Weiss Advice Issue: 216, July, 2021
As we lose our fears and restrictions and waltz out into a post-pandemic era, don’t mistake that reality for a “return to normal.”
At least, not if you want to prosper.
There are things we learned during the pandemic that we should retain:
- Remote meetings often make more sense than personal meetings.
- The decreased stress that results from less travel, from TSA to late flights, from traffic to lousy food, is very healthy.
- We’re able to better focus on family, interests, and fitness.
- There is a sense of “neighbor” and looking out for each other.
- The cost savings are huge and margins are high.
There are things we want to jettison:
- It can be lonely and we need to interact with others.
- There are no real networking opportunities.
- Masks and partitions and distancing are uncomfortable.
- Vacations are important and travel is often desirable.
There are things we need to acquire:
- We need to have technology that’s contemporary and effective.
- We need to create a client community that’s ongoing.
- We need to hone our skills and approaches to more advisory work.
- We need collaborations with colleagues across the country and across the globe for local delivery.
These are just simple examples of how we can reevaluate our lives and reimagine our businesses. But if you emerge from this past year with the idea it’s “life as usual,” well, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Not so much because you’ll be left behind, which is probable, but because you’ll have missed a huge opportunity and a pivotal moment in your life.