by Stephen Gray
I imagine very few of us will have particularly fond memories of 2020 when we look back on it in a few years. Yet at the same time it’s been a year that has provided opportunities for introspection and reassessment of many aspects of our working lives and how work and life interact.
A significant realisation from the year has been the fact that organisations that came through 2020 in reasonable shape are those that already worked flexibly, had previously invested in robust processes and technologies to connect people, as well has having a culture that puts an emphasis on support and wellbeing.
It’s been a very hard year for a lot of people. Families have been separated by distance and closed borders, parents had to juggle home-schooling, boredom and work. Many people’s home office was a small corner of a shared kitchen table. Some people had to grapple with cramped living conditions while others battled through lockdown in isolation. As we near the end of the year, one thing that is certain is that Australia is better placed than almost any other country – at least in part due to leaders who, thankfully, heeded the well-researched advice of experts.
As always, the annual workshop is a major highlight on the CLEX calendar. This year’s online offering felt a bit touch and go during the planning phase. Would people simply be too Zoom fatigued to engage? Would the technology fall over in a heap? Would we be able to begin to re-create the buzz and interaction of a ‘real’ workshop? In the end the online experience was a success. Having said that I can’t wait to be back in a room full of people for an in-person workshop next year (fingers crossed!)
Hopefully as you read this you’re already slipping into some beachwear and settling in for a well-earned summer break. I wish you and your loved ones a refreshing and relaxing holiday season and a happy new year.