https://cfo.co.za/article/returning-to-work-businesses-after-lockdown-are-like-athletes-after-a-serious-injury-

“We’re obviously not on the other side of Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns, but it will be incredibly important for leaders to look ahead at least a few weeks as we begin to see lockdowns easing and more discussions around “re-opening”. Among the talk around how quickly to re-open different sectors of the economy, there have been extensive debates about what the “new normal” will be for societal norms, business imperatives, and economic conditions. 

While it’s possible to predict some trends for specific organisations or industries, there is no clarity on how the world in general will look in a few months’ time. What leaders can do right now, however, is look ahead at how their organisation is likely to respond to its own re-opening. The exact conditions might differ, but the broad strokes will be the same for virtually every organisation returning from the trauma of Covid-19; the main issues to consider can be neatly encapsulated with the metaphor of someone returning from a significant injury.”

https://youtu.be/yL-Hxv9d8zg

As various countries start to relax their lockdowns and leaders (political and those of organizations) start to think about re-opening, there are some tips to keep in mind to make it as successful as possible. I use the metaphor of the athlete returning from injury here, as we need to be really clear about what scars (in terms of our business, our organizational and individual health, and societal norms) we’re dealing with as we try to re-open. The main takeaways: don’t try to “go back to normal”; recognize that even if you wanted to go back to “business as usual”, you probably can’t anyway; get input from your people about what they’re dealing with and how we can support each other as we move into a new phase (of society, careers, and our relationships as colleagues).