There has been so much tragedy tied to Covid-19 and the pandemic. On top of the personal stories, so many professional stories of companies shutting down, offers recinded and all the back-and-forth on what is the right approach to workforce logistics have impacted the economy, how professionals live their lives and find their balance.
There is a guilt I feel in saying this, but
If not for the pandemic, I don’t think I would have gotten promoted in the timeframe I did if at all
For me, promotion is the culmination of both the work I put in and the organization seeing value in the role I play. With the pandemic, I have been able to give way more of myself to the organization, the team and each individual. It all comes down to the comfort in being able to be able to let your true-self shine through. Being someone who is introverted and experience various levels of anxiety in social sitations, the pre-pandemic environment was a source of significant amounts of stress which absolutely affected by performance.
What the lack of travel has caused
The obvious is that is just leaves more time to work. Additionally for me, having to commute/travel brought a whole slew of mental strife: Am I going to get there on time? Should I drive or take public transportation? Will I have to take calls while driving or worse while walking through a crowded city? What if people hear? And what will they think of me?. This may seems silly to some and that is completely okay, but for me these kinds of things over the course of my career have put me in debilitating situations. Not having any of that to worry about is like compound interest on the brain. I have left me open and free to think about other things, it has lifted a huge weight off of me.
The other obvious part is your ability to better balance between your work and personal responsibilities. Not having the added stress of will I get home in time to pick up my kids? Or if I leave earlier to pick up my kids, what will I miss by not being physically around? Being able to be more flexible with your time increases the compound interest rate.
What physically not being with people has caused
The mental strife of travel shifts inside when I get to where I am going. Am I going to run into someone I should recognize/know, but I don’t? Where should I sit? I should just find a place out of the way to avoid interaction as much as possible. Social anxiety can have a dramatic affect in a professional context. It shapes how people preceive you which directly correlates to how much value they think you bring.
All of these thoughts and feeling melt away when you can get to work with just a decent computer, internet connection and video camera. Being physically separated has allowed me to be more present and more effective. It has allowed the confidence I do have in other aspects of the work to shine through by not being shrudded by all of the ‘stuff’ it takes for me to sit at a deck where people walk by or in a meeting room where you can feel people looking at you.
I understand the value of being together
I have been dealing with figuring out how to balance my needs with the needs of others my entire life. I have been a part of, and beared witness to, the sparks that can be generated with teams getting together in-person versus a [virtual] call with the connectedness you have being together. Over my career, there are countless times where I have gone headfirst into my discomfort zone for the benefit of the greater good and to come out the other side with positive outcomes. Regardless of my beliefs, I will never be someone that says there is no need to ever get together in person again no that everyone has a decent computer, internet connection and a video camera.
If we have learned anything from all this is that there isn’t one way to be successful. Everyone has opinions of what might work better than others, but being open, actively listening and learning are truly what sets people apart. Allowing each person to take their own path in support of reaching the team’s objectives maximizes productivity and a positive experience. Through getting together with purpose, people with these kinds of challenges can help themselves get to agreement that doing something together is the best path forward. Success takes many forms if we all just let it. Also, mental health takes many forms. If you are someone who needs help, there is someone, there are many someones who care…just reach out…and we will do our best to see it before you have to.