How many of us have heard that a particular program of work was unblocked and brought forward by C-19?

That’s all well and good at speeding up the delivery of modern IT systems and working practices, like allowing virtual meetings, which have been possible for years but frowned upon for a variety of reasons but how have you changed your behaviour?

Another example is flexible working practices which again have been possible for years but looked down upon by those who like to monitor people sitting at desks. Has your team taken advantage of these?

Change has certainly come to the office environment quickly, and it appears it is here to stay.

But how do you take advantage of it? You, personally, I mean?

Have you considered that change is an opportunity which you need to take advantage of?

There are all sorts of ways where this huge disruption can benefit you.

Here are some:

1.      You can re-evaluate how and where you work

WFH literally means work from anywhere in the country, so have you considered working from your parents' house in the country, or perhaps looking at options outside the city or commuter belt?

Moving to the countryside is a long-term goal of many, and now is the chance to consider this seriously. People are not rushing back into the offices anytime soon, and more so, when the new normal allows that, hybrid working practices will be the future.

1 or 2 days in the office for team building, brainstorming, and sharing ideas will be commonplace, with focused work allowed from anywhere where that is feasible.

Note: Moving out of the country creates legal, monetary, and other issues, so consider that with care.

2.      New jobs and industries are being created

Do you want to do the job you are doing for the medium to long term, or are you interested in something else?

Now is a great opportunity to re-evaluate your skills, train appropriately, and start a new path. Something you have been meaning to do for years perhaps but now you have been pushed or pulled into it. Now you may be motived to make it happen.

Start that side hustle, get a start-up loan, grant, or other funding, plan for the future, and imagine what could happen.

Keep in touch with people you have worked with and stay open to opportunities you never know what could happen.

3.      People are open to new ideas right now

When was the last time you arranged a meeting with someone you barely knew? Now you can. Chances are they will listen, perhaps offering a helping hand, but at a minimum offering advice. The world has changed.

The current situation has made people more receptive to change, and that includes discussing new ideas and being open to new ways of working, thinking, and experiences.

Most people would not have expected to WFH or sit in Zoom meetings for hours on end each day, but now that is commonplace.

What other ideas or working practices could benefit you even in your existing company which you might want to float right now?

4.      Take advantage of the huge technological changes taking place

Have you seen how fast Microsoft is rolling out changes to Microsoft Teams all to foster the change in working practices?

The start-up community is buzzing with excitement, new advances in AI, robotics, and other areas which will only impact our lives quicker over the coming years.

Are you aware of these, and how they relate to your industry?

These aren’t obvious changes like the long-awaited driverless cars, but smaller yet as significant changes.

Think RPA, no-code solutions, e-commerce publishing platforms enabling drop-shipping for everyone at scale, automatic generation of readable text by AI programs, or a host of other changes which are like a tsunami changing all the old fashioned jobs we’ve had for years.

These advances are available now in many ways and you should be aware of the ones impacting you and your industry.

5.      The whole world is now closer than ever, take advantage

Have you hired a VA to manage your social media account, arrange your holiday, or manage your work calendar and/or email?

Have you looked at opportunities in your industry elsewhere in the world? Your marketplace is now SO much bigger. Have you considered this?

You can now WFH, as can most of the industrialised world. I’m obviously referring to office jobs. That means that if you can provide services to office workers, your services could potentially be sold anywhere in the world. Potentially. Perhaps only with minor changes.

Have you explored this?

Think flexibly, be open to change, and you will be amazed at the different and interesting experiences and opportunities you will open up.

Don’t be afraid of change, take advantage of it!

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