Your Cheat Sheet for the new "Change-As-Usual" world!

Were you binge watching, managing household chores, keeping your grandparents safe, complaining, upskilling yourself, working your butt out or simply daydreaming?? What the heck were you doing? Well, they will want to know everything?

So who is the "they" I am talking about?

This could be your current employer, your next employer, or even your investor if you are an entrepreneur. They may not ask you directly but they will want to know!!

As companies start gearing up for a new operating model, they will begin with cutting costs (starting with people, simultaneously with systems) and steer in new directions - in the name of survival!

So how does this impact YOU at an individual level...?

Let me explain.

Businesses are slowly but steadily finding ways to come back into form with a new operating model that will never be "Business as usual".. they will move to a "Change as usual" operating model.

Having attended many conference calls, e-meetings, and webinars with clients across industries in the past few weeks, here is what I am hearing and sensing from HR and business heads.

I want to make sure you understand how this will impact your next job or even your next appraisal so I decided to put together a list of questions specially for you.

Your Cheat Sheet!

Here are the questions you want to start asking yourself before they do - 

1. INVEST

How did you invest in yourself? Did you learn new skills and practice them in the new post-COVID era? Upgrading on domain skills is a given. Period. Also saying that you are "technically challenged" won't cut it anymore.

In fact, as knowledge of technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, becomes a requirement in most job descriptions, you must understand AI's potential and possible applications in context to your role. This in addition to learning and applying softer skills around creativity, communication and collaboration in constrained environments.

2. ADAPT

Have you adapted to the new normal? For instance, did you lead e-meetings and webinars, or create collaboration opportunities for your team members, clients and partners?

What was your style of conducting the meetings? Did you go in with an agenda? How did you greet the team members? Showing your applied-technology prowess will be essential, but also testing how you are able to empathize in virtual environments.

I have attended meetings and webinars where the moderator goes directly into the topic and doesn't even spend any time asking "how are you feeling?".. remember this is a time where people want to vent and feel like "one team" more than ever! If you are a sales person, then what new strategies did you use to maintain, if not increase numbers?

3. GROW

In the post-COVID era, we are now all in the business of building our own personal brand, at least digitally. How did you stretch yourself and build eminence in the marketplace, maybe as a thought leader... did you put yourself out there to improve your brand? What content did you create? 

Your growth mindset will be tested, along with your grit and resilience. What new approaches did you experiment with? What worked and what did not? They will test your "fail-fast-to-success-sooner" capabilities. With that said, its important to balance relationships with your boss as well.. you might be a high performer and want to implement new strategies for growth but your boss may not! Many companies, unfortunately, haven't yet shifted to design-led mindset.

They won't ask but they will want to know your post-COVID health regime.

According to the World Economic Forum, more than 2.5 billion people are going through the "world's biggest psychological experiment - and we will pay the price.

Make sure you provide a holistic view on this - physical, mental and spiritual (not religious). The survival of the fittest from all 3 aspects of our holistic well-being. You will have a higher hand on the negotiation table if you can show this holistically and consistently!!

Bottom-Line

You will need to grow a pair of ... WINGS... if you want to differentiate yourself in the new post-COVID era!

When all things are equal on paper, how you communicate the answers, in the cheat sheet above, will differentiate yourself!

With INVEST. ADAPT. GROW. being the new mantra, will you reflect and act on what's needed to achieve your dreams in the post-COVID era - the new "Change-as-usual" world?