After a very busy and exciting year, Maureen has finally found the time to take a well deserved holiday. Maureen is like most HR professionals in the world; she is more concerned with the wellbeing of others than her own, so sometimes she forgets to take some time to look after herself. We are always urging HR professionals to take some ‘me time’ and be a little bit selfish. We not only tell them to think about their own professional development, as well as their teams’, but also their own wellbeing! Looking after other people all the time is exhausting! As you know at Cullen Scholefield we practice what we preach, so Maureen is taking a well deserved holiday – although we did have to practically push her out of the door…
So how do you incorporate ‘me time’ into your work day? Well the first thing we need to do is define ‘me time.’ It’s not necessarily a break to stretch your legs and catch up on Twitter, but more of a break from the distractions of others. HR professionals are constantly being bombarded by people from all angles: their boss, their HR colleagues, employees in other departments, the phone, email, social media and so much more. It can be overwhelming and leaves you with little time to concentrate on the tasks and aims that you set yourself.
So ‘me time’ is about taking the time to address your professional needs. Whether you take an hour to focus on your own projects, or take an afternoon to study for your CIPD qualification, it’s all about you.
It is especially important to do this in an open plan office. For example, when I have a pressing deadline and need to concentrate I shut off the outside world for an hour by locking myself in another room, or if that’s not available I put on my headphones. I let my colleagues know that I need a bit of time to myself and they cooperate, assured that I’m not just being antisocial! This works for me, but everyone is different and everyone seeks their ‘me time’ in their own way.
While Maureen is taking a holiday this week, she is also taking a ‘me time’ break next week at the CIPD Annual Conference in Manchester.
The conference is taking place next week on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th November. There are going to be many interesting stands, events and seminars so it is definitely worth a visit while also being a great resource for ‘me time.’ Maureen uses the conference as a chance to catch up on her own projects away from the office, “blue sky” thinking she calls it, and also brush up on her own learning. You can never stop learning new things!
The main benefit she gets from spending time at the conference, however, is that she bumps into the familiar faces of Cullen Scholefield candidates! It really brightens her day. I must wonder how many candidates she must pass without realising, as with our distance learning approach to teaching we sometimes don’t get to meet our candidates in person until we give them their certificate at ourAnnual Awards Presentation!
If you are planning on attending the CIPD Conference, please let us know. It would be a shame for Maureen to miss out on meeting you!
eMail us at develop@www.cullenscholefield.com to set up a meeting with Maureen.