Three Slightly Ranty Thoughts on “Back” to Normal

What’s Your Forward to Normal?

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Many people are talking about “back” to normal. However, I see problems with “back” including:

• Perceived talent shortage. Many of those same people who talk about going “back” think there’s a talent shortage. (Management can’t hire people for the same salaries they used to pay.)
• Working in an office. While managers might want people “back” in the office, not everyone wants to work in an office. (People realize they don’t have to waste time in a commute, and the office isn’t actually collocated.)
• Micromanagers. Worst of all, too many managers still want to micromanage people — -and that’s more difficult when people aren’t in the office.

“Back” to normal cheats us out of learning. “Forward” to something new helps us create more possibilities.

Moving forward has always made sense. In fact, early in the pandemic, I wrote that we will discover normal rather than returning to it:

We Won't Return to Normal; We Will Discover Normal - Johanna Rothman, Management Consultant