I never liked the phrase, “this is the new normal “ that has become as popular these days as, “unmute.” For me and for those I coach, the emphasis is on “new” and not on “normal.” Whatever any of us thought was normal is now replaced with ;what’s next? “What’s next for my health, my safety, my job, my family, my friends, the world?”
In my organizational coaching practice I am often asked, “What do I do when someone’s opinion of any of these COVID rules differs from mine?” “ What if I don’t want to be outraged or argumentative about anything?” “ I don’t know if I can go back to the office, what should I say to my manager?” or ,“ I can’t do this anymore; I think I need to talk with you about quitting.”
The events of 2020 and now 2021 are cumulative. For some the constraints have been an inconvenience, but for many it has been a constant exercise in adaptability. It is not only COVID that has people on edge but also civil unrest, natural disasters, and a list of other challenges that have continued to pop up like a bad game of whack a mole . These events and uncertainty begin to add up.
If there is a “new normal” , than maybe it is the fact that some things change whether we want them to or not. We may have tried to avoid or minimize change as much a possible in our lives , but now here it is asking us to look more closely at what we fear about change and how might we find a way to embrace it.