What does this World look like?
Covid-19. A simple enough name for an insidious disease with much farther-reaching consequences than the (relatively) low mortality rate would suggest. The “19” of course signifies the year it was discovered but it wasn’t until 2020 that the full effects were felt, and continue to be felt.
So, what does a Post-Covid World look like? Well, the short answer is that we don’t yet know, because we’re still not “post Covid”, and won’t be until we have a vaccine. Until then there will be fear, uncertainty, and a real need to maintain distance from friends, colleagues and family alike so that the spread can be minimised and our vulnerable members of society, protected. In reality, a truly Post-Covid world, once everyone is vaccinated, will look like a Pre-Covid World!
Given this, then, we should perhaps clarify the point of this Blog a little with a new question.
How do we return to professional life, without a vaccine?
The short answer is very simple – keep your distance and do your work! The longer answer, naturally, will also be given here and will address the “how” element, as well as highlighting possible pitfalls to avoid. We can sum it up, really, in 5 simple tips;
1. Communicate. Distance does not mean you have to be “distant”
Modern technology means that although we might not be sharing the same office space as our colleagues for a while, we don’t need to alienate each other. Tele-conferencing meetings, VOIP solutions for cost-free interaction, enc
2. Collaborate. Working together, even when you’re apart.
Dropbox and Dropbox Paper for collaboration, are all great tools to go alongside email to allow people to work together as closely as possible, and to maintain that all-important “team spirit”
3. Security. “Now” is never the time to relax.
Of course, cyber-criminals don’t care about the Pandemic and its effects, seeing only an opportunity to strike when they feel their targets are vulnerable / susceptible. Don’t be an easy target. Consider key things such as;
- anti-spam
- anti-phishing
- anti-malware
- anti-virus
- anti-ransomware
- continuous backups
As always, feel free to contact us if you need any further information or advice
4. Keep your eye on the prize.
This one is more cultural than anything else. Remember WHY you’re in business, and WHAT your business goals are. Keep them at the forefront of your mind, and use them as an anchor-point at a time when the whole world is at sea. By doing this, you can prevent your focus from shifting to short-term problems (or temptations – see (5)) and instead, manage your collective efforts in the right direction.
5. Don’t Invest in One-Way Tech.
It would be tempting to think “this is the way it’s going to be from now on” and go all-in on working from home. Whilst this might be the right thing for your business, consider that it might not, too; invest in technology that will continue to have its place in a truly Post-Covid World. It makes sense to attain, and retain productivity now, but this should be done in such a way as to minimise waste wherever possible.
Summing it all up
Maintain good working relationships with colleagues. Staying productive will help with this. Don’t get spammed or scammed. Keep on track from a business perspective. Think before you buy!
If any of the above has raised questions or, indeed, if you have any other questions or queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us here at Nemark. We know a thing or two about this – we’ve all been working from home for the last 3 months!
