How can we best help employees manage the messy intersection between life and work?
That’s the question we delved into in our recent The Hub Q&A Blockbuster with Dr Sarah Cotton, one of our expert Faculty and Founder/Director of Transitioning Well.
We looked through the lens of the transitions people experience throughout their career, and the positive role organisations can play in supporting their people.
“What we haven’t been good at (in the workplace) is understanding what transition is and the difference between change. Change is the event that happens to us, such as becoming a parent, retiring, getting a new job whereas transition is the process of adapting to that change. So, as we let go of what was, and navigate to the new” stated Dr Sarah Cotton.”
As Dr Sarah Cotton reiterated: ‘…for workplaces it’s really important to have a heads up on these moments of truth of across somebody’s lifecycle where their mental health may have some vulnerabilities’.
Drawing on the new Career Transition Series recently launched by Transitioning Well in partnership with the National Mental Health Commission, National Workplace Initiative, we subsequently explored with Sarah some of the transitions employees face, and their impacts for both individuals and the organisation, including:
> Entering the workforce
> Learning to lead in the transition to management
> Parenting children and caring for parents
> Redundancy and career changes
> Health-related changes
> Relocation
> Crises and career shocks
> Late career and retirement
Sarah then shared practical insights, stories and approaches of how organisations can support people across career transitions.
For more tips and insights, tune into the full episode here in The Hub.
Not a member of The Hub? No problem! Find out more about how to join Australasia’s first knowledge centre for workplace wellness here.
Dr Sarah Cotton, Organisational Psychologist and Co-Director of Transitioning Well
Dr Sarah Cotton is a registered an endorsed organisational psychologist and Co-Director of Transitioning Well. With a PhD in the area of work-stress and a specialisation in work-life wellbeing, Sarah is motivated to help individuals and organisations navigate the challenges of modern work. Having completed further training in the areas of political psychology, crisis management and Participatory Action Research (PAR), Sarah also draws upon over 20 years of coaching, training, and consulting across the university, corporate and not for profit sectors.
Email: sarah@transitioningwell.com.au
LinkedIn: Dr Sarah Cotton
Website: Transitioning Well
