A lot of noise is being made about all of us adapting to the post-pandemic new normal. Media pundits are having a field day analyzing the trends: remote work, inflation, home prices, travel restrictions, supply chains, mental health, booster shots, divisive politics, and the list goes on.
The reality is that we all—you, me, your team, clients, COIs, and prospects—are all being forced to deal with this. And everyone will do so in their own way; everybody’s new normal is different and unique to them.
There are, however, certain universal qualities that help us thrive in this ever-changing environment. In my view, these include flexibility, empathy and focus. In other words, continuing to make the necessary adjustments, making an effort to understand the challenges confronting others and maintaining your goal focus. Let’s explore these in more detail.
Flexibility
How will you deal with setbacks that arrive in Q4? We know they’re coming, whether personally or professionally. Let’s say your firm rolls out a new policy and you totally disagree with it. Will you waste mental energy on all the ways they’re wrong? Or will you accept it as something you can’t control and move on to more important endeavors?
Remember that many seemingly negative developments might seem like a big deal but aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things. Remain flexible and keep your sanity.
Empathy
We’ve been through a lot in the past two years, so it’s a great time to sharpen your empathy skills. The first step is becoming more aware of the challenges your clients, prospects and team members are facing. Only then can you showcase “compassionate empathy,” which refers to “not only understanding a person’s predicament but being moved to help them if needed.”
This could mean helping a client through the death of a loved one. It could mean being a resource to a COI who’s in a job transition. The more compassion you show other people, the more positivity you reap in your own life.
Focus
With our pandemic, the line between home life and work life has become increasingly blurred. For many, this resulted in a loss of focus. Let’s take a moment to analyze your current routine:
- What time are you waking up?
- How many hours are you working?
- What is your average exercise per day?
- How much time are you spending with your family?
- Are you consistently executing your key marketing activities?
- Are you finding time for friends?
Deep down you know if you’re operating at your best. Now is a great time to become more conscious of where you spend your time, reset your routine and become the best possible version of yourself.
Understanding your new normal while maintaining the core qualities of flexibility, empathy and focus should provide you with solid traction as you progress into our ever-changing world.