The Birth of the New Normal

The Normal you have grown up with and always known will never return and the quicker we as a society accept this the quicker our road to recovery will be realised. You think that setting up temporary work stations at home and cancelling meetings and training will prevent the economy from a free fall. NO these actions will prevent loss of life and we need that as a society.

While we are in the lock-down we should consider things that will prepare your company to survive the next normal. It will be different for each company, some will need training on the old processes and this can be done online, some will have to redesign how they will work and setup people to permanently work remotely at home or multiple locations and some might consider online business. Whatever this is for you do not delay because the earlier you are prepared for the new Normal the better your chances of winning the race for survival will be. Let your staff do online training because you will save on having to send them when they need to be productive. Do your management strategic session online now and save on the cost of going away for the weekend. More importantly you will be ready for the new Norm

By treating our current NORMAL as temporary we will make  short term decisions that will affect our future and suit only the current situation. We will not look beyond today like we have done in the past and our plans will not reflect the best of us. We will eventually emerge from isolation with a severely damaged economy and broken population where people have lost jobs, friends and families. We will not have a new plan and understand the new Normal and we will not be ready for the next Normal and loose the race

Isolation is the only option we have as an intelligent society. As individuals we can only control how we react to the environment and this is done by your mind-set. You know things will never be the same because of the trauma this will cause to humanity and the economy. Have you looked at your current plan and will your strategy still be effective when we come out of isolation. Yes you are pulling out the stops for the crisis to save lives and accepting the financial losses you or the company will have to endure.

We have the time and the opportunity to wipe away the past and start over. Four weeks ago many of the work that can be done remotely was never considered as remote jobs. Consider if your current business model will be valid, will your office staff work remotely, will your external sales team visit customers or have online calls. When you understand what the future will be for your business you are able to make the changes and implement the new strategy.

Have that strategy meeting with your team now, get an online facilitator or speak to people that are already following the strategy you are considering. Speak with the human resource consultant who will assist you with the organisational design how to change contracts to suit your new business. Speak to the sales management consultant that will help you reshape how sales will be done.

There is time now, use it well and plan your new Normal

Charle Leibbrandt