COVID-19 has put us in a position to reflect on the things we have in our work and personal lives. The situation has been unfolding rapidly, holding in place the processes that we take for granted, and the status quo in the face with scrutiny, before bearing down unceremoniously like a sledgehammer to the face. This is part 2 of a short series of posts where we will be taking a look at what the “new normal” is like, and how best to prepare for it. To catch up to speed, do read part 1.

An announcement on the 3rd of April came in at 1421 that PM Lee had scheduled an address at 1600. We had finished our calls for the day, a result from the bottleneck in the teething issues from those adjusting with working from home (WFH) measures in a bid for business continuity.

Knowing that the announcement would result in greater restrictions and stir the populace to a frenzy at the supermarkets, I made it just in time to get groceries for the week before the queue got ridiculous, and found a corner seat at the kopitiam in good time. I braced myself with a hearty meal and an ice-cold beer to make the impending reveal more palatable - I had a feeling it would be one of our last bites outside in awhile.

Changes came in phases across weeks and has been the ongoing storm for businesses that will rage through to 2021 and possibly beyond. Now as we head into the 4th quarter of what has been a long year for many, here are some of our observations in the changes we have seen in the way we approached work, and what we saw around us.

Work pre-CCB (mid March - 4th April)

Choice was a luxury.

It was a luxury before we embraced CCB, luxury where companies could still afford staggered working times, or splitting teams where half worked from home, while the other half stayed in the office. Companies were dipping their toes into WFH arrangements while wringing their hands with sanitiser, and compromise was the go to solution.

Interestingly enough, with that choice presented to us, we could feel the shift in the winds from the work that we did in a short span of time. From a CNA Money Mind feature where one of our clients spoke about the future of flexible working spaces, an announcement on how the tourism industry brings Unity in Crisis, to a fashion piece showing how resilience and elegance can be the default mode to face our challenges with grace and gumption. Going through the cycles of grief, condensed and expedited by the situation.

Then CCB came into our lives.

Work the first 2 weeks of CCB (5th April - 20th April)

Granted, Singapore’s government has been diligent in driving for greater digital capabilities across the board, with plans to revamp our education for digital literacy.

However, the half measures we mistook for solutions, were nothing but a stopgap. “Digitalisation”, “being lean”, “the workspace of the future”, claims that many companies had stated were being put to the test, the adjustment period was over, and the training wheels were off.

During the first week, over the numerous calls we had, there were some who stubbornly wanted to hold out in passivity to tide through the period.

By the second week the conversations we had were tinged with the dire undertones of the situation where we saw trepidation being replaced by action. Companies were more open than ever to explore collaborations, band together to adjust their offerings during this period, and share ways to tighten processes. At the same time, some were still having trouble understanding how Zoom works, and many otherwise impactful introductions were stymied when mics were muted for minutes on end.

Kudos to the Singapore government for stepping up. They had the foresight to know that COVID-19 would be the kick in the balls that society and the economy had to brace for. The Resilience Budget announced on the 26th of March was supported by the Solidarity Budget on the 6th of April, acting as financial reprieve for many to help hunker down till the 4th of May. Their support would be a constant theme through the year that kept many heads above water. I was concerned about my friends who were in the events and entertainment industries, as well as those who were in the aviation and tourism industries as those were hit pretty hard.

For those who could afford it, this period proved to be a personal reprieve, with time taken off to explore other interests, hobbies, or to brainstorm the next big idea.

Personally, we enjoyed the slowdown then.

A bit of time off went a long way

Working with the extension of the CCB (21st April - 1st June)

Not the kind of extension we were hoping for.

Bridging the digital gap has been the major pain point for businesses that were not ready. Those who were on the fence hoping things would get back “to normal” had their leg swept out from under them.

Adapting to the “new normal” involved plenty of Zoom calls, WFH was here to stay and I loved it. There were many articles about how to improve the efficacy of online calls and conferences, and webinars blew up. However, the WFH mileage varied during this adjustment period for those with difference circumstances at home as work and personal time melded.

It was good getting everyone a glimpse that time spent at work alone didn’t constitute as work being done, and we were certain this trend would become a mainstay.

Though some of the adjustments felt like reactions to get things moving in a semblance of “business as usual”, we saw good changes happening too. Friends who had a passion for cooking or baking started turning their creations into respectable side hustles, Singapore with her love affair and addiction to bubble tea rejoiced when bubble tea chains teamed up with eateries to continue operations and everyone was happy.

Singaporeans know no chill when it comes to bubble tea

Beyond Phase 2 and what I think work will be like from here (2nd June - beyond)

CCB felt like an extended tutorial in a video game. We had to stay at home and the restrictions were tight, before they eased off and things gradually opened.

Reskilling has been a hot topic, and essential as the government has pushed for it to keep the workforce relevant and resilient to wean off direct financial aid while maintaining strong support. Through this period of shifting restrictions, we feel a light has been shone on the way we work. Gaps have been revealed to show those who are working or just cruising along, while processes that are redundant or impractical have drawn attention to themselves, and organisations have a choice to bite the bullet and change or keep bleeding.

4,300 SIA retrenchments were quickly followed by a massive outpouring of job offers from other organisations, serving as a reminder that help and support doesn’t just come from the government, that solidarity in getting through this together is present.

With that change, our mindsets of how we approach work has to keep moving forward. WFH is through the teething phase and companies should start focusing less on being physically in the office from 8 to 5, and more on the deliverables that come with the work, and solving challenges.

As businesses learn to run a smoother ship, and get creative in getting further with less resources and more constraints, we could see a shift in the workforce where everyone has skin in the game.

Entrepreneurs, independent contractors, and full time employees will all be expected to take ownership of their roles, and everyone will have to show up and deliver.

The pandemic is the catalyst for digitalisation that has fast tracked the outlook of work when employees are left to their own devices, and there is no going back. We have to sharpen our tools, and be objective with what works, and what doesn’t.

This is the time for businesses and individuals to take a long, hard, and truthful look, and ask the question: what are we doing to get ready for a post COVID-19 world?

With great perks, come great responsibilities