There is no going back.
Many parts of the world are at various phases of reopening as coronavirus restrictions begin to lift. Businesses are slowly reopening with safety plans in place. Many workers are transitioning back to the physical workplace. Wary customers are beginning to return.
But it’s not welcome back.
Too much has changed. The new normal of reopening looks quite different than the normal at the beginning of 2020. Operational constraints have changed, the social consciousness has changed, your people – your workforce and your customers – have been through experiences that have changed them, and you’ve certainly changed too.
It’s welcome forward.
As a leader, you play an important role on the welcoming committee. How are you welcoming and enrolling those you seek to serve on the path forward to reopening and, ultimately, re-imagining the future?
Some questions to consider:
- How are you creating brave spaces for reflection, listening, sense-making, and learning from recent experiences?
- How are you capturing and celebrating successes in how your team reacted and responded in times of crisis? How are you recognizing remarkable contributions?
- How are you doing the work to understand decisions made and their consequences so that lessons can be learned?
- How are you building trust with your team and your customers so they feel confident, safe, and like they belong in this new paradigm? So they know they play a valuable role in shaping it?
- How are you working with your people to take stock of the things that got you here that might not be what’s needed to successfully move forward? How are you collectively exploring and experimenting with new possibilities?
- What is your plan to support the re-onboarding and reintegration of your people?
- Change requires skills. What skills do you and your team need to develop so that you are better equipped to move forward? How are you supporting your team’s reskilling and upskilling?
- How are you taking care of your people through the ongoing change and uncertainty?
- Who do you need to be as a leader to be there for your people in a way that propels everyone forward, together?
Welcome forward! Let’s choose to make it better than back.
P.S. We recently announced new FREE virtual workshops to support leaders like you in your work to chart a trusted path forward. Topics include practicing empathy, navigating uncertainty, and earning the trust needed to lead a thriving team. We’d love to see and your colleagues in a workshop! Register here.
