When life gets back to normal, and we are working back in our offices each day again, what is your pandemic goal? What do you want to say you “did” while we worked from home or worked in a much smaller work environment (for those of you still going to the office each day)? Will you be ready for your future?
Did you think that you would have a chance to get all your email cleaned up, the office procedures manual written, new forms, new processes, and position yourself as the office conductor? Were you going to create a beautiful orchestra of work when life returned to our new normal?
Did you think this was your chance to attend all the webinars you wanted, read a book a day, learn new skills, and aim yourself higher than you’ve been before?
What happened?
I know that some of you have found that work is ten times busier than it was before. It feels like you are working 12-hour days, spinning your wheels, and not feeling like you are getting much done. You just want life to return to normal so you can have some sense of balance back.
Some of you are panicked that the workload has disappeared so much that you fear for your job when we do get back to “normal” because there is no work to do?
And everything in between.
Regardless of what we thought was going to happen during this time, it doesn’t seem to be happening.
And some states, provinces, and countries are looking into starting the economy up again. While that won’t be quick for anyone, it will bring some pressure for you to be ready when it happens.
What do you still need to do?
[ctt template=”3″ link=”0hDoc” via=”yes” ]What do you need to do to ensure you reach your pandemic goal?[/ctt]
Do you need to take that webinar to teach you the skill you’ve been putting off for years? Do you have a pile of business books that not only need to be read but implemented? Do you have a paper you need for your college class that is due (or overdue), or do you want to fill in the forms to take a college course online?
Do you want to earn your CAP (Certified Administrative Professional) or PM (Project Management) designation? Do you want your MBA, your GED, your driver’s license? Maybe learn another language, learn to take minutes, upgrade your business writing, or learn how to start your own virtual assistant business on the side (just in case things don’t go well in your industry and you find yourself without a job)?
Look at your future. We know that life will never be the same again. Will your company have to change the way it does business? If your role previously had a lot of travel arranging and meeting management, will it in the future? Many companies are cutting down on travel for the next 18 months minimum. What will you do?
Take a piece of paper (physical or virtual) and write down what you think will change with the world as a whole (business-wise). Then narrow it down to your industry. Then narrow it down to your job.
For instance, assume you support a Director at your local municipality. When business starts to resume, you know that your municipality is going to have change.
Changes in business as a whole:
- Cutbacks in all areas
- Reduction in staff
- Increased number of remote workers
- Fewer meetings
- Restricted travel
- Increased protection for workers and clients
Changes in local government:
- Service cutbacks
- Hiring freeze with potential layoffs
- Focus on future pandemic planning
Changes with my job:
- If I survive cutbacks, I will likely support more directors
- Meetings will be virtual (I will need to increase my virtual meeting skills) and potentially more complicated to arrange (taking more of my time)
- I will need to learn to take minutes for online meetings
- I may need to manage or coordinate projects
- Increased need for written documentation as we create future crises planning documents
- Travel will be eliminated (freeing up a large portion of my schedule)
And so on. NOW is the time to get ready for all of that. Look at what is in your future and make sure you are prepared.
[ctt template=”3″ link=”f0W2c” via=”yes” ]NOW is the time to ensure your future will not be a casualty of Coronavirus professionally.[/ctt]
As of the week of April 21, 2020, one in six Americans has lost their job due to Coronavirus. Many of those people will not have a job to go back to. Many businesses will file for bankruptcy. Business as we know it has changed.
What are you doing to make sure you are not a casualty of Coronavirus professionally? What is your pandemic goal?
