We find ourselves in a unique situation that no one has ever experienced before. Everything we were so used to is suddenly no longer taken for granted. 'Just' going to the supermarket, having a beer at the pub, exercising for work or taking the kids away to school. Despite not being in an official lockdown (just yet), our lives do feel "locked down. How do you best deal with that?
If you look at it from a distance, the current situation has quite a lot in common with the development of a team. We are now suddenly dependent on each other. We have a common goal. To overcome the virus as quickly as possible. To do this, we stay home as much as possible, but also try to support each other whenever possible.
To better understand the possible development of the current situation, the well-known team development model of Tuckman solution. He assumes four stages to achieve good cooperation: forming, storming, norming, performing.
The first phase forming (team is formed, group feeling is lacking, confrontations are avoided) has mainly been characterized by disbelief. Various BN'ers interpreted here the word of the people; "it will all be no big deal. In the end it was Prime Minister Rutte who the impetus did to the forming of all the Dutch into one team. "Together we will overcome this difficult period."
The second phase is storming (Team members get to know each other, confrontations arise and the mutual balance of power is determined). The Dutch are a free-spirited people. They are not easily told what to do. This phase took shape in the persistent queues at the hardware stores, in the parks and even on the wide beach of Scheveningen it was so crowded that you could not even keep your distance if you wanted to.
Fortunately, you can already see a great movement toward the more positive third phase of norming (The team has embraced the common goal and is beginning to work together more effectively). Stores work with door policies and people keep appropriate distance.
There are more workable hours because of the lack of traffic jams. Or better yet, there is more time for family and for yourself. In addition, the number of traffic accidents and fatalities decreased tremendously. In China, they saw for the first time in years blue sky, but also in the Netherlands is the air pollution hasn't been this low in ages.
We are slowly getting used to working from home. While the lack of direct contact can be negative it certainly has positive consequences. Companies that until a month ago wanted all employees in the office continuously are getting used to video meetings. Expensive offices(gardens) stand empty, perhaps becoming partially redundant.
People have more together About. Dutch icons such as Bavaria and DSM deploy their production capacity to produce disinfectant spray, and legions of other companies are currently fully committed to helping others Or create the possibility to help others. Healthcare is leading the way in this and showing what life is really about: #zorgvoorelkaar. It is thereby regaining much-needed recognition and appreciation from the people and politicians.
The best thing about Tuckman's model, then, as far as I am concerned, is the final stage: Performing. The team has then developed to the point where it can operate independently and with more freedom. There is mutual trust and the work goes more smoothly than before. If we have the norming phase optimally and "normal" life soon resumes, if we manage to preserve and optimize the positive elements, we may even keep a more beautiful world.
