Change 

Do you ever get tired of hearing the word, 'change?'

I do.  

I guess it makes sense if we remember that it’s loss we resist - not change itself. Change requires a letting go. Even giving up the false narrative that ‘my way or the highway’ is a wise way to lead and instead grappling with countless change theories is a loss to one’s equilibrium. 

We’ve all lost a lot the last few months.  Even if it’s survivor’s guilt that tells us we haven’t begun to suffer half as much as others- it's still our reference point and it’s hard. 

But we must not get tired of engaging the question of what must change?  It also will include considering what we'll need to give up.  
 

What Already Was 

Remember what changed when we finally woke up to this global pandemic?

Suddenly sometime February and into March unprecedented became an oft-repeated word. It was simply, unprecedented that none of us alive today had ever experienced a global pandemic of this sort. We were in “crisis” mode. In fact, we read and heard often those two words together - unprecedented crisis.  

Schools, restaurants, and businesses shuttered to make way for us to stop the viral spread. We learned how to get groceries delivered, waited in pick-up lines, and then looked for directions of how to adequately wipe our groceries down.

We followed patterns to sew masks, worried about toilet paper, and determined who was in or out of our bubble. Children (and adults) learned how to adequately wash hands and then helped each other use, navigate, and experience school virtually and meetings on Zoom. 

Despite $1.79 gas our travel came to a screeching halt and those of us privileged to be able to work remotely became true home and lawn bodies. 

Things changed drastically and so we had to change. 

Our Words and Ads Tell the Story 

WorkHuman tracks appreciative data from around the world and connects it to employee engagement, retention, and effectiveness. In a recent webinar they shared how they picked up on words and sentiments that signaled a crisis as we first described our place in this pandemic.

Now though our word choice has changed. I bet you know what it is now.  Now words that describe our new normal such as hand sanitizer and social distancing are the most popular descriptions of our current state.

 It's interesting to review the focus of the last few months of TV ads  during this pandemic.  It's understandable how around the world global tv marketing focused initially on  conveying a safe, caring presence. 

It’s interesting to see how the May release ads are changing some to communicate a steadfast presence- WE'LL BE HERE- for the unknown future.

 I especially love the Farmer’s Insurance new ad with Ricky Fowler sinking a putt. 

 

He finds another way to get acknowledged changing with the times.

Yes, Pro golf is now back. But just Back-ish. 

 

From Crisis to the New Normal. We are definitely living out adaptations to change.  

To learn how to successfully lead FROM CRISIS TO THE NEW NORMAL join me as I host, Angie Bastian, Founder of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP in a 4 June webinar at 11 AM ET. 

Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog series, Change - A Checklist for Leaders in Change

 

For help WALKING ALONGSIDE YOU to make the most from change opportunities for yourself or your organization- LETS START A CONVERSATION.