What happened to our normal? In a matter of a few short weeks the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed our lives, both personally and professionally. It has certainly rocked our “normal”. The suddenness and broad impact of the event has a way of skewing our perspective of time. What seems like just days ago we were enjoying time with friends in bars and restaurants, attending sporting events, congregating in places of worship, and interacting with our colleagues face-to-face in meetings. These interactions seem so foreign now – don’t they? Our society has never experienced an event like Covid-19. Think about how profound that is. When the pandemic first surfaced our intuition was to believe it to be a short-term phenomenon. A mere blip in what was a busy, productive and “normal” time. Now, several weeks into the event, reality is setting. We are beginning to realize the full scope and potential long-term implications it may have on society, and our organizations.
As leaders we are wired to prepare for continuity. To prepare our organizations to continue to be productive and viable despite the unexpected interruptions that come our way. Interruptions such as; weather events, technology interruptions, and losing key people, etc. Most leaders have contingency plans in place to enable their organizations to function through these interruptions and mitigate the potential long-term risks. However, the COVID-19 event is like no other. It is casting uncertainty on virtually every aspect of our lives. It is causing us to try and understand what our “normal” is. As determined and hopeful people we are confident that we will get through this and I have no doubt that we will. But there is so much about this event that we don’t know. When will we return to work? When will our customers be comfortable meeting face- to-face? When can we congregate in public again? How can we plan for such an uncertain future? When can we have our “normal” back? The reality is that the normal we experienced prior to the COVID-19 event no longer exists, perhaps to some extent forever. In speaking with my clients and professional connections, one of the biggest challenge’s leaders are facing in this environment is an inclination to believe this event is a temporary phenomenon. That it will soon pass, and we can get on with “normal”. Under the circumstances that mindset can be distracting and unproductive. It will prevent leaders and their organizations from fully understanding the situation and appropriately adapting to it. Following are three very important leadership strategies to facilitate leading your organization to a “new normal”:
- Connecting with your team has never been more important – Your team is at home, or in a drastically changed workplace environment, experiencing anything but normal. Their lives have been rocked by the sudden occurrence of this event. If leaders are expecting their team to carryout activities, meetings, calls, and planning sessions as they did pre-Covid-19 they are causing a disconnect that could have long-term implications to the organization. It is more important than ever for leaders to collaborate with their team in an open and honest way. To make an effort to understand what they are dealing with and empathize with the many challenges they are experiencing. They are balancing their concerns about the virus, family needs, kids at home, and in many cases watching their colleagues get furloughed. All of which are mentally draining. Leaders need their team more closely aligned than ever before. The best way to achieve that in this environment is to recognize there is and will continue to be a “new normal”. Adapt your leadership approach to keep your team as tightly aligned as possible by connecting with them in a thoughtful, meaningful, and genuine way.
- Embark on a New Strategic Planning Process – The strategic plan you were executing prior to COVID-19 should probably be tossed out, or at least sidelined now. Attempting to stick to a plan that was developed in “normal” times will likely create unrealistic expectations, prevent leaders and organizations from fully understanding the situation and opportunities, and create a disconnect with the team. The team likely senses that the “old normal” no longer exists. Given the uncertainty of the situation it is prudent to initiate a new strategic planning process. Start with a blank slate to prevent you from locking in on the old normal. Embarking on a new, open-minded, and collaborative process is important to prepare for the very uncertain “new normal”. A process that contemplates thought provoking considerations intended to seek a thorough understanding of the situation, with the objective to achieve the best possible outcome for the organization. Start with some basic considerations such as; What kind of feedback are we getting from employees, customers, and other stakeholders? Are their opportunities to vary the strategy and come out stronger. Use the precious little time you have to strategize to gradually collaborate to define the “new normal”. Engaging your team in a new strategic planning process will acknowledge the need for a new and different mindset as well as trigger creative thinking when it is most needed. Given the degree of uncertainty we are facing, the strategic planning process should be ongoing in order to consider what is likely to be rapidly changing dynamics. Having a fluid planning process in place will ensure you are making decisions with the best information you have and prevent you from being flat-footed when more definitive information surfaces.
- Begin Preparing Your Organization to Function Differently – Although it is difficult to grasp, the ongoing risks of COVID-19 will almost certainly require leaders to develop new and different ways of functioning within their organizations. It will likely require considerable changes – even if only for the short to medium-term. The “new normal” will have to consider; spacing within the office, distance communication, protocols for interacting with clients, eliminating common areas, accommodations for the most at-risk employees, variations in scheduling, commitments to working remotely, will all be part of our “new normal”, like it or not. Most importantly, determining how best to maintain team alignment and cohesiveness through this period will be challenging, but it is achievable. The first step toward a solution is to fully understand the societal and workplace requirements – that will come shortly. The next step will be to plan for them in a thoughtful and collaborative way. The sooner organizations can understand the forthcoming changes the sooner they can adapt to them.
These are difficult and uncertain times that will redefine our organizations and the way we lead them. For now, defining the “new normal” will be challenging and somewhat elusive until we establish some firmer footing. However, embarking on a change process now will help prepare the organization to fully understand the current situation. Situational awareness is the foundation to build a new and different vision – a vision that is not at risk of being boxed in by the “old normal”. So, jump in with both feet, and accept that there will be a “new normal”!
Corona Consulting Group specializes in advising executives and organizations on how to develop high-performing leaders and teams. Joe can be reached at joe@coronaconsultinggroup.com