“I can’t wait for things to get back to normal.” It’s a common refrain. But this phrase is deceptive and fraught with delusion – erroneously assuming that what will be in the future will be similar to what was in the past. It’s time to face the uncomfortable truth – we are never going back to the way it was before.
Too much has changed – realities, expectations, technology – and whatever the postpandemic future has in store for us, it will not be “back to normal.” Things will eventually make their way back to commonplace, routine and ordinary – but if you are expecting to go back to the same old, same old, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. And if your employees also have this expectation, you and your team are in for a rocky ride.
In my latest column for The Globe and Mail, published online yesterday morning – Things won’t ‘get back to normal’, but we can embrace ‘another ordinary’ – I outline what this means for you and your people, and how to prepare for it.
If you’re a paid online subscriber to The Globe, here is a direct link to the column on their site: https://tgam.ca/2RmKJOi. And if you’re a subscriber to the print edition, my column is expected to publish there on Wednesday.
So I’m curious to know what you think — will we go back to normal? The feedback I’ve received so far is mixed — some people agree with me, but just as many think that we will return to the pre-pandemic world unscathed and unchanged. In fact, one person told me I was being ridiculous. Please add your comments below.