In 2020, we were introduced to a new normal thanks for the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the most affected spheres of life has been the work place. The new environment has forced people to work remotely or even device new ways of working. The new normal has been both positive and negative, and how you respond to these trends may determing success or failure for you and your organization. According to Catherine Wekesa, CEO at the International Talent Management Consulting Limited, here are 5 things you need to consider in terms of people management in the new normal.

1. Working from home
   If your employees are now working remotely, the new contracts need to reflect that. If the contract only mentioned that they could only work from the office that needs to be adjusted. Aspects such as reporting and leaving times, clauses round lateness etc which were designed around an office working environment will need to be rethought.
2. Distributed teams
   Despite the team being in various locations, you will still need to hold meetings. Your virtual meeting days need to have specific days allocated to it and the terms for the meeting should be clear. Do your own research on how to make these virtual meetings productive and ensure attendance discipline is still maintained.
3. New contracts
   The new normal has also brought about changes in roles as well as performance measurement metrics. Do not treat these changes casually to avoid workplace conflicts. New contracts need to be drafted, stating clearly the new performance measures, new salaries if there was a salary adjustment and new roles.
4. Redundancies
   The normal working hours have been disrupted by people working from home. As an employer, make sure that you have set deadlines or terms that ensure that the work is done and the employees are compensated accordingly. Most organizations have had to re-evaluate their people needs, hence leading to redundancies. How are you planning for these? Be sure to understand the labor laws around redundancies to ensure you follow due process as you let people go.
5. Government Shut Downs
   In the event that this happens how will your organization function? Planning ahead for any eventualities based on past experience will help you remain resilient during shut downs. Observe other countries that have been hit by the Pandemic, it might give you a clue as to what might come.

Catherine Wekesa was a facilitator at Un.thinkable masterclass (our quarterly 10X Growth Leaders Workshop) in November 2020. Click here to apply for membership in Un.thinkable.