Essentials: Year 1 #2

GET INTO THE STAFFROOM

I am grateful to one of my mentors and now good friend for role modelling to me the importance of making the time to be social with staff members at work. When I began, it was almost a race who could get into the staffroom the quickest. That invaluable 30 minutes break needed to be spent relaxing, debriefing or simply just having a conversation with someone. #instantcoffee

Seeing others do this embedded it to me as the norm. But now, I often see people staying away from the staffroom to work.

And this, in my opinion is not a good thing.

Certainly, I can understand people forming an argument that those 30 minutes could be better spent working on some administration or preparation task. Of course they could be spent doing that! But I don’t know if it’s “time better spent”. I would argue in the long run you are doing yourself a disservice. There will come a time when you need someone or might have to have a challenging conversation with a staff member. Those discussions will go better for you if develop those relationships now. A 2 minute conversation about the weather or the footy on the weekend as you make a cup of tea is all it takes.

Building relationships with colleagues is imperative to ensuring your mental health and wellbeing stays a priority when things get stressful.

And another huge plus is you will enjoy social gatherings a million times more.

Essentials:

1. Be a regular in the staffroom

2. Speak to different people

3. Say hi to EVERYONE and Smile as much as possible!

4. Work is a lot easier when your colleagues turn into your friends.