What Will Be The New ‘Normal’ Coming Out Of ISO
As Australia slowly comes out of its COVID-19 self-isolation period, I’ve spent the last couple of days reflecting about what will be our new ‘normal’ going forward? What will change? What will stay the same? What will I miss and what won’t I miss as I slowly re-engage with the world around me? I’ve captured some of my observations and thoughts below.
What I’ve missed
Hugs — I’ve missed hugs, I live by myself and didn’t realise how tactile I was with my family and close friends until I couldn’t be.
Brunch — I’ve missed my regular Sunday brunch ritual with my brother.
Shopping — I’ve replaced my Saturday morning trip to the shopping centre with virtual online shopping and you just don’t get the same buzz.
Pets — I bought home a new kitten in early February and I’ve loved the time I’ve had to bond with her and my other kitty cat, I’m not sure how they’re going to cope when I head back into the office.
Work attire — I’ll miss wearing trackie pants to work and I’m sure I’m not alone there!
Zoom calls — I’ll miss playing Zoom bingo and the phrase ‘you’re on mute’
What I’ve learnt
Community — I’m proud of how everyone in the broader community has come together to support each other, whether it be the Uber meal you order from your local restaurant or the random acts of kindness displayed among neighbours, like leaving toilet paper rolls on your fences for others to take. Here at SEEK we created a #supply-drop Slack channel to help colleagues who were short of supplies such as Panadol, eggs & pasta.
Neighbours — I’ve learnt a lot more about my neighbours and love the fact that we’re all willing to support and care for each other. I live in a block of three units and we share a lunch date together once a week, my neighbours sit on their balcony and I sit in my backyard and we share lunch together and catch-up on the gossip for the week.
Jigsaws — I loved doing jigsaws as a kid and I’ve re-discovered my love for them over the last 10 weeks.
Birds — there are so many more birds around my suburb, I’m not sure if it’s just I haven’t had the time to notice them before, or they’ve increased in numbers, but I love waking up to their call.
Pride in being a SEEK employee — I’m proud of our leadership team and the empathy and care they’ve shown to all employees over the last 10 weeks which has been evident in the way they’ve stayed connected with our employees via regular Townhalls and All Staff Meetings; how open they’ve been about how our business has been impacted as hiring numbers dropped across Australia and New Zealand; and the care they’ve continued to show for our employees well-being and ensuring they’re given the time and space they need to look after themselves and their families.
Pride in my Team — I’m really proud of my team on a number of fronts, how they’ve banded together to support and care for one another and how they’ve been able to get nearly 5,000 employees set up and working remotely in such a short amount of time and the continued support they’ve provided to our workforce over the last 10 weeks.
Time Management — I’ve become much more disciplined around my working hours and created some rituals to help switch off at the end of my working day. For example work is done for me when I pop my slippers on at 6.00pm and turn the computer off, I still pop my makeup on in the morning and make sure my hair is done before I logon for the day and I consciously take time for a lunch break and make sure I leave my desk and get out for a walk (even if it’s just around the block).
My greatest wish is that we all come out of ISO different, that the world is a little slower, that we’ve learnt to appreciate the small things in our lives and not sweat the big stuff as much. Time will tell if my wish comes true!
