Since the rise of Covid-19, organizations have had to break the rules and break down old paradigms to stay relevant, remain solvent and be opportunistic. Think about changes that manifested and accelerated during the pandemic: on-site work vs. working remotely, in-person meetings vs. video conferencing, fixed work hours vs. flexible work hours, more hierarchy vs. less hierarchy, in-person social events vs. virtual social events and in-person learning vs. remote learning, to name just a few.
Covid-19 has also accelerated the advancement of mobile technology, mobile security platforms, new applications for virtual meetings and new business offerings. As the pandemic presented us with new challenges, such as supply chain disruptions, scarcity in some commodities and a tight labor market, it has also presented new ways to deliver on old offerings.
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The creativity and innovation that has been driven by necessity is to be admired. It should also be examined to discover how your organization or team can keep this new “breaking rules and creating breakthroughs” paradigm going. Perhaps it is time to re-examine each company policy in light of this accelerated change and ask yourself and your teams these questions:
- What purpose does this policy serve? Is this still valid and necessary?
- Does this policy encourage new voices to be heard?
- Does this policy cause any group to be left behind?
- Does this serve the best interests of our employees? Our clients?
- Does this create a psychologically safe work environment?
- Does this make it safe to fail?
- Does this encourage continued discovery and innovation?
Reflect on how many barriers and rules you have broken to date and, in doing so, what have you been able to accomplish. I also encourage you to think about what else you can tackle. Do not lose the opportunity to keep this innovative spirit alive.