What is normal, usual, or typical feels like a moving target these days. Our everyday world has been collectively upended more in the last few months than most of us can ever remember.
The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to challenge and change the world. Yet, at the same time there is a resounding call for change and action for justice and equality. Discussions on racism in America are continuing and the call for social justice is resonating. In addition, the US Supreme Court ruled to apply Title 7 Employment Anti-Discrimination to the LGBTQ+ community.
These events give us an opportunity to open dialogue and re-evaluate some critical aspects of how we do our work. As a leader, navigating change, conflict, ambiguity, and uncertain times effectively is what most of us are called to do – though even for seasoned leaders, this is often most difficult part of the role.
In our practice, we have the opportunity to see change leadership in action – though it is never straightforward or easy, many leaders we know are figuring out how to leverage change into resiliency and connection. The key is that leaders don’t wait for normal, they facilitate it. Specifically, there are two things that these leaders are doing:
1) looking at what isn’t changing about the team and organization; the values and behaviors that drive the Mission and
2) asking what do we need to do differently to ensure our team remains aligned to the Mission while responding to our new reality. Instead of getting “back to normal”, he/she/they reflect, refine, and redefine the behaviors that are Mission critical.
We’ve developed a tool that can help discover the norms that have remained as well as establishing new behaviors that support your team’s Mission. This tool will help foster and evolve a “normal” that serves as a foundation as the team navigates uncertainty together. Additionally, discussing team norms is a great opportunity to talk about what behaviors create and support diversity, equity, and inclusion on the team.
