The whole world has changed dramatically for all of us in the last few months. Not only have our personal lives been affected, but the line from that personal life into our professional one has become rather blurred. With many of us working from home and finding new ways of doing business remotely, it’s sometimes hard to remember how and why we ever worked a different way to start with!
Without doubt, this has been an incredibly tough time for many businesses large and small, but it has also been a time of inspirational development and creative forward-thinking from those in the media industry. The way in which we work has certainly changed for the short-term. We are having to work remotely, carve out a corner of our home to focus on our tasks in hand and get to grips with the latest video conferencing and online project software. But, how many of us have actually found it surprisingly easy and refreshing?
Without those distractions of the office gossip and coffee breaks, it’s sometimes actually easier to focus at home. Radio on, slippers on, notebook to the side, you can work at your own pace and sometimes get a lot more done (Unless the kids are going crazy, the dog needs a walk or your coffee supplies are running worryingly low). As well as this, using video conferencing like Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp, we have found ourselves communicating and conversing with our colleagues in a more efficient manner. All in all, the communication and appreciation for working together as a team, becomes stronger as we appreciate that connection on a new level.
But, as brands are finding new ways to make their staff continue to fulfil their roles in this whole new way of doing things, is this something that could become a more long-term solution for many?
Being flexible and adaptable is the key to success for every business, in whatever industry. So, if businesses are finding that their staff are more productive, their online sales are more cost-effective and their business runs efficiently, then this hardship can certainly teach us all a lesson in how to work more effectively long term.
But, there would still be something missing, wouldn’t there?
Humans crave connection. Seeing clients, friends and colleagues on the screen is all well and good, but it serves a role of efficiency. Building trust and long-lasting business relationships, particularly in the media industry, needs more than efficient communication. It needs connection, understanding, empathy, good humour, positivity, loyalty and that hard-to-put-a-finger-on-it buzz you get from meeting a great connection in person. Great people make great businesses, and whilst our new-found freedom in online communication is to be relished and utilised to its full potential in times of need, we must remember that it creates a useful layer of engagement to collaborate alongside the physical communication we still need in the future.
Right now, the tonic we need is found in our ability to shape-shift and adapt to online communication, however the sweetest sip to the future will require a cocktail of ingredients to shake up and succeed in business.
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