Social Distancing Being the New Norm

Social Distancing being the New Norm

As we contemplate what life will be like when we come out of lockdown, the stark reality is what once was, will be no longer.

Society, workplaces, homes, communities, clubs, interest groups, the arts entertainment and churches will have to adjust to a new way of working, interacting and socialising with each other creating a massive cultural shift. Life with be different however, have the last few weeks not prepared us and given us a taste of what our new norm will be like?

Greeting a colleague with a handshake, or in some cultures kisses on the cheek or a warm hug May for the time being be in our recent past.

We will continue to see an Increased use of technology to communicate and meet with others. Efficiencies and productivity will see a rise as new work practices are adapted.

Organisations that were once insistent on presenteeism of employees to do their job will see that their is an upside to having experienced remote working.

Real estate executives will and should ask the question, how did we accumulate so much space? Is it necessary that all our employees return to office working.?

Look at what we can save by reviewing our portfolio, consolidating our offices and embracing new ways of working.

We call it agile working and whilst many companies already adopt this philosophy, we will see a serge and dynamic shift in the real estate and workspace sector.

Space utilisation, workspace practices, home working and the psychological mind shift will take precedence for the foreseeable future.

New norms and practices are all well and good and it’s easy for me to comment. The fundamental challenge remains that you still need to have a strategy in place to keep your operations working. The business needs a strong spine from which to hang it’s ‘new norm’ . What does this look like for business?

Well first and foremost our people remain our most valuable assets. Ask yourself

Are my teams equipped to work and manage business to the best of their ability in this new environment?

What do we need to change, physically to encourage and maintain social distancing.

What work practices in the office and cultural changes do we need to make to ensure our company values, integrity and people remain safe at all times?

How will we deliver our catering and other services and employee benefits to ensure staff retention, and motivation stays high?

Mental and physical well being will continue to be the focal point of all discussions, decisions, planning and implementing of solutions.

Engage and consult with teams as much as possible to understand their fears, concerns, what worked well for them in lockdown , what did not go so well.

Now is not the time for Boardrooms to stay in ivory towers, (such an antiquated point)

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