August 2021 Issue: Making Lemonade in a post-Covid-19 World-Making Lemonade in a post-Covid-19 World by Kent Schmidgall

Making Lemonade in a post-Covid-19 World by Kent Schmidgall

Pdf Summary

The author reflects on the unexpected shift to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They acknowledge the challenges and surreal nature of transforming their home into an office and emphasize that they are not making light of the global battle with the virus. However, they also highlight some positive developments in the financial advisory world and corporate America as a result of the pandemic. <br /><br />One major shift they discuss is the widespread adoption of videoconferencing. They note that before the pandemic, they rarely participated in video conferences and relied mostly on phone calls. However, the pandemic caused a rapid increase in the use of platforms like Zoom for work, school, and personal conversations. The author now finds themselves more engaged and connected with colleagues during video conferences and has come to appreciate the benefits of visual communication. <br /><br />The author also reflects on the importance of in-person meetings. While they were able to conduct business remotely during the pandemic, they acknowledge that human beings are social creatures who require contact and proximity with others. Some clients prefer in-person interactions, and the author respects and values that preference. They believe that certain aspects of personal connection and shared experiences cannot be replicated through virtual meetings. <br /><br />The author predicts that the hybrid work environment, where employees split their workweek between home and the office, will become the norm in corporate America. They discuss how the pandemic has shifted the perspective on remote work and that working from home is now seen as a default expectation rather than an exception. However, the author personally prefers working in an office setting and feels that having a physical barrier between work and home helps maintain focus and intentionality. <br /><br />Overall, the author acknowledges the hardships caused by the pandemic but also finds silver linings and positive changes in their professional life. They emphasize the resilience of the financial services industry and express optimism about adapting to a changing landscape in the future.

Keywords

remote work

COVID-19 pandemic

challenges

financial advisory world

videoconferencing

in-person meetings

hybrid work environment

physical barrier

focus and intentionality

resilience