3 Years on... Lessons from lockdown

We’ve recently passed the 3 year milestone since the country went into lockdown as a result of Covid-19. At the time there was a great deal of uncertainty and then as we navigated the pandemic this gave us an opportunity for greater reflection. Everyone was impacted in some way. Some tragically, losing loved ones to the awful disease, some financially as companies struggled to keep afloat amidst ever changing regulations.

One thing’s for certain it wasn’t an easy time and I’d like to think that we’ve learned from the experience, I know I did. So, I reached out to my network to get a broader perspectives and find out how others felt about the experience. Here’s a summary:

1. Work reinvented

With the stay at home directive companies had to quickly adapt to enable staff to work from home. While it required finding a different balance, most employees found they could adapt, quickly and easily. After a while, there was an appreciation of being able to avoid commuting and spend more time with family without losing any productivity. Remote work is not only possible, it can be good for both employees and businesses and it’s here to stay. Companies that don’t recognise this and offer flexible working are unlikely to attract top candidates.

1. Becoming agile

Despite restrictions, projects continued to be delivered because management teams found ways to adapt. It proved that being forced to shift from a traditional mindset of how things should be done can be hugely beneficial. Embracing new technologies and methodologies is necessary to build a more resilient industry

1. Priorities and critical decision making

With health at the centre of the crisis, many people refocussed on family and well-being. Work would come and go, but family or health couldn’t be replaced. Spending more time with loved ones and valuing that time meant shifting priorities and re-evaluating work / home life balance. This extended to communities and supporting one another, coming together and expressing support for healthcare workers who were carrying the load.

1. Communicating

With the shift to remote work, it was thought team communication would become harder. But leveraging technology to have video calls proved that connections could be built and maintained remotely. Also the stress of the situation led to more people reaching out to find out how friends and colleagues were doing, inadvertently helping build more genuine relationships.

1. Trust

While trust in government authorities has ended up at an all time low as a result of the pandemic and other factors, what has grown is trust in employees to get on with the job, in their own time, inside or outside of the office.

The pandemic forced dramatic change in a short period of time, but the effects will be long lasting. Let’s not forget what’s really important as we rebuild the new normal.