The new normal, does it exist?

It's something I've been asking myself a lot lately. What is the difference between pre-corona and what is to come? From which mindset do you look at the world and your company? At least the planet looks a little happier with that immense drop in pollution… Everything is suddenly different, but we don't yet know exactly what 'the new normal' will entail. We do know that organizations must take action for the new world that will emerge after COVID-19, because established rules, agreements and dependencies have suddenly been shaken up. This means letting go of fixed thought patterns, being forced to look at the existing business model, and identifying opportunities and threats. But above all it also means direct action. What is needed for the new normal? If a company is currently in dire straits, a fixed mindset is unlikely to help. With a fixed and expectant mindset, you look for support in what you already know, which hinders innovation. However, you can no longer rely on past results, because the principles have changed due to the corona crisis. That's why an 'open mindset' has everything to do with the new normal. In recent years, much has been written and trained on the growth mindset, also known as the WOW brain. It is assumed here that the fixed mindset, also known as the OWW brain, is a thing of the past. “If you wait for the old and familiar bus to start running again, you will miss the trip” What does a growth mindset and a WOW brain entail? With a growth mindset, you live from the conviction that you can further develop your competencies and qualities or that you can teach them to yourself. By practicing enough, making mistakes and learning from them, you will always take a step further. Feedback and constructive criticism are crucial factors here for further development, as well as self-confidence. This involves taking personal responsibility and daring to think differently. This can be seen in the following examples: Working from home, personal responsibility People experience that forced working from home offers both opportunities and challenges. Great initiatives are emerging and it often turns out that employees themselves come up with innovative solutions to make the best of this situation. All they need is for these initiatives to be heard, seen and facilitated. In most cases, the responsibility for continuing to work is taken by the manager himself and there will have been managers who were unjustified in their concerns because they thought and acted from a 'fixed' management perspective. Examples of thinking differently, a different mindset In the old normal there was a car company that supplied lease cars, in the new normal the same company is a partner in sustainable mobility solutions. An ICT organization that supplied office applications at the beginning of this year has now become the experts in working from home. Previously, there was only revenue from the restaurant, but now the risk is spread through take-away meals and a successful delivery service. A museum could no longer be visited and had no income, until someone with a different growth mindset invented the online home museum. Car rental companies saw fewer of their cars on the road. Except for Herz, which offers rental cars free of charge to people in healthcare. Isn't all this resilience impressive? “Are you aware of the mindset from which you deal with this crisis?” Acting directly with the YOWYO brain Seeing opportunities and being open to new ideas is not enough. An extra step is needed; taking immediate ownership and taking action, especially now that everything is suddenly different. For this you need the YOWYO! brain needed. YOWYO! stands for 'You Own What You Observe!' With this mindset you are always in control and you tackle matters immediately, even when there are uncertainties. It is an endless game that we call entrepreneurship. Do you want to seize opportunities based on insight into your mindset? We would love to take on this challenge with you and teach you directly how to act from a YOWYO! brain.