Leda Writes for Fintech Futures: Self care tips for corporate change makers

Banking has been transforming for over a decade now. Some have done it well, others leave a lot to be desired.

Good or bad every bank’s transformation has chosen to increase human effort over anything else, hiring small teams of passionate people. Lean years have left no room for overstaffing. Banks gave them permission to run around and instigate change without approvals, relying on the team’s commitment and drive.

A decade later and those teams are still fighting and scoring small victories. They go where they have no place to be, but the opportunity’s there. They support colleagues where they have no reason to be, but they’re part of the bigger team.

These people don’t switch off, they support their colleagues relentlessly. They wouldn’t think to fit their own mask first on a plane. They care. Their first instinct is to help others. Corporate change markers do it because they think they can take it, they know if they don’t pick things up no-one will.

But they’re no good to anyone if they’re unconscious. It’s not selfish to fit your own mask first, it’s logic. You can’t help anyone if you’re unable to function. Down on the ground that means if you’re tired, rest. If you rest, other people will see that it’s okay for them to rest too.

You should not be expected to help. It’s an issue they need to mull over and discuss in meetings until they learn that helping you will help them. Don’t shield them from learning that lesson on their own.

It’s the organisation’s responsibility to make sure there is more of you. Enough of you so that you don’t need to be stretched too thin. Enough of you to be how the organisation operates instead of a permanently exhausted outlier.

Alone you cannot be enough. But when you’re not alone, you’re plenty. So make sure you put your mask on first before helping others.

Read the full story on Fintech Futures.