This story has emerged from our work helping organisations to thrive through the pandemic.

What’s it like for you right now? What would you add to the story? We are the stories we tell ourselves. Stories that can mobilise and inspire. Or do otherwise.

Our work is now moving the story on towards positive action. Interested in joining the conversation? Contact us to find out how.

We were inspired and energised during COVID. Work got done despite people not being here — the metaphorical lid was taken off the jar, and the fleas (colleagues) had started to jump higher. I personally stepped up and took hold of an opportunity offered by leadership. It felt way outside my comfort zone, but I felt trusted by leadership and secure in my role. It was fast pace, with frequent catch-ups and a palpably deeper connection with our leaders.

Fast forward to today. Leaders want to keep what we had back then. To continue doing more with the same or less. They want to harness the energy released during pandemic in order to fuel further change.

But we now appear to be, quite literally, hitting the buffers — blocks to performance that were probably lurking beneath the surface pre-pandemic. Somehow that three-month period provided welcome respite from their effects. Now they have resurfaced to plague our improvement efforts.

Back to our metaphorical lid, jar and population of fleas. Just when we were getting some energy and height into proceedings it now feels like our leaders have put the lid back on. The level of passion and engagement displayed during COVID is dwindling. Maybe triggered by a fear of loss of control, or an inability or unwillingness to have to stay in the stretch zone. Some have described it like keeping the lid on Pandora’s box.

It must be tough for leaders and managers out there. They are preoccupied and getting to grips with massive reorganisation, change in roles and responsibilities, and a diminished workforce (in numbers, energy or both). A natural response to this might be a wrestling for control and default back to management and authority styles. No wonder I feel they are more distant than they were during COVID.

My worry is that they may be unwittingly feeding the culture around them in a way that makes it even harder to rediscover and harness the energy release of the last few months. Reinforcing risk- and change-aversion cultural elements. Now might be the time to collectively step back and create space to reflect.

What else do I see? A prevalence of emotions rather than facts and figures in the ascendency. It takes real effort to change anything — people moan rather than own. People are more unlikely to step out, speak up for fear of being seen to rock the boat. Perhaps a reflection of the downturn and a need to protect what we have. And this at a time when we need people to be at their most creative and willing to engage.

I also see an almost overwhelming emphasis on process and financials, perhaps at the expense of people and engagement. I see a low tolerance for mistakes and an unwillingness to go beyond the needs of the role. The harsher business environment has exposed some of the cracks that were hidden when business was good — things like a lack of process, measures and system workarounds.

In our business we have all hands on deck and it is almost impossible to release resource to engage in the necessary improvement and people-oriented activity. Time spent on this means work does not get done — the classic Catch-22 situation. Perhaps now is the time to enlist expert support — in areas like change, continuous improvement and engagement.

Given all of this — our leaders still want to see action! Get it done, do more with the same or less! And given all of this, might we risk upending the people apple cart and kicking wellbeing into touch? Losing most of the energy, goodwill and we-are-all-in-it mentality of the last few months? Might that, in turn, affect our customers?

At a time when we need creativity and passion, sharing and ideas, how do we recreate the level of opportunity and initiative seen during pandemic, without the emergency? How can we provide a platform and encourage our people to come forward, to engage, and to once again step beyond their comfort zone? And how can we, and I, role model that in my area of business and function that I serve?

Given the reality of our situation, how can we convert our internal terrorists and naysayers into a band of insurgents, using their energy to own rather than moan about the issues around them? How can we encourage our workforce across all age groups and levels to get involved in experimentation, moving beyond only a what’s-in-it-for-me mentality?

If we can answer these questions and deliver on the solutions, that might provide a real level of engagement that goes way beyond anything an engagement survey might pick up on. And all of that — without the emergency.