It’s the anniversary of the initial pandemic lockdowns, causing me to reflect on the past two years. A recent Pfizer commercial replayed pandemic moments that seem so long ago: banging pans outside to honor essential workers, sewing masks, neighbors delivering groceries to neighbors, and drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays. In a personally symbolic moment, I finished my bottle of soap yesterday — from a twin pack of hand soap in the more-soap-I-could-use-in-a-lifetime vat size I purchased at the start of all this. (In a move that seems inconceivable today, the other bottle and an open bag of flour were mailed to my sister in Boston when both items were unavailable there two years ago.)
At the beginning of the pandemic, there was great angst and many, many changes. Almost everything was disrupted. There was delusion as to the “temporary” nature of the pain. Two years later, we are still affected by COVID but in a way that has become part of our routine. We’ve figured out how to use Zoom, rely on curbside pick-up or delivery, and expect all restaurants to have takeout. Now that hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and even vaccines are readily available, live events are happening again, and no one is wiping down their mail, it seems as we have made it through. Yet, it’s not like it was — nor is it like it will be.
The thing is that the pandemic is not over. The U.S. daily death toll from COVID averages more than 1,000 people/day. There are still mask mandates and volatile disagreements about them. Supply shortages and reduced hours are still prevalent. Just because people have change fatigue, doesn’t mean the disruptions are finished.
Step back and consider how the pandemic parallels change efforts in organizations. It’s chaotic in the beginning — whether from a pandemic declaration, new software installation, or a different direction imposed by a transition in leadership. There is backlash and denial — as well as many missteps and improvised solutions. Slowly, most people adjust and eventually become comfortable with the way things have evolved — sometimes becoming too set in a new routine before the changes have matured. As a leader, you need to help them (and yourself) remember how far you have come — and remind people how far you have yet to go. As a whole, we have been adaptive and resilient. Keep going.
