Many more lessons have been taken from the workplace environment, as well as from classrooms (think how to keep 20 children occupied online for hours at a time) and medical practices (how to provide care when caretakers are also falling ill). Here we explore some of the most important of those lessons and how they can be useful in the post-pandemic world.
Work
In a rush to follow social distancing guidelines at the beginning of the pandemic, many companies sent office workers home with instructions phone number list to set up an office there. It may have started as a challenge as workers juggled work expectations and kids engaged in remote learning, but numerous employees have discovered the benefits of working from home.
Remote work works. Companies have seen their teams thrive in remote work conditions. Some have seen an uptick in productivity, and some are even making the overhead of office space and related expenses a thing of the past.
Contingency plans are critical. While no one could have predicted the COVID-19 pandemic, companies should be considering other potential worst-case scenarios — such as natural disasters, cyberattacks, and power outages — and planning for them.
Open concept floor plans may not multicultural teams can open new markets be the best plan. As companies strive to make workplaces more conducive to social distancing, open concept floor plans may become a thing of the past.
The right technology is more of a need than a want. Applications that employees can use from anywhere, either permanently or as a just-in-case measure, can ensure a seamless transition in the event of future emergencies.
Empathy is a must-have skill. As customer and employee challenges took center stage over the past year, leaders and fellow team members have had a crash course in putting themselves in others’ shoes. Some companies are adding empathy to the top of job description skill lists.
Education
Even in the best of times, teaching children is challenging. Each child brings their own set of problems, sometimes supplies are limited, and administrative demands can be onerous. The online component necessary during the pandemic added yet another layer of difficulty for education professionals.
Teachers are amazing. In an already highly challenging profession, teachers have had to step up and cope with innumerable shifts to their schedules, locations, and the way they perform their jobs.
Small groups are effective. Many sale leads teachers found ways to incorporate small group learning into their online teaching strategies. For some, this action has been a necessary way to organize learning into manageable components.
Internet access is a necessity, not a luxury. Broadband access still isn’t available everywhere and children that don’t have it are at a distinct disadvantage when their school sessions are online. Post-pandemic, they still require this access for homework.