Organizations need to find meaningful ways to prevent burnout and keep their talent — out of concern for their employee’s mental health, their organization’s success, and the economy’s resilience.
March is Women’s History Month, a time when we intentionally celebrate the many achievements, successes, and contributions of women. Since the onset of the pandemic, the strength and drive of women have been impressively on display as they carry on with their usual day-to-day responsibilities amidst great uncertainty and stress — with many having to suddenly take care of their children and/or parents at the same time as being a productive and available member of their professional team.
People generally rise to a challenge during times of crisis, and women certainly are no exception, but we all have our breaking point. Women, especially working mothers, have met their breaking point. Not because they are unwilling to do the hard work to get through the pandemic, but because there are only so many hours in a day.
We Should Be Concerned
Fortune reportedin a study with woman-run wellness company Gold Bee that COVID-19 has driven millions of women out of the United States’ workforce: “In September, when schools resumed, many of them with remote learning, 80% of the 1.1 million people who exited the workforce were women. In December, women accounted for all of the net job losses, while men achieved some job gains. Today, unemployment for women remains 1.9 percentage points above the pre-pandemic level” and that “since the onset of the pandemic, 400,000 more women than men have left the workforce.”
The same article points out that one of the main reasons for this disparity is “the increased burden of unpaid care—shopping, cooking, cleaning, taking care of kids and parents in the household—which is disproportionately carried by women. Pre-COVID-19, women on average already did almost twice as much unpaid care compared to men. The COVID-19 crisis has added a very uneven addition onto an already unequal baseline.”
Anyone who is a working mother, or knows a working mother, is aware of how mission impossible it is to simultaneously work full-time, care for your children full-time, and educate your children full-time. The statistics are daunting, but only confirm what our lived experiences over the past year have shown us.
Let’s Not Settle for Getting Back to Normal
While the situation is beginning to look more manageable — thanks to vaccines and more schools opening for in-person instruction — there’s still a long way to go until we’re fully on the other side of this crisis.
Furthermore, it would be foolish to have gone through all of the changes, hardships, and losses the past year has forced upon us and not come out stronger in the end.
As individuals, as organizations, and as a collective society, let’s not settle for getting back to normal. Let’s build back better than before.
You Need to Invest in Order to Retain
With the year we’ve all had, it could be easy to see investing in employees with personal and professional development opportunities as a luxury, but with “one in four women considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce” it’s clear organizations need to find meaningful ways to prevent burnout and keep their talent — out of concern for their employee’s mental health, their organization’s success, and the economy’s resilience.
True Colors International is a global leader in consulting and training. Our methodology translates complex temperament theory into practical information and actionable programs using the four colors orange, gold, green, and blue to differentiate the four primary personality types. It has been used globally for over 40 years by corporations and non-profits, as well as education, government, and military institutions.
At the heart of our methodology is our True Colors Workshops, which are led by a certified facilitator and can be done virtually or in-person. Participants learn how their own unique “color spectrum” affects all of their relationships and behaviors; they gain powerful insights into how effective communication and mutual collaboration improve the success — and lower the stress — of any professional or personal undertaking.
The True Colors Personal Success Workshop, for instance, guides participants through the foundational concepts of the True Colors system as it applies to their lives. The interactive, information-packed workshop helps participants explore their own distinctive personality strengths and stressors, learn to respect and appreciate differences in the ways people function, and lay the foundation for relationship building, effective communication, and team building.
“When you invest in training and development, you invest in your people personally and professionally. You supply them with tools and resources that can improve not only their work lives, but their family lives as well,” said Merrily Mellick, the National Account Manager at True Colors.
Find a Workshop That Best Meets Your Needs
For a better understanding of how True Colors can help you, consult with a True Colors expert today. We deliver transformative change to organizations and are able to customize our workshops to best meet your needs during these challenging times.
