On Monday 23 March we packed up our office and began the transition to working from home, not knowing for how long that period would be.
As a business that already embraced remote working, we were confident that on closing the office, whilst face to face meetings were out of the question, everything else was still possible and, in essence, not a lot would change.
Our investment in technology proved invaluable. Our web-based telephone system ensured all calls could continue, conferencing facilities allowed all team meetings and client meetings to continue and all documents and reports were sent to clients via our own secure portal. Our discussions with fund managers continued as normal, our communications to clients increased and we have just hosted two interactive client webinars with guest speakers, with positive feedback.
So, what has the lockdown taught us? A lot. Technology is brilliant. It has held together our business, our working relationships and friendships at a time of huge uncertainty and worry. Zoom, Circuit, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, FaceTime…theyve all played a part in our need to stay connected.
Remote, flexible working, can benefit our staff and business and we will be promoting this further as we now fully appreciate that we dont all need to work 9-5, in the office environment, to get the best out of people. But its not for everyone. All in all, technology has excelled in allowing us to continue to communicate; to continue to build and develop those relationships that we rely on to function and flourish. It hasnt replaced that need. We still need a face to face existence. It has taught us the importance our interactions have on our mental wellbeing, and for that reason, we return to our offices with a renewed positivity; appreciating the chats in the kitchen and welcoming clients once again.
