Performing in Permacrisis – Permacrisis, ‘an extended period of instability and insecurity’, is the Collins Dictionary word of the year.
It is one of a handful of words relating to the challenges posed by climate change, the war in Europe, a cost-of-living crisis, political chaos and, in Melbourne and Australia, the ongoing effects of two years of lock down.
Helen Newstead, language content consultant at Collins Dictionary says ‘Permacrisis’ encapsulates “lurching from one crisis to another without really drawing breath” and Alex Beecroft, managing director of Collins Learning, adds “Language can be a mirror to what is going on in society.”
Exactly! This is the word we needed to have. It reflects the water in which we, the fish, are swimming and it is time to think seriously about the physical and psychological effects in our everyday lives.
I got an email yesterday from a client who told me they don’t know if they are Arthur or Martha and I hear on a daily basis about how we have lost our confidence. I can tell the permacrisis is invading the personal state, withdrawing your breath and blocking your body and thinking.
You have to keep breathing and get that body under control if not for the work you do then certainly for your own health. Ann Burns and Sarah Rowely of CEW (Chief Executive Women) talk of the need for ‘awareness’ and in the upcoming podcast (watch this space) we talk about the critical need for awareness as a major skill of leadership.
In my WhitePaper on Applied Confidence I show the graph of mastery which has you above the line of professionalism at every engagement (graph above). This is where we stop thinking and instead build habitual skills that work first time every time no matter what the circumstance. One client said to me today that they had “pretty well” got their eyes under control. Pretty well is not far enough. Keep practising until you can’t get it wrong.
I’m not saying you don’t need to be kind to yourself. I am actually saying you do, but we are doing this by recognising that stress patterns become part of a habitual norm and changing them with some discipline. You are doing yourself a favour by dealing with it as quickly as possible.
Don’t forget to ‘save yourself! save yourself!’ and remember in 2012 the word of the year was ‘omnishambles’ and we survived that!
Love Louise
Here are a few of the comments from recent retreat participants, so you can see what is possible:
It was a great opportunity to work with an expert. I am absolutely enlightened. Voice, gestures, body can move to make presentations and everyday conversations more effective and not just a framework, but part of me and what I do. An incredible network. No egos, no arrogance. Everyone was really free. I can feel the difference in myself in how I work and behave.
Iona Luke, GAICD Special Counsel | McCabes Lawyers
3 days of learning more about myself than in the past 9 years with practical skills to improve how people perceive and interact with me. Highly recommended. Kendra Backstrom, Associate Director, Infrastructure Engagement Associate Director, Infrastructure Engagement | University of Adelaide
Incredibly inspired to reflect and improve my ability and confidence to influence others.
Dr Samantha Jakimowicz, Director Nursing Engagement Director Nursing Engagement | Australian College of Nursing (ACN)
Louise is a powerhouse. Her leadership course is a must for any professiona seeking to better understand their communication style and acquire the tools to improve their influence and impact with stakeholders. What sets her course apart is Louise’s dedication to participants learning these techniques at an experiential level She is relentless in her pursuit of excellence and that passion is definitely contagious! Highly recommended. Setareh Vaziri, Head of AML/CTF and Fraud Risk Oversight | National Australia Bank
What I've been up to!
