The “New Normal” is Bullsh#t

Every time someone says the phrase “new normal” I roll my eyes. It is yet another vapid corporate-tese slogan that has less value than a Twinkie has nutrition. It is a mindless, bland way of describing something that is decidedly NOT new: change. There is no “new” normal because there is no “normal.” Or to be philosophical, you could argue that every day is a “new” normal because every single day is slightly different from the last. The term pigeon-holes people into thinking that we will find a stable “normal” in the post-Covid-19 world. We will not and our organizations shouldn’t think that we will.

?Change is the only constant. While some changes feel larger than others (i.e. Covid-19), our organizations and societies are constantly facing changes that we are not flexible enough to respond to. “New normal thinking” nudges us into a static mindset, like an ostrich with its head in the sand, while the rest of the world keeps changing around us. It’s the easy road; a crutch to soothe managerial anxiety that the rigid structures and planned plans will be valid once again. A “new normal” beckons us like a moth to a flame that once we settle into the “new world” that things will calm once again. They won’t.?

Ongoing change requires a flexible mindset, one that evolves. Instead of obsessing over static frameworks for a future “normal,” we should direct more effort into fostering the inner growth required to stay flexible in crazy times. We should put more emphasis on people and mindset in the present, and less on future plans.

Lean advocates and control freak managers often mention “what gets measured gets managed." It's a truncated and misleading take on the full quote that is attributed to Peter Drucker (though it turns out he likely never said it… link). In those “measure everything” circles, I observe a distressing avoidance of trying to manage something that impacts every single meeting in every company: emotions. And in many “new normal” policies, I see little attention given to the need for organizations to mature emotionally as they navigate the changing planet. That is risky, because the times aren’t getting any less crazy. Heard about a little thing called Climate Change? Cryptocurrency? Cybersecurity?.?

Our organizations (and surely our societies) need people to grow up and transform. We all need to strengthen the inner emotional systems required to navigate fear, anxiety, and the countless triggers we face in dynamic times like these. Technology is important; process is important; financial systems are important. But those are all icing on the cake.

Our core organizational problems and opportunities lie with what we see when we look in the mirror. Skills like emotional awareness; mindfulness and staying present; the ability to refocus after being triggered; compassion; holistic thinking; authentic listening; overcoming our biases; and healthy communication in disagreements are as vital as they’ve ever been. And their absence glares like a mirror in the sun.

Times are always a’changin’. There is no “normal” and no “new” one. Upheaval gives us opportunities to redefine values and evolve. Sure, Covid has been terrible, but it’s also been a chance for growth. It’s a reminder of unpredictability, and of the weakness of rigid corporate frameworks in a time when our people and planet need to heal. It’s a clarion call for us to take responsibility for our difficult emotions (i.e. fear, anxiety, frustration, etc.) and not inflict them upon others. Or we can continue to obsess over meaningless measures and “new” frameworks, avoiding the real work of developing ourselves emotionally.

Greater change means greater fear. It’s time to let go of the idea that there is a “normal” to return to. Let’s stop saying that we’ll find a “new normal.” Rather, we should say that we are trying to adapt to every normal. And to make this shift, we should be putting the emphasis on people and inner transformation, starting with ourselves.