The COVID pandemic has dominated our lives for the last couple of years. But has it changed the way we work for good, or will the changes shaped by the pandemic pass?
As a leader, it’s no longer practical to wait for the dust to settle and revert to our old, ingrained ways of thinking and doing.
- Employees are worried about their health and safety at work. Many are re-evaluating their jobs, preferring to work from home.
- Consumer habits have changed. People have grown cautious, affecting demand.
- In some industries, supply chains have become unreliable, impacting operations and the bottom line.
But where do we draw the line? How do we gain a sense of control?
What is the Liminal Space?
Anthropologists call this threshold of knowing what’s changed between the old and the new, the Liminal Space.
- What was, is no longer
- What will be is not yet
- What is, is chaotic and uncertain
Let’s face it – this is not a space where most of us enjoy spending our time. Our brains are prediction machines. We thrive on knowing what’s coming next.
Most managers we know are investing a lot of headspace navigating their way through this liminal space.
They’re searching for ways to create a “fit for purpose” workplace where good work can to be done and people feel connected.
How to reboot your business for better outcomes
Looking ahead, it’s clear that some changes will stay with us. But business leaders are now actively exploring ways to integrate the best of pre- and post-COVID approaches in their organisations by:
- Re-balancing expectations and thinking about the way work is done to create positive business outcomes. This process needs to hold the core mission and values of the business in clear sight, whilst creating a space to explore and develop the ‘best fit’ ways to optimise workplace experience, employee experience, and customer experience for results.
- (Re)creating opportunities to build strong relationships within and across the business; participating in experiences that create shared memories amongst employees. These shared memories help to build trust, connection, and a joint view of what really matters.
- Step by step, reshaping the world of work to incorporate the recalibrated value we place on work in our lives (and re-evaluate the place of ‘life in our work’).
There are no right or magic answers here. But what we know is that burying our heads in the sand and thinking we can carry on as before, is not an option that will work.
For each one of us and for our organisations as a whole, the liminal space has created a true opportunity to re-think, re-define and re-engineer the workplace for a post-pandemic future.
We are now guiding a number of business leaders through this complex process of workplace change from a people and culture perspective.
To discuss strategies for resetting your workplace, contact Joanne Fisher on + 61 (0) 423 163 319.
