shift.
If a colleague is having difficulties for whatever reason, then making time to listen attentively can have a positive impact in how they feel once they have spent time with you.
Sometimes when you are under pressure it is difficult to remain positive but successful managers always provide an opportunity and time for their team members to talk about any concerns they may be experiencing, either personal or work related issues.
A culture of open communication
At Cygnet, we strive to create a positive, open culture where everyone feels able challenge practice in order that we learn, improve and give the best possible care to those we are privileged to look after.
It is important to remember that we all have a duty of care to report any issues concerning the care and support of our service users.
Speaking Up is something we all have a responsibility to do. Making sure that everyone is able to talk openly and honestly, and for those concerns to be heard and acted upon, is something that is positively encouraged at Cygnet.
Watch our Speak Up animation to learn when and how you should speak up: https://vimeo.com/606454703/a582c8660f
Stories to make us smile
We have got a fantastic way of sharing and celebrating our Cygnet Heroes through good news stories. It gives colleagues and service users a positive boost to see their successes regularly shared on the website and social media.
We have so many talented people working here, all with great stories that deserve to be told. Excellent communications are at the heart of all that we do in providing care and support throughout Cygnet.
My New Year’s resolution is to try and be as positive as I can be and make a real difference in all my communications throughout 2022.