by Marie Spreen, Hive Member, Executive Recruiter
Photo taken in Contemplative Photography Class
Back in the proverbial day, I spent a lot of high school time on the twirling squad, marching to the beat of the school band. When we were in line to enter a parade or the football field, we often had to wait behind another group. We’d be asked to march in place until we could proceed.
This is called Mark Time – to march on the spot without moving forward.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, especially as the national discussion around opening up the country heats up. As I talk with friends, no one seems to have a grasp on what that will look like, and just the thought of it can set people into fight, flight or freeze mode. Our adrenals are on overload!
Even so, I’ve been experiencing some of the most animated, engaging conversations around the topic:
What’s changed for you during this crazy period of time?
What will you leave behind as you move forward into the new world?
Who are you now?
With all the change we are experiencing, How do we get back to work? is one of the top concerns for a lot of us. Many people have already been furloughed and others are watching their companies prepare to downsize in order to stay in business. The need for creative leadership in every sector has never been more urgent.
What if we were able to awaken the consciousness of creative leadership for our next incarnation?
How will all this self-reflection manifest itself as we begin the slow march forward into an unknown job market?
How do we Mark Time during the transition?
This quiet time can be used as a stimulating opportunity to reassess your skills and talents in order to meet what will surely be a very spirited new marketplace.
What sort of opportunities will employers be offering potential new hires as they sort out what’s most important to their businesses?
More importantly, what will you bring to the table?
Instead of working from fear and planning for the worst, remember what you’ve just been through and consider your newly developed sense of strength and clarity. Mark Time.
Take a deep breath, focus on the present moment, then step out in faith and march toward your destination.
In the words of Douglas Adams:
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.”