Why COVID-19 is an invitation for us to evolve
The tools and strategies that have worked for you in the past aren't deep or versatile enough to effectively address and lead through the present and future challenges brought by COVID-19. Most every aspect of people's lives has been turned upside-down. People are afraid and those fears are entering the work world like never before. As leaders, we're challenged to respond to employees' concerns on issues in which we feel inept, while also managing performance amidst dropping revenues and unprecedented uncertainties about the future.
The new resources needed to navigate the complexities of COVID-19 go beyond virtual meeting tools and adapting how we operate. Behavioral changes and traditional tools and strategies won’t equip us fast enough to manage through this. Nor will they prepare and position us for how the impact of COVID-19 will change our future. To thrive again, we must look for new solutions.
COVID-19 is an invitation for us to evolve - evolve in how we think, prioritize, problem solve, and connect with others. Here are examples of the opportunities before us:
People have become the central focus as we look for solutions to the challenges thrust on us by COVID-19. In addition to seeking new operating models for continued productivity, leaders are asking what their employees need to feel safe and whole. Why would this mindset stop when the current threats are behind us? Making the wellbeing of your employees your top priority is just smart because people give and produce in direct proportion to how you make them feel.
Articles and blogs on the benefits of living an integrated life are numerous but few have figured out how to do so. Because of COVID-19, we're working from home, balancing work responsibilities with caring for and educating our children, and in general just getting things done. We're allowing integration into our lives in ways we didn't believe possible before, and becoming more creative in the process. And while we don't welcome this version of an integrated life to continue, there are take-aways for us all on how to better integrate and prioritize.
We’ve had to find new ways to work and connect. We've saved on costs and, inadvertently, given employees more flexibility in how they work. There's more trust and less control because we had no choice. What if we consciously built more trust and freedom into our work cultures? We talk all the time about managing results and not the process but many managers still don't lead in this way. Trust more, control less, and see what happens to productivity and morale.
COVID-19 has shown just how connected we are. No one is immune and everyone needs support of some kind. Being aware of the needs of others when external factors impact their livelihood is a compassionate practice that can become a new way of being. What kind of world could we create if we continued this shift in our collective consciousness in ways that made compassion, kindness and working together the priority?
COVID-19 has brought great stress and disruption into our lives. But how we respond and what we do next is up to each of us. Leaders have a huge responsibility (and opportunity) to find good in this crisis and make changes that will have a profound impact on culture and the future success of their companies.
Next, I'll share tools and solutions that will help you get prepared for what lies ahead. And they're from sources you've likely not tried. For now, I'd love to hear from you! Share a positive change you're experiencing in your work and what opportunities you see for the future.