When everything really is urgent and important: what I’ve learnt this week

It was bound to happen at some point: communication meltdown. My phone rang as a Zoom call was starting, up popped new WhatsApp notifications (I’d muted loads of groups already), Teams alerts, WeChat messages, all accompanied by an onslaught of email.

I had two choices – tears or laughter. I decided to laugh it off, apologise to the person on the other end of the phone, and joined my Zoom call with my client. This is happening more and more, to everyone. 

But perspective is required, and the ability to remain grounded is a more useful custom than ever. I could tell from my conversations last week with team members that they were concerned, both from a personal and professional perspective. I could feel the unsaid, growing level of anxiety across the digital world we find ourselves living in. Even when things aren’t articulated, you can still sense when someone is worried. So on Monday, I kicked off our mallowstreet daily Zoom team morning call with a small speech I’d written over the weekend. 

I wanted to share my vision of mallowstreet and how we are going to get through this together. We are a team that has taken years to assemble, train, invest in, mentor, and galvanise to meet a single goal: a better retirement for everyone. We empower, we act with integrity, and we are innovative. We will lean on these values in the days and weeks to come. I told them I am excited about all of our current innovations and the opportunities I see on the horizon. 

But first, we need to navigate a global pandemic, for which there is no playbook. And we need to do it as a team, and do it together, one day at a time.

What we are now facing is like a tug of war: us on one side, and the Covid-19 world on the other. Only by working as a single, collective team will we get through this. I want us to emerge on the other side, a more energised, dynamic, and nimble firm. 

There are practical things we’ve done: totally flexible working hours, helping kit out home offices, and offering as much support as we can for everyone.

I asked the team to meet me halfway – and they are rising to the challenge. We are redefining our business, and everyone across the firm (including me) is now operating outside of their comfort zone. But that is where the magic happens, and the best ideas are created. The most urgent and important thing on my radar is the team. Taking time to listen, support, nurture, and care for them as best I can – and ultimately taking care of each other, having each other’s back, at every turn. 

How we treat people today in this environment tells you volumes about who they really are, what they really stand for, and how far they are really willing to go.

So I told the team: let’s move forward together, one day at a time.