The emotional tsunami of Covid-19 is increasingly taking its toll on people. Many experience that they lack the will and the way to push through challenges that seem never-ending. Others deeply miss the connection with colleagues and friends, something previously taken for granted.
Being aware of these needs, Vector Logistics made a commitment to ‘go beyond’ in supporting their people during this challenging time.
Annelie Govender, HR Director of Vector Logistic, explains:
“We have worked with Free To Grow for the past six years and have first-hand experience of the impact of their solutions. When they came up with the innovative Staying Strong toolkit to help leaders support their teams, it was a ‘no brainer’ for us. We immediately signed up, starting with the Vector Finance team where remote working has now become the norm. The toolkit is easy to use, does not require much preparation time from managers, and has a huge impact on the individual wellbeing of team members as well as the feeling of connection in the team. Definitely a worthwhile investment.”
Lynrey Lindsey, Credit Management Exec at Vector Logistics, is now in week 9 of the 15-week implementation. Every week she meets with her team for 30 minutes to discuss another wellbeing topic, built around a short, impactful video provided as part of the toolkit.
“It is going exceptionally well,” she says, smiling and admitting that they, at times, have stretched these sessions to one-hour conversations, as she and the team were so hungry to connect that they could not stop talking!
“Every session has a positive takeout. You never leave feeling that you did not receive any benefit, unlike many programmes where you spend a lot of time discussing topics with little value. What we learn here, is easy to apply.” And she – and the members of her team – are experiencing the benefits.
“Almost everyone in my team experiences how our sessions provide them with a space to pause and reflect, see life and its challenges in a new way and receive practical tools to push through. An added bonus is that these sessions give us the opportunity to talk freely. A big degree of trust has been built – we feel far more connected and comfortable to be open with each other.”
Lynrey views this as a ‘huge step change’ for her team, something that will benefit the team long after they have concluded the Staying Strong sessions. She feels that her team is now ready to cascade the Staying Strong toolkit conversations to their own teams, reaching the people who need it most, and is excited to see what the impact will be.
Janett Forbes, Finance Director at Vector Logistics, who was a driving force behind her team implementing the toolkit, confirms the value and relevance of Staying Strong
“The toolkit really helps managers with a platform to help their staff build resilience. Well done Free To Grow, for once again, delivering on a critical need to develop our people.” Janett Forbes, Finance Director
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