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Reopening Reminders

CHAMPS

Guest blog by Amy O’Donnell, Magic Maker Solutions

What a whirlwind, roller coaster ride, and really strange trip this has been…

I hope this finds everyone safe and still relatively sane. The last 2 1/2 months have been life-changing in more ways than any of us could have ever imagined. 

It’s been exhausting to take everything in, adjust, pivot, change everything we know and love, and, to think about what our personal and professional future will and could look like EVERY SINGLE DAY.

It doesn’t matter now if you’ve taken this time to relax, re-consider, re-create, re-build, or rejuvenate—hopefully, you’ve been able to balance of all of the above.  And now that you’ve gotten used to a whole new world at home… it’s about time for your professional fresh start and to get back to business.

Here are what I feel are the most important things to remember about reopening:

Safety first. Your health and that of others are STILL the #1 priority. Having sanitizer handy, making mask-wearing mandatory, hand-washing, cleaning, social distancing–that’s going to be the new normal for a while. Set the example and your expectations with everyone NOW. 

Take the time to learn how everyone has REALLY been and where they feel they’re at now—maybe they’ve found new talents, interests, or ideas of their own that could be beneficial to your business. Find out what kind of support they need to get back in the groove.  You know how hard it is to come back after a long vacation?  It’s going to take a lot more time and energy to recover from a crisis.

Be patient. Get used to just being back at work and the new way of doing things.  It may take someone a little longer to pick up a new process. Give them grace like you’ve been giving yourself and let them know you’re there for them.  After all, they’re there for you. 

Wish you had done more to prepare?  Don’t worry…you still have plenty of time.  Just focus on what’s in front of you now and staying healthy.   Business may not pick up right away—remember, everything else is starting to reopen too. 

Be mindful and observant of others when you’re out and about. Instant gratification is virtually impossible right now…especially with so much going on behind the scenes with staffing, scheduling, and sickness.  I couldn’t believe how many complaints I heard about 2-day shipments coming late when millions of other orders were being placed at the same time. Think of the logistics. The technology, the number of steps, and how many people it takes to get something done during a pandemic when you’re trying to protect yourself and your family.  The mode of transportation to get from point A to B and beyond.  

Yes, we all have high standards and want to go above and beyond for our clients, but, sometimes, it’s not going to be humanly possible.  I hate feeling like I’ve been stripped of my superpowers, but if this time has taught us nothing else, it’s that we can’t control everything.  And it’s ok.  

Just breathe, do your best, keep the lines of communication open, and be honest with yourself and others.  Take baby steps and pace yourself.  We’re conditioning for a marathon now and just need to make it through Phase 1 now. We have 3 more after that. 

Every day will be a victory and an opportunity to discover different, better ways of doing what we love.  Surprises, struggles, and setbacks…we can’t stop those, but we sure can choose how we react to them and who we need by our side to get us through this. 

You are NOT alone. We ARE stronger together.

Amy O’Donnell
Founder/CEO & Main Magic Maker
Magic Maker Solutions Inc. 
magicmakersolutions.com
301.291.5767