Returning to.. What Exactly?
Welcome to our Autumn 2021 newsletter. I hope all is well as we head into the final quarter of 2021. It’s hard to believe that we are here already.
In our last newsletter, I discussed the issues that many companies are likely to confront as their employees return to the workplace and presumably begin to resume a (hopefully) post-Covid reality.
For many of our clients, that process is a complicated one in which there are no existing guidelines or roadmaps. Many are developing processes and guidelines that address some anticipated issues, but which perhaps may also potentially include costs and/or risks. Developing a perfect plan is difficult. There are no real experts out there, and little to no research data to rely on. We have not been here before.
During these past couple of years, there have been many changes – more than typical within most 2-year periods. In our last issue, we spoke of the challenges and adjustments that our employees may have experienced to one degree of another. These have included (but are not limited to) a reduction in social contact (with an accompanying reduction in social ease, frustration tolerance, etc.), an increased level of stress (from many sources), a reduction in medical and other support services, a general increase in reliance on alcohol and other substances, and for many, a reluctance to alter their existing lifestyle in order to make the transition back to “the way things were before” (and all which that may entail – long commutes, dressing up, leaving one’s pets, etc.).
The most interesting aspect of all of this is that no one is probably returning to “the way things were before”. For many workplaces (and for a multitude of reasons), it will not be a return to the way things were in 2019. The workplace may have changed in terms of how it operates in a number of ways, but also, we have all changed such that the nuances of all the internal social networks and communication processes may have to be re-learned to some extent.
And of course, UNCERTAINTY (our biggest stressor) will be the rule for a while. Adjustments will be required, which is always challenging and potentially stressful.
The gorilla in the room that many of us would rather avoid discussing is that society is more polarized along a variety of issues, some of which will be critical. There are many issues over the past two years that have divided us, as we have (during our relative social isolation) relied on separate news and social media networks to provide us with differing information and guidance. It is no secret that there are many potential conflicts and stress points (masks, vaccines, etc. – a list that can go on forever) that will probably be part of any critical decision-making when bringing people together.
During this period, I believe that we will have many challenges, some of which will be anticipated and some of which may surprise us. The past year has defied prediction, and the next one may be some of the same.
It is critical that we all pay attention to our employees during this adjustment process and make certain that the lines of communication are sufficiently open to allow us to effectively intervene early enough to avoid significant risks. Also, we have to remain flexible enough, as any plan will not be perfect and may have to be reconsidered and/or refined at any point.
As always, if we can be of service, please feel free to contact us. Also, if you have any feedback about these newsletter or ideas for future topics, I always welcome your input.
Marc McElhaney, Ph.D.
Critical Response Associates, LLC
