3 Things We Learned About Work in 2021
COVID-19 turned the world upside down in 2020, but 2021 hasn’t exactly seen a return to normal. Life has changed. So let’s look at three things we’ve learned about work this past year.
3 Work Lessons From 2021:
1. Change Is Easier Than We Think
The pandemic forced all kinds of swift changes in 2020. Many folks thought we’d snap back to life as normal when vaccines became widely available in 2021. But for many reasons, that hasn’t been the case. COVID-19 not only introduced major change, but those changes seem to be long lasting.
Whether it’s working from home, schools experimenting with distance learning, the entertainment industry adjusting processes, or the sports world tinkering with how things work—life has changed.
In many industries, things we thought could never change have in fact changed, seemingly overnight and perhaps permanently. Change is easier than we thought it was. There’s always institutional inertia and the tendency to do things because ‘that’s how we’ve always done it,’ but change can and does happen.
If you’re considering changing a process or trying something new, go for it. It’s time to embrace change.
2. Your People Matter
After the massive upheaval of 2020 with workers staying home, 2021 has seen a continued shifting of labor markets. Nearly every business is hiring and workers can be more selective. The Great Resignation has also meant workers are looking for something better. For older workers, that might mean early and permanent retirement. For younger workers, that might mean shifting careers or seeking greener pastures. Whether it’s market conditions or an existential crisis, employers need to recognize the value of their people.
Worker shortages are impacting all kinds of industries, and smart businesses are doubling down on their people—doing whatever it takes to keep the best. That means increased pay, better benefits, and improved working conditions—whether that’s addressing dangerous physical safety or hostile work environments.
At the end of the day, your employees are your first point of contact with your customers. You want the best of the best. And they’re not going to stick around if you don’t treat them right. That requires more than a half-hearted gesture.
3. Take Care
The pandemic year and the aftermath have done a number on our collective psyche. Everyone is tired, burned out, exhausted. You can see it in the way that life didn’t just flip back to normal in 2021, even with the advent of vaccines. There are many reasons for that, but one is that people put a pause on normal life in 2020 and they didn’t want to return to normal in 2021.
So many people recognized how exhausting normal life was, even before the pandemic, and they have no desire to return. That’s part of why the Great Resignation is happening. People are reevaluating what matters. They’re focusing on taking care of themselves and their families.
This focus on self care and mental health is a shift that’s been a long time coming. As a society, we’ve paid more attention to mental health in recent years, but this year it’s become about more than therapy and medicine. It’s shifting to a healthier mindset.
Not only do employers need to be taking care of their people with compensation and benefits, but they need to create an atmosphere where it’s OK to take care of yourself. Not only do they need to encourage employees to protect their mental health, but employers need to take care of themselves as well.
Whether you’ve got a team or you’re a solo entrepreneur, 2021 is the year we recognized our own limitations and the value of self care. So take time for yourself. Get some exercise, get some fresh air, get some daylight (especially as the dark of winter closes in), get some human interaction—whatever it is you need right now, take care of yourself.
We’re Here for You
Whatever you need to get your work done, let us know. Last month we highlighted some of Evolve’s features, including a hammock and game room if you need a reset. Let us know how we can help.