David Buck’s Post

As I wait at the airport to visit my family, I am reflecting on the year as it was. Amid unprecedented changes across the board- economical, social, climate, and more, it’s a good reminder that as individuals - it’s a lot to harbour. Yet amid all of it, there are threads of life that fascinates me. This post is one of that thread. If one grey area that I can explore - unsolicited advice from me, it’s reflecting on things is important. There are certain topics - that I have pondered over years and it’s only now that it’s landing and making sense. I firmly believe we are ready for certain things in our lives in their due time, but it also means to not be afraid to poke at it and see where it lands, even if not ready. Simply put, it’s ok to be in the grey zone and find ourselves, uncomfortable. Years ago, my mindset at Deloitte was plagued with doubt about myself. Yet over the years, questioning the premise and with guidance of trusted people, and working on that, has allowed to even write a post like this from the core of myself - knowing the intentions behind it and not be fear based / motivated. I feel aligned to myself, not fully there - but that’s a lifelong process. I have many to thank who have taken that leap of faith in me, as it’s felt and understood deeply. The conversations across the decade since I got into the workforce, revisiting them in different ways, they almost all stay with me. I write down the takeaways from such great chats almost every-time, notes I want to take it with me as I grow older. Reading them, they open a world that I may not have been ready to when it first happened. Happy Holidays! Look forward to 2024. More clearly, more intentionally.

This is a sign of a good benefits package. How? Because there is no way in hell I’d have been able to balance resting enough to have the energy to go get the tree and loop the ever tangled lights around it with a month-old baby if I hadn’t been off since her birth. This impacts culture. How? Your employees don’t feel stretched between two priorities, and are home rested and then back to work rested and not frustrated. Their spouses and other family are’t at tension - as understanding as they might be - with their ability to support in this highly disruptive time. This impacts performance. How? I’m so grateful for how Deloitte is holistically considering and providing for me and my family - from IVF to post-partum paternity leave. So is my wife and that makes a huge difference for me. I’m getting to share the middle of the night load more now more as we’re introduced a bottle. I think my daughter will be some day, too, as we’re bonding now and I’m getting start delighting her little tendencies already. I’m also able to get hungry for my work in rest; remover that I’ve worked to find a job I enjoy - and at times love - and go back to it and the unique challenge and value I get to engage there along with awesome teammates. Ask your teams what they most enjoy outside work and do the work to figure out how to make those things possible. Chances are it really varies based on who they are and what stage and types of lives they live, so this won’t be easy. But it will be rewarding as you not only hit bottom line profits but drive value into your employees families and their communities - your communities. That’s responsible leadership; thinking down the line of impacts and engaging the messiness. That’s good leadership and good management. Are you doing why you can to create this space for your teams? May it be one of presence for you. I know it’s not for some though, which makes me so sad. So lookout for those around you as well for whom this time is hard. If you know me, reach out, I’d love to talk through it some with you and be a bit of the together I love to help facilitate. Cheers and merry Christmas from my happy, rather tired, little family to yours! #wellbeing #benefits #leadership #culture #bettertogether

As we head in to the Summer holidays in the UK (some of us are already on week 3 of non term time!) I was reflecting with my friend and team mate how extremely proud I am to lead a team that not only has a brilliant gender balance but where many members have young families. I’m really excited to be taking some unpaid leave again this Summer to spend it with my own family. I’m grateful to my Client and Leadership for allowing it and will never forget these precious memories I’m building with my family. I promise not to return with a 💥 appendix like last year (I believe it can’t happen twice 🤣). I hope members of my team know that: 👧🏼 you can parent out loud here, the men too. OK it’s not always convenient to need to drop work for caring responsibilities but it will always take priority if you’re in my team. 🖥️ I see how hard you work and if you need some additional flexibility over the holidays let’s discuss. Whether that be heading off to Wales (like my video below) with the kids and working early mornings or wanting to finish early to spend time in the sunshine - nothing is off limits for discussion. 📚 I see your mental load, if the juggle feels too much I hope you can talk to me about it. I’m fully supported and empowered by Accenture UK & Ireland to lead in this way. I hope you can also say you work somewhere that gives you this same level of support. Would love to hear your examples. Gavin Moore Ravindra Bhat Aoife Aherne Tom Rogers Peter Ross Alex Jonas MCIBS Catherine Webster Hacer Evans Naomi Begum-Inglis Matt Carroll Jessica Harwood Sophia Ben-Yousef Liz Burlon Nina Raphael #parentingoutloud #womeninresourcesandengineering #womenintech #flexibleworking #inclusionanddiversity #thecareermum

#MyWellBeingPledge is a commitment to taking one action for myself and one for my team. For my team, I pledge to suggest an alternative approach if you lead a conversation with me with how busy you are. It's just not healthy and we need to work to break this habit. For myself, I know the power of journaling to reduce the impact of intrusive thoughts and I pledge to make journaling a habit. Looking forward to some accountability by making this public pledge. Be well!

At Deloitte, we're taking a new Well-being Pledge that shifts the conversation away from placing absolute ownership of well-being on individuals, and replaces it with a model of shared accountability - where people, teams, and leaders all have roles to play in creating environments where we can thrive. And even though I think about this strategically for work, it still helps me to step back and apply it to myself and my team. So here's #MyWellbeingPledge: As an individual, I'm recommitting to my formal meditation practice. When I was trying to manage hyperemesis gravidarum, when my daughter was born and I forgot how to sleep, when I joined a new identity group as a working parent, I lost my established habits. I need them back, and I know I can spend at least 10 minutes before bed in meditation. As a team member, I commit to CELEBRATING our successes - big and small, so that we can all step back from the daily work and stay connected to the impact we make. I also commit to reopening our discussion on time zone coverage to make sure we're sharing the responsibility of meeting with coworkers during times that are early for some and late for others. As a leader, I commit to holding conversations with each teammate to clarify what's making work meaningful for them, if they have opportunities to use their strengths, if there are skills they aren't using but want to, and how their capacity looks moving into the new year. At Deloitte, everyone shares accountability for well-being. Deloitte colleagues, friends, and Well-being Wizards - what's your well-being pledge?

This summer I am incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to step away from work to spend time with & support my mum, who’s suffering from dementia and lives in a different country to me. I’m nearly 2 weeks into a 3 month long leave of absence and here are my reflections so far:   📎 Throughout our lives, events happen. They won't always be compatible with working/working full time. Parental leave doesn’t have to be the only reason to step away from work, to focus on something else for a while. After nearly 30 years in business, now with a 'grown-up' family, I wish I had considered this sooner during my career. 📎 When you break your work routine for a while you immerse yourself in different life experiences, which inevitably will help you develop new skills and become a more rounded individual. Learning is all around us, at work and outside. 📎 Companies that make space for you to live your life the way you want/need to, will always win. A mutual commitment to each other’s success is stronger than anything. 📎 The future of work will only change for the better if we all pull together to make it happen. Old ways of working are no longer fit for purpose, but together we can fix this by being more life-centric, helping our people find ways to make space for what they care about. 📎 Personally, I’m already learning heaps from my experience, about dementia and what it means, about care systems and how to access them, about empathy and how to support during a new life stage in challenging circumstances … And yes, you guessed it, I’m working hard on keeping my impatient nature in check! Thank you Accenture Song for making it possible to step out of work for a few months to focus on another part of my life, supporting mum. I'm really proud of our flexible working model at Accenture. During my seven years at Accenture, I’ve seen many great examples of colleagues benefiting from flexible working - travelling, taking on family commitments or personal challenges are just a few examples of why people take time out. Have you had similar opportunities with your company? Please tell us your story, the more we share, the more we make it possible for others to explore. #leaveofabsence #family #demetia #lifegoeson #futureofwork

During Well-being Week 2023 at Deloitte, we're taking a new Well-being Pledge where we are moving away from putting ownership solely on the individual to care for their well-being, and shifting to a model where we all share accountability for well-being. And in doing so, we are each sharing our commitments to well-being at the individuals, team, and leader level. I'm here to share my #MyWellbeingPledge:   I embrace caring for my well-being by committing to daily mindfulness practices. I feel my best when I journal each day and hold space for self-reflection. And when work and life get busy or I get pulled in different emotional directions, this ritual seems to go to the wayside. I know that prioritizing space for mindfulness helps me to show up and feel my best.   As a team member, I will prioritize social connection time. Being on a fully virtual team, we miss some of the informal opportunities for connection that you see in the office. I commit to holding more informal conversations with within my team and others in RRWB to connect and build relationships.   As a leader, I will keep well-being at the forefront of all work decisions. Even as a more junior professional on my team, I will continue to protect my team’s well-being by holding boundaries for capacity and challenge them focus on work that energizes, excites, and plays to their strengths.   At Deloitte, everyone shares accountability for well-being. Deloitte colleagues, friends, and Well-being Wizards - what's your well-being pledge?

#MyWellBeingPledge is to Sleep Better, Be Better. I challenge myself to sleep more and make space for more daily recovery. I use a Sleep Aid which helps me understand my sleep patterns. > October - the month when my sleep is the most irregular (can't really diagnose why) > Friday - is the day I sleep the longest (which makes sense) > Asleep time - On average, I sleep about 6.5 hours. I'd like to get that up to 7 hours a night I know all the benefits that sleep and recovery bring: * helps with heart health (and health overall) * keeps immune system strong * increases attention span * boosts memory My micro-step: I'm going to set a reminder to start my wind-down routine earlier in the evening #wellbeingmatters #weekbeingweek

Are you feeling the race to the end before you’re able to slow down and enjoy the holiday season? It can get all of us! In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Darcy Eikenberg, PCC provides some effective strategies to mitigate the stress of the December deadline rush and embrace year-end chaos.     One point that resonated with me was committing to PTO to recharge before the new year. The last week of December is our Collective Disconnect at Deloitte, and during my time off, I’m remaining equally as present while on vacation as I am when in the office. This focus on always being present helps me enjoy whatever I’m doing, whether it's discussing the business implications of generative AI, spending quality time with family and friends, or indulging in a Friday Night Lights marathon with my husband (Yes, we are finally watching it). When I devote my full attention to the situation, the experience is more enjoyable and I'm able to form deeper connections with the people I spend my time with.     What are some strategies you have to be present and disconnect from work? Leave your thoughts in the comments!    https://deloi.tt/3GJfvXT #Wellbeing #Wellness #PointsofProgress #Deloitte 

Last week Deloitte hosted well-being week, an annual week-long event filled with business-led programming focused on promoting the integration of well-being within our teams and personal lives. 📚💚   At #Deloitte, our approach to well-being is holistic, encompassing the well-being of individuals, teams, and leaders alike. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to take care of others and to create an environment where others can grow and thrive personally and professionally. That responsibility begins with ourselves, making sure we prioritize our own health and wellbeing and lead by example. For #MyWellBeingPledge I commit to making more time for physical activity (including more time on the golf course! 🏌️⛳). And as a team member and leader, I pledge to continue to communicate and advocate for the importance of well-being for our people. Let’s continue the conversation! How do you commit to promoting wellbeing personally and with your teams? #ThrivingTogether #LifeatDeloitte