{"id":3180,"date":"2020-07-29T16:23:31","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T16:23:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carolinegourlay.wordpress.com\/?p=3180"},"modified":"2020-11-06T12:06:22","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T12:06:22","slug":"what-will-september-bring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinegourlay.co.uk\/what-will-september-bring\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19: What will September bring?"},"content":{"rendered":"
It may be only the end of July but I’m turning my attention to September as I think it’s worth planning for now. September has always had a feel of New Year<\/a>, back to normal about it, but this year what kind of normal will it be? Even if you’re going to keep working from home well into next year, as many organisations are planning to do, September is still likely to feel psychologically different. So whatever your working arrangements are likely to be, here are five things to consider:<\/p>\r\n After four months, it’s easy to assume that you’ve cracked WFH, but there’s a difference between a short term fix and a long term way of working. This is a good time to stop and review how things are going. What might you need to do differently, individually and as a team? Here are some questions to consider:<\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For some this has been a time of incredible pressure, which has taken a great toll. For others, it’s been an opportunity to reflect on what really matters to them. Don’t assume that your team or your colleagues are in the same place they were in March. My sister in New Zealand (several steps ahead having handled things well) tells me that, when things returned to a degree of normality, some of her team didn’t come back at all. Some of your colleagues may be:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n People may not behave as you expect them to. We all need to make allowances for each other.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I saw a tweet recently complaining about shops treating customers as bio-hazards. It had a definite whiff of “You can’t think I’m a risk, I shop at Waitrose” about it. But potentially, any of us could transmit the virus to others. There are legitimate discussions to be had about how much risk there is and how to contain it. But that fact that we are all potential bio-hazards is an inconvenient truth (unless you wander deep into conspiracy theory territory and I’m not going there).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I think that’s hard to live with. We know it logically but it cuts deep into primal fears about disease, cleanliness and disgust. If you want an example of that, look at the harassment received by a man who informed his local pub that he’d tested positive<\/a>. Suggesting that we might be carrying a disease can make us feel contaminated and dirty and yet we want to think of ourselves as fresh and clean (especially if we shop in Waitrose). That cognitive dissonance is hard to tolerate and leads to four risks:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In a conversation recently about when we might have face-to-face business meetings again, someone said he’d be considering “Are you, like me, someone who’s been taking reasonable precautions?” A very sensible judgement, but how can you tell? And how soon does the end of the sentence drop away to become simply “Are you like me?” Bye bye tolerance and inclusivity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you’ve started, or are planning, to return to the workplace, you will no doubt have conducted risk assessments and implemented numerous H&S measures. But how do you ensure the right behaviours? This should not be about enforcing compliance. That leads to resentment and to someone having the job of telling people off. The aim should be to embed this in the culture.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I think the key to this is to be very human about it and accept that we will forget. It’s all too easy to slip back into normal behaviours with your familiar colleagues, like huddling over the same computer screen. This is the paradox at the heart of the new normal – we want a relaxed atmosphere and yet we need to be constantly alert and vigilant. Some suggestions for achieving relaxed vigilance are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This pandemic has been collectively and individually unsettling, so it would be surprising if there wasn’t some disruption to team working. This is especially the case where people have had different experiences, which can lead to an us and them mentality. Places to look out for potential divisions include:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The dynamics of your team may have shifted and leaders may need to put deliberate effort into maintaining team cohesion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I’m currently exploring ways to support leaders to navigate this complex space. There are new and different people issues to address and we’re all still finding our way. If you’d like a chat about handling these issues with sensitivity in your organisation, do get in touch:\u00a0 caroline@carolinegourlay.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n1. Still Working From Home<\/h2>\r\n
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2. We’ve all been changed by this – some more than others<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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3. We’re all potential bio-hazards – and we don’t like it<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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4. The paradox of relaxed vigilance<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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5. Expect some team disruption<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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