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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Your New Normal

COVID-19 has changed MANY things

When the quarantine period began, many people were very optimistic that it would end in a month. Now, it’s slowly starting to sink in that the end of all of the changes might be a long way off.  

The whole health crisis has changed the way we live, and what we used to call our“everyday life.” We are now in “our new normal.” Here are a few things that have become part of our new everyday lives.

  1. Working from home – Because of technology and the Internet, work from home has become commonplace. Even for leaders and companies that said they would never do it (like me!), we now have the data from a global experiment. In areas of the world that are allowing people to return to their offices, WE KNOW that many people are continuing to work from home! Will productivity be better, worse or about the same? I’m just glad I don’t rent out a bunch of corporate buildings—offices in big buildings are going to be shrinking for the forseeable future.
  2. Learning from home – The education system has moved online as well. Resources are accessible online, but this is a disadvantage for lesser privileged students who don’t have up-to-date equipment. So if schools or bosses are going to require remote access, they will have to pay for it.
  3. Virtual bonding  - Face to face interaction in the past was limited to those who were “tech savvy.” Over the past month a million grandmas have learned to use Zoom and people who haven’t connected in years are back in touch. That’s not going to change.

 Some people, maybe you, are more change adverse. You don’t like having to change or having to adjust to new technology. That is different for everyone,. While some of you may already be embracing this situation, some are still anxious and worried. Here’s a quick list of how we can all adjust better:

  • It’s okay to feel vulnerable and ask for help AND emotional support.
  • Take digital breaks too and turn off your gadgets for a few hours and remember that at the heart level, we are all human.
  • This is more important that you think, and for some friends this might be the most important thing I say: set a routine! Schedule time for work, family, exercise, and rest.
  • Be compassionate to your loved ones and your colleagues. Not everyone is dealing with this pandemic the same way you are.

Remember that around your nation and around the world, we’re all in this together. We will be OK in the end.

But, seriously, how are you dealing with your current situation? Let me know at rob@leadertribe.com.

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