What I’m excited about today . . .

Organizational Health: Better than “normal”

There’s been a lot of talk about “getting back to normal” or creating a “new normal” or “normalizing” as we emerge from the pandemic. Maybe it’s just me and my obstinance but, I bristle at terms like “normal.” It’s one of those words parents use when they want their child to be like the preppy kid but not like the geeky one. Normal is the word used to paint the picture of a house with a white picket fence, a dog, two kids and happily married parents but fails to capture the messy realities of life unfolding behind closed doors. It’s a word so charged with judgment, doused in subjectivity and devoid of credibility that it ends up meaning nothing. Why be “normal” when we could be so much more?

Pandemics are like wildfires

In late summer 2020, I wrote about the similarities between the pandemic and the wildfires that ravaged hundreds of thousands of acres in the West. Wildfires are nature’s way of starting over. Fires extinguish the low-growing, unproductive underbrush. They cleanse the forest’s floor of debris. Fires create space for sunlight and nourish the soil which promotes new growth and strengthens the surviving plants and trees. Similar opportunities exist for organizations to extinguish, cleanse and make way for new nourishment as the pandemic’s purge and burn subsides.

It’s time to “Marie Kondo” the organization

First, take the opportunity to clear out what isn’t growing or is impeding growth and clean things up.

What area of the business isn’t producing or has to be propped up by those that are killing it?

Now is the time to refocus or pivot away from something that has past its prime or never had one. Think of it as making space for something new to emerge in its place after the pandemic.  

What processes are outdated or rely on something or someone that is no longer part of the organization?

Take the opportunity to evaluate existing processes and ask if they truly serve the organization. If operations aren’t consistent with the organization’s values, its culture and output with suffer due to the lack of authenticity. Values may have shifted after the pandemic and if so, processes need to realign as well.

Are policies aligned with the organization’s standards and expectations?

Policies provide valuable safeguards unless they fail to capture how the business is actually run and then, they become liabilities. Dust off those old policies,  throw half of them away, and align what’s left with how the organization will operate from this point forward.

Are the right people in the right roles?

Seats may have shuffled or disappeared out of necessity over the last two years.  Consider how many seats are needed to make things happen and triple check who’s sitting in them. It takes just one toxic “Karen” to sink an entire group, team or organization. Or, perhaps Karen isn’t toxic, she’s just performs better as a small forward than point guard. Employee engagement is critical as we emerge post-pandemic and team members need to feel united, supported, and valued. Survey employees to catch any return to work issues early and gauge their level of satisfaction.

Who’s invited to who’s party?

That list of vendors and customers could probably use a refresh. Which organizations would you do business with again in a heartbeat? Which ones suck the life out of you? Big dollar signs can only take an organization so far before they evaporate in a poof of delayed payments or deliveries, disputes, lawyers and litigation. Make room for the people you WANT to do business with by letting go of those you know you don’t.

“Mother Necessity, where would we be?”

Next, invite innovation and new ideas to nourish and strengthen all the good parts that remain and fertilize the new growth that is on its way.

What “desperate measures” became godsends?

Necessity is the mother of invention for a reason. Every organization can identify at least one way of doing things that was unthinkable on March 1, 2020 and turned out to be ok if not supremely great. Take an inventory of the accommodations put in place during the pandemic that actually saved time and money, and improved workplace culture. Keep them all! 

What new lessons are ripe for picking?

Say what you will about the 24-hour news cycle and social media but it’s next to impossible to keep a good secret quiet for long. Everyone is eager to talk about the great ways their organization survived and thrived during the pandemic. What can your organization learn from other similarly situated companies that are succeeding? How can you adapt what they are doing for your environment?

Who is it time to hire?

The talent pool it teaming with incredible people who are willing to wait for the right opportunity. Now is the time to attract diverse voices and ideas to help your organization innovate and grow. Think boldly, creatively and outside the box about how to entice new talent and new leaders. Look past (way, way past) specific industry expertise. Hiring based on attitude and alignment with the organization’s vision and values is a vote for a bright, sunshiny future.

Better than before

The Colorado forests that burned two and a half years ago have stopped smoldering. New growth is everywhere and the forests are providing food and shelter to the animals and birds like they did before. But, they changed forever and will not “go back” or “return” to the forests that they were before the fires. Nor should they. They are stronger, healthier and more prepared than ever to do what they do.

What can you do today to help your organization be better than it was before March, 2020? Keep it simple. Make your idea bite sized and easy to accomplish. Watch it flourish.