UpSkill: Get the mindset to unpack your best post-pandemic self

In this blog post we will explore the mindset, or systems of mindsets you will need to unpack your best post-pandemic self.

During the pandemic, the ground shifted. It shifted for you, for me, for all of us. What exactly shifted?

So many things shifted, we don’t have time to discuss them all. But let’s look at five things that shifted:

Awareness
Awakedness
Attitudes
Accountability
Action

People became more aware of some social issues, such as mental health and social justice. There was more awareness of the importance of well-being and community at work.

There was more awakedness about the inequities around us. Different attitudes emerged about all of the things that became more clear. People began to hold us more accountable, particularly leaders. We became much more accountable for how we do our work, and how we take action.

We’ve always been held accountable. There’s always been awareness. After the pandemic, during the pandemic, everything became heightened. That’s the difference. So what’s going to be important for us going forward, in order for us to survive and thrive in a post-pandemic world.

One thing that’s going to be critical is understanding context. That you never take context for granted, that you understand that what you see is not all there is.

Beneath the Surface

Let’s recall the story of the Titanic; how it hit the iceberg because so little of the iceberg was above the surface.

We want to make sure that as leaders we don’t hit icebergs we don’t hit icebergs in our post-pandemic world.

Most of what concerns human beings are beneath the surface: their preferences, their values, their beliefs and traditions.

Context provides opportunities but also has a lot of risks. It is always important to understand context in our affairs.

The ground has shifted since the pandemic began. Things that may appear the same may have shifted as well. Much of what has shifted has shifted beneath the surface.

We must keep that in mind as we communicate with others and seek partnerships with them.

Think about your thinking

You will need to think, rethink and unthink. You can’t trust your mind to continue on the same path it’s operated on because that will not work post-pandemic.

Stop and do what Peter Drucker talks about: “Think about your thinking.”

Whatever you think, think the opposite and ask yourself “What is the value of the opposite?” before you act on your thinking.

Check your operating system

I want to encourage you to check your mindset.

Think of your mindset as the operating system for your devices.

We don’t really interface with our operating system, we interface with applications. Yet none of the applications work without the operating system. Everything we do on our devices relies on the operating system but we rarely think about it.

Some of you may have systems in place to automatically update your operating system. Some of you may not even know what operating system you’re using.

Then you try to run an application and get an error message that says the application is not supported.

A lot has changed. We need a more powerful mindset to operate post-pandemic. If you have not been updating, revisiting, Upskilling, your mindset may not be able to provide you what you need to add on and upskill for this post-pandemic era.

It’s very important that the very first thing you do is check your mindset.

I want to let you know that if you think “I’m good, I don’t have to change anything,” realize that your mindset Is not a secret.

Even if you don’t know it, everyone around you knows what your mindset is. Imagine carrying a bag of rice with a hole in it, dripping rice grains all around you. Even if you don’t realize it’s happening, everyone else knows what you are carrying.

Your mindset leaves an imprint on everything you touch. It shows up in your words, decisions, actions or inactions. It shows up in who you are. It touches everything you do.

Make sure your mindset reflects where you want to go. Take five to think about what you can do differently. What benefits are there to doing things differently.

Take time to identify areas where you have a fixed mindset. I want you to think about the system of mindsets you are going to cultivate to help you unpack your best post-pandemic self.