How talking has changed

We have all, regardless of industry, had to rethink how we interact with our clients. This in part is due to the challenging economic time in which we live but obviously the bigger issue here is the impact to physical meetings, or lack thereof, Covid-19 has presented us with.

As we know, the normalisation of video meetings came into play almost immediately but The Lens has also noticed an additional new theme in relation to interaction with clients; the type of conversations and the frequency in which they were taking place; hint, we’re talking more openly and more regularly!

Home and work life blurs

One thing that has been obvious is the increase of openly sharing personal feelings, activities and observations. The boundary between work and private life is changing. The Lens has had everything from ‘I’m in my PJ’s’ to ‘Excuse the dog barking’ and ‘Give me two secs! The postman is here’, all of which have been recognised with a knowing and humoured acceptance.

The global crisis has somehow given us all an invitation to share this unusual, and at times scary, personal experience; a new common denominator. Moreover, this evolves into an honesty about personal and professional struggles and experiences, some with solutions, some just a statement. Regardless, The Lens feels this is positive, we work better as businesses if we understand and recognise each other as people.

Facts and stats reigning supreme

The need for clear and digestible facts and figures have come to the forefront more than ever. Everything, whether that be financial or on a ‘time-spent’ basis, must be justified. This can be measured in different ways, be it against a benchmark, an inflation rate or a budget; it nonetheless must be vindicated more than ever; time and money are more precious than ever.

As the financial landscape becomes tighter, every decision and outcome packs more of a punch and in our line of work, knowledge is king to stay ahead of the curve; who is looking at what and why; the environment is changing but are you?

Light at the end of the tunnel?

What has been very evident in the last few weeks is these conversations evolving into a hesitant ‘are you back in the office yet?’. The masses seem to be taking this step at different speeds, in different quantities but the general feeling has been one of excitement at the prospect of normality.

Whether this is a new normal of working from home indefinitely or back to The City we once knew. One thing is for sure, this new communication style is here to stay, and The Lens feels this is very positive. Keep talking.