We all knew COVID couldn’t last forever, right? Things would eventually stabilize and get more-or-less back to normal. No masks, no distancing, no occupancy limits, no travel restrictions, no lasting health worries. And here we are. Or are we? The lifting of many restrictions obscures some huge changes that have occurred while COVID ruled. Here’s my take on the most significant and likely permanent changes.
Something really big and nasty just happened. Should I underreact or overreact? Should I pretend that nothing lasting happened and that things will soon return to normal (normalcy bias), or should I make major changes even though I am not yet sure that these are needed or wise (cognitive dissonance)? Let’s ask our neighborhood psychologist.
Much has been written recently about the “old normal” being gone and some kind of “new normal” replacing it. I have argued that the old normal refers to stability and predictability, with relatively gradual changes. COVID-19 definitely fried that world, leaving us in times of fast change, unpredictability, and chaos. So, what is next for the economy?
Whatever is coming next is not foreseeable despite being termed the “New Normal”. It will surely be New but Normal? Not a chance. It will be very different and nothing like what most people expect. Business success in the New Whatever will require great organizational agility and adaptability. Does your business have what it takes?
So many people seem to be hoping for a New Normal that looks pretty much like the Old Normal – aka the past. Unfortunately, the past never comes back. A New Normal, with stability, will be preceded by a period of harsh change, instability, and unpredictability. How can we deal with this nasty New Normal precursor?
