As the end of year two of COVD-19 approaches, we have had many discussions – both internal and external – on what we’ve learned (and heard) since the pandemic shut down offices way back in March 2020.
Here are our views as we deal with Wave 5 – Delta and Omicron:
If you were already remote, the pandemic actually brought you closer
Dale Weiss, the already remote lead of our Dallas office, says he feels more connected to the team since the start of the pandemic. We have daily check-in calls on Zoom with colleagues in NY, DC, Dallas and Atlanta and have less hesitation at any moment to reach out when we need to.
Can you count how many video meetings you had before March 2020? In our 35 years in communications, we can count them on one hand. No one believed that video meetings really worked. The technology was there – but not widely adopted.
While we really, really, really miss in-person work, for the foreseeable next few months, client interactions, new business pitches, presentations and trainings will be via video (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet or WebEx). It’s been easy.
Resilience
Community is essential
What’s ahead for 2022? We will see the slow return of people to the office and in-person meetings, though Omicron is already slowing this down. Hybrid work arrangements will continue with organizations having limited numbers of people in the office on a varied schedule. And we will continue to train both in-person and virtually.
As we look forward to the start of 2022, let’s hope we continue to grow closer by reconnecting and building back the work and business communities that we have missed.
Happy Holidays and continue to be safe!