What are you packing for your journey to the new normal?

I got a shock last week when my client turned up for his ZOOM call in a suit and tie. I commented on this and we had a brief conversation about the ridiculousness of wearing suit and tie as standard dress in offices in Jamaica. We laughed, and then agreed that “back to work” should involve a reconsideration of the dress code to be more reflective of a tropical climate.

This got me thinking that at some point in time, we will emerge from lockdown and isolation an get back to normal. But now, more and more people, including myself, are questioning what “normal” will be, and further, why we would want to go back to something that had some serious problems. I am speaking specifically to the workplace, although this question can apply to every facet of life. With the slate wiped clean, and us all on our knees mired in uncertainty, it seems an opportune time to re-imagine the new normal.

I started this a few weeks ago, asking this question of participants in my webinar series “Staying Grounded in Turbulent Times”:
“What are the silver linings in this COVID-19 crisis?”

Here are the typical responses:

1. My job
2. Grateful for the time spent with my family – children all at home, enjoying nature – breeze, view, sounds of the birds, the wind rustling in the trees – seems like everywhere is so quiet, nature is rejoicing (this participant lives in the Caribbean
3. Have become a better cook
4. Got much closer with family. My sister had Corona, and this really hit home, so it brought our family closer together
5. The simple things in life
6. Grateful for employment and the opportunity / technology to work remotely even if it is not as easy as I thought.
7. I have connected with persons that I had not linked with for a long time
8. My 14-year old daughter is now a “chef” – she has been experimenting and cooking up a storm in the kitchen and she never used to do anything before this.
9. Since the crisis, I’ve been gifted with old friends
10. Time with my family
11. I do not have to wake up at 4:30 am
12. I’ve gotten to see the baby grow and discover new things
13. Father-daughter bonding
14. Crime reduction
15. COVID has forced us to use the technology we have available and get creative with the way we do things
16. Sleep

Other than #14, these items are all things over which we have control. Whilst we didn’t cover it in the webinar, I challenged them to commit to keeping these things in their lives when they go back to their workplace.

It’s difficult to prepare for the recovery, when we don’t know when or how this will take place. But the better prepared we are, the better our “new normal” will be. When we are packing for a trip, we carefully decide what we will pack, and what we cannot take with us. Prior to COVID, we learned how to pack light to avoid checked luggage and overweight charges. We need to pack for our journey ahead.

Here is a 5-step process that I am working with:

1. Make a list of the things in your life that you feel positive and happy about that did not exist before COVID. Keep adding to it.
2. Make another list – of things you no longer do, that you don’t miss.
3. Prioritise what you are going to take with you (List #1) and what you will leave behind (List #2).
4. Now for the hard part – Against each item on each of your lists, note the challenge you experienced BC19 (Before COVID-19).
5. Then, for each challenge, decide what actions you will take to keep your resolve. You should decide on immediate, preparatory actions as well as those necessary when you return to the hustle and bustle of the workplace.

Here are 2 examples:

1. On my List #1: Sleep! The greatest joy for me in this crisis is that I am now getting adequate sleep. I feel delicious. I am definitely packing this for my journey “back to normal”. What’s my main challenge? Getting to bed early. The action I am taking now? I shut down my computer, iPad and phone by 9.00 p.m. so that I get into bed early, get zzzzz I need and awaken refreshed. My intention is that this will become a deeply ingrained habit, like brushing my teeth.
2. One of my coaching clients had a serious problem communicating with his team. It’s why he engaged me. We had started working on identifying the underlying challenges to him communicating effectively. Then COVID-19 hit. He went into crisis management mode and has improved his communication (check-ins with his direct reports confirm this). Our next coaching calls will be spent working with him to make sure he maintains his new way of communicating as part of his new normal.

The greatest gift we have in this crisis is time. We have no place to go, no commute, no travel. But we still need to pack wisely for our journey, otherwise we will be dragging the same baggage back to that normal that really didn’t serve us. Start making your packing list today.