Imagining of A Post Pandemic World
As the title suggests, my thoughts today are slightly imagined, that is, they are musings about what “might be” in our post pandemic world. They stemmed from a conversation I had with another wellbeing expert last week. Like a lot of things at the moment, the reality is unknown. Realistic optimism is, in my view, the best way to look at things.
Business as Unusual
For those of you who work in central London, I wonder how many of you want to go back to working in the office five days a week? I expect the camp will be divided on this. There will be some who crave the face-to-face interaction with their work colleagues. And who have found the working from home 24-7, sometimes with partners, children and pets a bit too much. Then again, there will be others who have enjoyed the hours they’ve saved in commuting time every day, or the fact that they aren’t having to get on planes to travel far afield for work meetings. Not only benefiting themselves of course, but also, the environment.
For those eager for face-to-face connection, which is of course vital for wellbeing, perhaps there could be a middle ground. What if we trade some of our work community and face time in exchange for new communities and face-to-face meet ups outside of work and with our families? What other opportunities exist here?
Office Life
In recent times, many businesses have already been moving online, encouraging their work force to work from home. They may have already faced challenges in terms of keeping their home working employees engaged and preventing them from feeling isolated. The advent of video conferencing has (I’m assuming), lessened these to a degree but I suspect, hasn’t alleviated challenges entirely. What else can be done to address these challenges going forward?
There have also been companies who have taken a more conservative, some might say draconian approach. They may even have insisted that flexible working/working from home wasn’t viable for their business. Along came Covid-19 and blew that theory right out of the water. If they made it work during the pandemic, how can they refuse to be open to remote working going forward? How will these businesses adapt to make it work for them?
How will the use of office space change? Perhaps some office buildings will be redundant, and will make way for much needed housing? Could offices be used as more of a collaboration space for those working from home more frequently?
An Entrepreneurial Gold Rush
The 2008 financial crisis was a boon for many start-up’s – Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram all starting out their journey in the aftermath. Could the experience of having worked from home inspire many to want to work for themselves, to be their own boss and work as flexibly as they would like to?
A Simple Life
To quote a good friend, “this sh!t is tough on everyone but in different ways, isn’t it”. I couldn’t agree more. And obviously tougher on some than others. I wonder though, has it made you crave a more simplified life? Spending quality time with family, doing things around the home that you never normally have time (or make time) to do, or enjoying the simple things – cooking, reading, hobbies. How will you plan to retain the elements you’ve enjoyed in a post pandemic world?
Reflection
It goes without saying, that this is a time for great reflection in many different ways. We’ll need to see how things unfold. For some, perhaps this has been the jolt, or wake up call to make changes and transform our lives, relationships and interactions with others and the world for the better.
If you’re interested in delving into your own reflection further and making a clear plan for your future, then drop me a message for more information on my latest transformational coaching programme.