From personal to professional to societal, there are so many things we are doing now that would have been unimaginable at the start of 2020. Previously, it would have taken three months and 17 meetings to move an entire workforce to work from their homes. But with social distancing measures being quickly adopted throughout the world, many organizations made these types of decisions in a matter of days. We went from relying on face-to-face meetings to connecting with colleagues, friends, and family over the Internet. Overnight, “Zoom” became a household word.
Across business and society, positive changes – in all forms, sizes, and shapes – have happened. Moving quickly, taking action, and problem-solving were necessary to continue business-as-usual. Everything happened so quickly and this new way of working and living has become normal.
Although it can seem overwhelming to think about in the moment, it’s important to pause and reflect on the positive changes we are making, the impacts they are having, and how we might be able to sustain these in the future. There are amazing things happening across organizations, including:
Lifting the veil of bureaucracy
Whether it’s the government, local municipalities or your company, red tape and restrictions are loosening up. This makes it easier for quick implementation and decision-making.
Quick decisions
Organizations are making decisions quicker than ever. They are pivoting. Decisions are being made based on what’s needed right now, instead of spending weeks over-analyzing outcomes.
Great Communication
Organizations are being very intentional about sending timely, clear, and frequent messages to their people and customers. Across teams, organizations, and countries, people are sharing information in new and unique ways.
Retooling
Organizations are making quick changes, adapting to the environment and evolving needs of their teams. From restaurants switching to to-go only to breweries making hand sanitizer, companies are changing what they produce, how they operate, and whom they serve.
Stepping Up
Instead of saying, “it’s not my job”, many are saying, “what can I do to help?” People are stepping up and contributing in ways they never knew possible. Roles and organizational charts are not dictating who does what. Instead, there is a shift of focus to what needs to get done.
In normal times, these changes would have taken months or even years. But, clearly we can make extraordinary things happen when radical thinking is needed.
Right now, we have the opportunity to learn from these experiences and shift our mindset so that we are making fast decisions, being bold in our thinking, and leading with empathy in the post-COVID-19 world.
So what can you do now?
#1 Observe and record
Look around and identify the things that we are most proud of. What are you doing that makes you feel great? What kind of contributions are others making? What is making a positive impact? Jot these examples down. Don’t spend too much time processing – just record some thoughts. You don’t even need to write complete sentences. Set this list aside. You don’t need to think about them now.
Remind yourself to revisit your list in 4-8 weeks, and then continue to #2 and #3.
#2 Enable
Take a look at your list of observations. Spend some time reflecting on these. What enabled you to take action or make changes? What allowed this? In the past, what would have prevented you from taking action?
#3 Sustain
Pick one or two impactful behaviors that you would like to integrate into the way you and/or your teams work. For example: daily stand-ups to maintain open communication, shifting how you prioritize decisions and initiatives, and clearly defining decision-makers and stakeholders.
The time to act is now, while we are experiencing these changes first-hand. Take a few minutes today to reflect on positive actions you and your teams are taking.