Is your team ready for a post-Coronavirus bounce back?

If ever there was a year to define the term annus horribilis, this is it. 2020 has thrown the world into crisis mode, and businesses have had to navigate their way through uncharted territory without any point of reference whatsoever.

One of the few certainties about periods of crisis, is that companies with a strong culture are much more resilient to the constant challenges both big and small. If you’re still emerging from a Covid daze, and wondering where to from here, it might be time to regroup, reset, and reconnect.

Regroup

Many workplaces have become disjointed and disconnected over this unsettling period, so it’s essential we take the time to regroup as a team and talk about what the new normal means to each of us. As social distancing filters through to our work environment, it’s easy to assume that if people aren’t complaining, everything is fine. The reality is, without open and transparent conversations as a group, it’s impossible to tell how people are coping and how we can move forward, together.

So call a meeting, send a survey, canvas opinion – but make sure everyone has a chance to design their own future.

Reset

So much has changed in the space of a few months. Our entire reality and its fragile sense of normality has been forever altered. During this existential upheaval, priorities have been completely reset. What mattered before, doesn’t necessarily drive us anymore – for both individuals and businesses. We are being forced to reassess where we invest our time and money, but hopefully the lessons learnt during this unprecedented time can propel us towards something even greater.

The key is having the courage to hit the reset button and change what isn’t working with things that will help you scale new heights.

Reconnect

Since the dawn of the internet and the dotcom boom, people have been fascinated with the idea of living and working in a smarter, digital world. Many businesses have been dipping their toes into a more virtual workspace in recent years, but Coronavirus has sent us hurtling into that world like a learner driver first discovering an accelerator. So, are we finally living the dream? Not quite. The reality is that working in remote silos has created a whole new set of challenges. Moving from cord phones to mobile handsets was supposed to make us feel liberated, but the reverse is true. We’re more tied to our phones than ever – and the same can be argued about cutting the cord to physical office spaces.

As businesses it’s important to adapt to this new reality by setting clear boundaries and expectations around how we communicate, connect and collaborate — and switch off.

What are we doing?

We’ve made a few adjustments ourselves. We’re back to five days week but working from home is now optional. We’ve also renovated the office to reflect a more open, flexible space where we can come and go as needed. Like any sort of change, it’s a journey and there are areas we are still working on and figuring out while we try new things.

If you want to have a chat about your post-Covid work environment, give us a call – we’d love to share our thoughts.