The past few years have been a difficult and challenging period for most, especially during the Covid Pandemic. People were forced to live in isolation, unable to meet with family and friends, companies were forced to have their staff work from home or to let staff go and many companies did not survive. Parents had to home-school their children, juggling that responsibility with work and with uncertainty about the future. There were many other problems caused by the pandemic, not least the virus itself, and even today, many people are suffering from “long Covid”—life changing and long-lasting effects from the pandemic.

Wars rage near and far, and there is clearly an increase in the occurrence of natural disasters linked to climate change. If you add in the “cost of living crisis,” it’s understandable that people have become more anxious.

From a UK perspective we have also had to deal with the enormous effects of Brexit. Whether you were Pro-Brexit or Anti-Brexit, it is clear there have been major social and economic changes for the people of the UK and Europe.

Learning to work from home, obtaining the right equipment, the furlough process and managing a large team working remotely was very tough. Some of our team were parents who suddenly had to work while also looking after their children. I had to help staff with their own anxieties, whilst also managing my own mental well-being. The experience has certainly made me stronger as a person.

Covid proved that for certain industries, their staff could work effectively from home. At EMS we have adapted to and embraced this new working culture. One of the many positives for us was that we were able to employ staff based in other countries, meaning we were able to attract some of the best talent in the industry and not be restricted to a pool of people based around our offices in London. It also meant we now have a very significant physical presence in the APAC region which helps with communication in that time zone.

In our industry, we move people and their belongings from one country to another. Moving house can be one of life’s most stressful experiences. People are uprooting their lives and having to cope with huge changes. Our staff of move specialists are so much more than just co-ordinators. Showing empathy is a vital quality, as we must be a shoulder to cry on, a counsellor, or a teacher when co-ordinating the move process.

Other external factors that directly impact our industry include global port congestion, sudden freight increases, transit time delays, and more. All these factors have made my role and those of my team more challenging, particularly when explaining to customers about delays to their shipments, as customers are often desperate to be reunited with their goods again.

However, I am delighted to see that here at EMS we clearly seem to be doing something right. We have retained the core of our amazing team which has been built over a long period of time. Despite the above-mentioned challenges, EMS has continued to be successful in achieving the highest industry awards, particularly from the world’s most prestigious and recognised RMC organisations. This culminated with EMS winning the Cartus Masters Cup in surely what is the industry’s most challenging year in some time, 2022–23.

I firmly believe that having a good work-life balance is key. I play a lot of sport in my spare time, including football, golf, and tennis—not all at the same time! Having a pastime where you can switch off and have some down-time is vital to maintaining mental well-being. I believe that fitness in body is linked to fitness in mind.

I have also coached sports teams throughout my life, including adult and children’s soccer teams. Those experiences taught me a lot. I had to think of motivational techniques, how to get the best out of each player and most importantly, to try and lead by example. These experiences have helped me in my career, and in developing my own management style. I have learned from previous managers who I have worked for, both good and bad. You must earn respect from your team and that can take time, but this works both ways. I am fair and understanding and I get stuck in too, tackling problems and escalations immediately to take the pressure off my team. My mantra is that there’s always a solution to any challenge that arises. People also must buy into what you are trying to achieve.

I enjoy writing in my spare time and have written about many different topics. I am a published author and have almost finished writing my latest book—a guide on moving house. 

As an employer, EMS has a duty of care to their employees, to ensure that we mitigate any aspect of their role that may affect their health and safety. This includes mental health as well as physical health. In addition, this is something that is expected of us as part of the audit process we go through with bodies such as IAM, FIDI, BAR and EcoVadis as well as with some of our business partners and clients.

Maintaining a connection with my team is very important, especially as most of our staff work remotely full time. We have a team chat through Microsoft Teams, which we use to stay in touch, share knowledge and congratulate colleagues on special occasions. We also have regular virtual team meetings.

One thing I introduced recently was a virtual coffee morning team quiz, once a month, which has proven to be a great team building exercise. Everyone enjoys the quiz, and it helps to keep everyone connected, have some fun and enjoy a bit of down-time. There are small cash prizes, and it helps to stop people from feeling isolated and alone, which can happen when staff work remotely.

We also have a KPI bonus scheme in place which helps to incentivize and motivate staff. The scheme provides staff with monthly targets, and I provide regular individual feedback.

Furthermore, our HR Manager regularly provides information on well-being webinars, and we promote the MIND website (Mental Health at Work Website) provided by the charity MIND, which has lots of ideas and suggestions for managing mental health and supporting others.

We are currently in the process of arranging some online training for the management team on mental health. In addition, we’re about to appoint two “mental health champions” internally at EMS. These two people will be available to offer peer support for any employee who contacts them with mental health worries or concerns. They will attend a one-day online course that will give them the knowledge to be able to offer this support. This will not be a counselling role, instead, they will be there to listen and to signpost the employee to where they can get help—through the NHS, charities such as MIND, or through our employee assistance line. They will also work with our HR Manager to suggest ideas for well-being initiatives and help to promote these to employees in conjunction with the management team.

As a company and for myself as a manager, it’s important that we continue to support and encourage our staff. Regular communication, team-building exercises and providing guidance and feedback to staff are key. I hope that by sharing some of my own experiences, it can help others, as the well-being and mental health of staff—including yourself—is paramount to everything that we do.