Adapting to a New Normal

Thriving on Challenges during the deadly disruption

Out of nowhere, COVID-19 has emerged as the top agenda item for all of us. It has brought all kinds of changes in our personal and social lives. Further than that, it has challenged our mindset and belief system prevalent for decades. Today just focusing our minds on what is happening around has become extremely difficult. Novel coronavirus is unpredictable, and its effects are lethal. Even the mightiest countries are struggling for recovery, economies are getting into recession of indefinite length and severity. It is an unprecedented behavioral change that is seen people slow down and rethink many things they took for granted. “None of us are able to do individually all the things that we need. But by each of us doing a specialized job, then we function beautifully”- said Alan Fiske, a psychological anthropologist at UCLA. Because humans are so social, viruses — like the one that causes covid-19 — love us. Viruses spread best through close personal contact, says Cole, another anthropologist. The question to ask is, whether the social distancing is taking us too far from humanity. In all our attempt to make the virus lonely, somehow, it’s making us lonelier.

Covid-19 is primarily a healthcare problem, but one with devastating and instant impact on many other things, especially our ecosystem. The health threats could fade away within a matter of months (fingers crossed); whereas the effects can last forever or at least they could persist for years.

This is for sure will not be the last of such pandemic’s, the next wave could be even more damaging. The way we deal with the crisis of today will design the roadmap for the future. We have the opportunity in hand today to build a more resilient future for everyone to stay alive and flourish. It is important to internalize the lessons of the current episode, and using the wisdom, tools and technologies at hand, we can chart a new, more adaptive course and create a greater sense of purpose.

The “Re-Think”, “Re-Generate” and “Re-Wire” mantra

The size and scale of Covid-19 may seem overwhelming. But for sure that cannot be and excuse for inaction. We need to be mindful of the choices we make today. “Re-Think”, “Re-Generate” and “Re-Wire”, is the mantra that affect our ability to reach our goal.

Rethink. 

Rethinking starts with the practicalities. It will be difficult to handle such challenges in a state of complacency. We need to evaluate as to how did we respond to the pandemic with best practices that were adopted, and be prepared for the next inevitable crisis (god forbid !). Its critical to rethink the future at both at a practical and conceptual level by bringing considerations about the future into the present.

 Re-generate. 

The process of Rethinking will give way to regenerate, i.e “*build back better” (*an expression coined by UN Task Force). The most normal thing to do is to fix what has been lost. In out attempt to repair the damage one tends to overlook the new and emerging opportunities. The deeper the hole, the more it takes to fill. For us what “build back better” means is that companies need to redesign work, reorient our priorities, and realign with the newer opportunities. A clear decision making, and action plan based upon a real understanding of what is essential after Covid-19, is critical. Regenerating leads us to something more beautiful through a course correction and following a path less travelled.

 Re-wire.

The crisis has put forth a strong uncomfortable fact that many organizations are simply not ready for the new normal. This needs a fundamental overhaul of the organization than the repair process needs. Many took this one-time opportunity to reconfigure themselves to be more efficient, more effective and to be able to cope up with any future predicament. Re-wiring also means catching up on the trends that have suddenly cropped up as a response to this pandemic. Covid-19 extended a precious moment of pause, an opportunity to re-think and re-wire that previously seemed difficult to execute.