Past, present, future road intersection signs

Time to Pivot

The new normal is being thrust upon us and more than ever it is a time to adapt. Remarkably, humans have shown over and over the ability to respond to new realities. It’s in our nature.

With the current environment, business owners of all industries are assessing the new normal and making decisions accordingly – e.g. maybe not coming back to work in the office – establishing work from home policies, saving on bricks ‘n mortar, or sharing street-front space with like-minded businesses. Or maybe they’re looking at consolidating shared services and increasing automation or outsourcing non-core skill sets. Now is an opportunity to reflect – where we have come from, and how we have adapted in the past.

There is one gift the lock-down and isolation associated with the pandemic have given us, and that is ‘time.’ Time to slow down, time with family, time for DIY home projects, time to bake, time to reflect, time to reassess. It’s highly unlikely we will return to what was. It’s highly likely that everything from now on will have more meaning. From how and who we spend our time with, to what we buy and where we go, and what our environmental footprint amounts to along the way.

While there is limited travel sales, it’s a good opportunity to consider what the future of travel will look like and how to pivot accordingly. Will it be more purposeful? Will it be more eco-minded? Will it impact travel security measures, insurance, duty of care or fitness to travel? Will the inclination to travel be dampened – or heightened? These would be among the many things being considered by travel advisors, in addition to attaining greater efficiency and productivity in the new normal.

If you’re reading this, there is a good chance you were in the workforce before the World Wide Web. The world is a smaller place now thanks to the Internet, affordable international travel and increased migration. The interconnectivity of people, whether through work, family or friendships, means travel is inevitable; it will pick up, and it will pick up quickly. Zoom was great, and before that FaceTime and Skype. But there is nothing like personal connections and exploring the world first-hand.

Looking back on change in the past … it might have been difficult at the time, but we came out better and stronger for it. To paraphrase former US President, Theodore Roosevelt, “Nothing ever worthwhile is easy.” So where are the opportunities for you now? – take some time to consider how you can use this moment to pivot in order to adapt to the new normal and come out stronger as a result of it.