Knowing when to ask for help is something that many people struggle with, but in tough times it can be transformational.
John Greenwood, Head of Technology & PCI Compliance, Contact Centre Panel
It’s perhaps an understatement to say that we live in changing times. Adjusting to a post-Covid work and consumer environment, as well as being mindful of increased costs and the changes that brings to how we prioritise our decision making. Whether at work or home, the decisions we make over these summer months are going to significantly influence how we cope as nights draw in and the cold sets in.
One of the most significant benefits of my role in Contact Centre Panel is lifting the bonnet on so many contact centre tech’ organisations, allowing me to engage with both gifted engineers and committed business leaders. That insight gives me hope and a huge amount of reassurance that whatever efficiency or cost challenges we face, there is a team of people out there with a technology solution that we can build a business case around. As a result, I think that the problem we should be trying to solve is one of faith and belief that in the context of work, there is a technology solution out there that will make our lives easier, more efficient, more rewarding and more profitable.
The limiting factor of course is always time and reshuffling our priorities to find that time. That’s hard when our roles require us to support people, tasks and stakeholders. It’s often the case that when we are most stressed, we find it hard to reach out for help, to take the time to take a breath and consider the alternative. When I think of my own experiences as a full-time sportsman (many, many years ago) I was exposed to specialists, scientists mostly, that helped my decision making, especially under stress. Whilst my stresses today may not be entirely sports related (although I do my best to try), the lessons learnt from those times were always about narrowing the focus and trusting our own decision making.
That said, there was always one caveat. Be strong enough to know that help was there and trust that no one would think badly of us if we ask for help.
