Embracing the “new normal”

There is an expression that says we’re “so deep in the trenches and still shooting at the enemy that we don’t even realise that the war is over and in fact that enemy went home a few weeks back”. This refers to being so engrossed with what we are dealing with in the moment that we haven’t had a chance to look up and to see the bigger picture.

I find this reference appropriate right now because we are all so engrossed about the Coronavirus and the effect that it is having on us all – whether personally or professionally, at home or at work – and we’re focused on the now without taking a look up to see the bigger picture. While it is important to be concerned about

the here and now and what is happening around us as we are facing a serious pandemic, we have an obligation to one another and our customers to have a clear view on what lies in wait.

We are now being encouraged to consider how we will be facing a “new normal” when the lockdowns around the country and the world start to lift, and when the world begins to move once again.

During this immensely stressful period, take homage in what we are doing as a connected group and how we are being of service to our country in providing essential services while many other businesses have come to a standstill. This in itself is the closest to normal that we can experience right now.

It’s honourable being part of the fight against COVID-19, and with this honour comes great responsibility. Our responsibility is to ourselves and to each other as we commit to our safety protocols and run the operations to the best of our abilities. While COVID-19 preventative measures have stepped up considerably, we must not neglect the fundamental health and safety practices that have made our company so great in the past!

As a Leadership Team we are already looking to what awaits our business and just how we will have to prepare to meet not only the internal requirements of working in the safest way possible, but we are working against the clock to understand the market and how it will have changed and how our business needs to respond to these market changes in order to remain relevant and sustainable. Be assured we are keeping our eye on the battlefield and on our team as well.

I’d like to share this quote that has crossed my path, “Much like good physical health, you don’t accidentally have good mental health. It’s deliberate – you need to get up in the morning, get your notebook out, look at your fears, and ask yourself: are they real? Challenge these things. Ask yourself, ‘Am I connecting with another person? Am I doing something kind for somebody else?’… If you do a little bit and pay attention every single day, you’d be surprised what it can do for you.” – Osher Günsberg.

Stay strong and stay safe.

Craig Matthews
Managing Director