OK – you survived 2020. January 2021 is almost over.
The things happened that had to happen and the people, the politics, and everything else that goes with the coming year are what they are.
Sure – there’s still change to be had. Yes, things are still being adapted, invented, and regulated to go along with the new paradigm. What’s that? Oh yes – the tired, overused, 90’s pyramid scheme buzzword! Paradigm Shift. It’s still a real thing – and yes one just happened last year – for real. The working-class model of daily office routine will never be the same as it was pre-2020. It (the paradigm of our daily routine – including work, play, and our personal life) has absolutely changed, and as with most real paradigm shifts, it happened fairly quickly and is not likely to return to the way it was.
If you can swallow that – great! The question is “what next”?
If you’re still having trouble with the fact that millions of people just found out that a TON of the meetings really could have just been emails and the cube farm is really NOT necessary to get things done… Look, all I can really say is this – maybe take some time to just absorb the basics of how everything has changed. I’m not joking, nor am I implying that you are any less of a part of the solution – just that change is a big deal and this is a BIG change. Give yourself the grace to admit it can be overwhelming and try to take a “50,000-foot view” of things. Understand that the main challenge is actually going to be managing the change, and then after that, communicating how to manage that change to your team(s). So – once you’ve internalized that, maybe take a few deep breaths and come on back, sit down with a tasty beverage and read what I’m about to lay down for you – you might find it entertaining. You’ll definitely find useful bits about how to navigate the year in front of you. What I’m REALLY hoping though – that you find some inspiration and a sense that you’ve got this and that you really are going to make 2021 a year for breakthroughs!
OK – seriously, when you think of all that has happened, and then consider that the basic functions of business are relatively unchanged – maybe this isn’t the Lovecraftian nightmare some people think it is… (Or… is it?) No – really, I just can’t resist playing. (Come to think of it – that’s a big part of staying sane! Don’t lose your sense of humor!) The real change (and challenge) came from two main fronts. Obviously one of them is being able to safely do business in the midst of a pandemic. But the more subtle and challenging front is hidden. It lives separately from the pandemic itself, but hides in the shadows of it. The second front-facing us is the mental block we all seem to have against change!
We HATE change. We are creatures of habit, and we absolutely STINK at managing change.
Get this – people have been craving, longing, even lusting… for a global shift to work-from-home (for decades)! And even when a global disease finally breaks the stasis and makes it happen… we find ourselves hung up on this endless string of negative-mindset questions.
How – if we can only engage in limited interaction… can we possibly continue to do business? What about regulations? What about legal repercussions? What if I get sick? What if my business closes (or gets closed)? In the surge of emotions and the mind-numbing swell of questions that leap out at us, it’s very easy to shut down and give up. Hey – that’s everyone from working parents, to small or medium-sized business owners, right on up to some of the executives of world-class powerhouse companies… I’m not saying they actually quit but they – we – are all feeling the same things!
The solution is not necessarily easy – it is after all change, and if we’re honest – change needs a plan.
That’s where recommendations and/or regulations from various entities (world health, government, commercial) for safe conduct of workplace activities come in. These recommendations and regulations – they’re not a beatdown (they’re definitely not intended to be) though they may feel like it at any given time. Whether you recognize it or not, these things are all part of a structured change management plan. This change management plan (communicated in plain, practical language from your leadership team) is what you and your business need to make an effective transition into the current paradigm. Yes, it absolutely takes a little work on your part. You (or at the very least, your team) must adapt the general recommendations, rules, and regulations into a personalized how-to plan for your organization… and if you want to make the most of the situation – this is where you start.
Many of you have already figured this out. A number of organizations have already gotten on board and outlined a plan to get to the baseline of functionality and even profitability within the “new normal”. (I know – profane, isn’t it? But that too is just another thing we learn to deal with!) Now really down to the nuts and bolts – the real problem, and this is not too difficult to grasp – is that we still have all the real problems from before! But with the changes – many people who were apparently doing quite alright with things like managing teams, and keeping their best employees, have suddenly discovered major pain points in their team. Worse, the players who were struggling in these and other areas are now finding that an area previously just in need of some attention is suddenly a make-or-break crisis!
There’s the panic button. Really, right over there – go ahead and push it! Feel better? No, probably not. How about if there was a reset button? *Poof* Instant do-over! That might be nice, but unless the fundamental laws of nature have suddenly been re-invented – I doubt there’s much satisfaction there either. So instead, I’m offering to let you leverage my 20+ years of experience in leadership, plus the knowledge gleaned from the experiences of the leaders of some of the top organizations in the world. My program shares with you the proven, dynamic, adaptable strategies that will help you get your leadership teams positioned to take on the challenges that 2021 will undoubtedly throw in their faces… and utterly dismantle them! How awesome… to envision your managers – strategically maneuvering your business to a superior vantage point? And then, from that vantage point, systematically plowing under problems, obstacles and challenges, like last year’s turnip field – I have to believe that would feel like a million bucks!
It’s not really that far out of reach, and I can show your team what they need to know to get there. Doesn’t that sound like a great way to move forward? The best part is this: each time they meet and beat a challenge –they get new confidence, they become more proficient with their new abilities, and they really start thinking and functioning as a single team!
