When you’re in the throes of a looming deadline, it’s easy to put all your focus on the bid and allow wellness to go out the window. “I’ll just get this out of the way and then I’ll..(catch up on sleep/get to the gym/eat better).”
But the reality for bid teams is that deadlines and being busy are often constants. And if you also constantly omit self-care, where does that leave you as an individual? Counting the minutes to your holiday, and using the break just to catch up on sleep? If you are constantly depleted, sleep-deprived, sluggish and running on caffeine, you’re not bringing the best version of yourself to work – or to any area of your life. And how can you do a good job when you are below par?
When you are super busy, your wellbeing actually becomes more important, not less. And taking care of yourself so you can handle the higher demands is crucial. Consider a sportsperson – do you think they approach a final with poor food, skipping sleep and hoping a coffee or two will give them the edge? Or do they make the basics like sleep, hydration, nutrition and mindset their highest priority? It’s the latter of course. So if you use that as a model, how do you make sure you are taking care of yourself so you can bring your best performance?
An exercise I use with my clients is to get clear on your needs and write them down. Think about what you need to get you to ok every day.
Get the basics right:
- Sleep
- Hydration
- Nutrition
- Exercise
What else do you need?
- Time with loved ones?
- Time in nature?
- Alone time?
And be really specific. For instance, how much sleep do you need on an individual level to function? Some people may only need six hours, while others may need eight or nine. To be clear, this is the detail behind what you need to get yourself to ok every day. Understanding these needs and putting plans in place to make sure you meet them, helps make sure you are always operating from a good starting point.
You can also use this approach with your bid teams. Building self-care into the bid planning stages will help everyone be very clear on what they need to get them to ok every day. That way, the whole team can function optimally and ultimately be in the best position to make the bid a success. And maybe even have enough energy to enjoy the process too!
Clare Foley
Clare Foley is a Bid Manager with over 16 years’ experience in IT, Defence and other industries. Her interest in personal development grew from a desire to manage the demands of her role. She qualified as a Coach in 2020 and now provides coaching to help individuals achieve more with less stress. She also provides training to organisations who want to enhance team performance through a focus on wellbeing.
