March 31, 2021
Covid-19: Reflections on an Unprecedented Year
March marked the one year anniversary of the US shutting down due to Covid-19, a year that will forever bring us closer together for what we’ve shared as a world, and as a team.
As part of our quarterly theme around “Professional Intimacy,” one of our core values at PartnerCentric, an intake form was created and we asked our team to fill it out on behalf of themselves or to have a conversation with a client, an affiliate, a vendor, a prospect – to talk about what this year has been like for that individual personally.
The questions ranged from “What are the key lessons you are taking away from this year?” to “What change or adaptation from the last year do you hope we take with us into a post-Covid world?” and the answers reflected the confusion, trials and, yes, resilience that everyone so beautifully exhibited this past year. Below is a sampling of just a few responses from those forms:
What do you hope the next year brings?
I just wish we could hug each other without fear, and connect more with the history of our humanity. ~Karima Hassa
I hope everything feels renewed. Both personally and business-wise ~Anh, Smart Ass and Sass
Freedom to travel, hug family and friends and eat a restaurant without worry! ~Robin Sills
I hope the year brings optimism and a sense of normalcy. I hope I get to see faces that I haven’t seen in a very long time. I hope to enjoy experiences that I miss like traveling, concerts, and theme parks. I hope to continue to be filled with gratitude for what I have. I also hope to get outdoors more especially with my dogs. ~Samantha Arias
What are you most grateful for after this past year?
My family ~Brandon Zeek
The opportunity to work from home and spend more quality time with my fiance and dog ~Olivia Abbazia
My health & the support of my family & friends ~Sarah Tropkoff, South Moon Under
I’m grateful for nature. It was a constant source of pleasure during the past few months and always made me utterly blissful. ~Brian Seward
100% the invention of Facetime. In those first months of quarantine where everyone was terrified to leave the house, being able to see my parents, brother and grandparents was a small sense of normalcy that was so needed. I’m also grateful for my health and the health of all of those I love as well as the vaccines for allowing us to start the process of entering post-Covid “normalcy” (whatever that will mean). Finally, I am grateful that we were able to drive to the beach last year and spend time with family in a little bubble. Seeing that the ocean was still where we left it was very comforting. ~Alisa Crowley
The flexibility of being able to care for my young family, especially getting through school at home, while still being able to continue to work full time. I am also grateful that my husband Rick was able to assist and support us all while being able to work full time as well. ~Meghan Garcia
What change or adaptation from the last year do you hope we take with us into a post-Covid world? (ex. working remote, more flexibility)
The post Covid world should focus on less hustle bustle and keeping up with the Jones’. I have really enjoyed slowing down, focusing on what matters and enjoying the simple things in life. ~Jackie Puri
I think the business world in general will pivot more to a working remote environment. The only real reason things change in the business world on a large scale is if there are noticeable profit lifts. It just happens that working remote is mutually beneficial in that it lowers cost for businesses and increases happiness/reduces stress for employees. However, I do think it will be a hybrid model as many still prefer an office setting and the physical interactions. Other than that I hope the post-covid world keeps our cleanliness habits; washing hands frequently, wearing a mask if you feel sick, etc.) ~Jacque Wakim
Learning to not sweat the small stuff, take a deep breath and realize what is important. ~Lisa Wagner
I hope people maintain the sense of “UNDERSTANDING.” Those who hadn’t worked from home thought it was a breeze. Many discovered it is not and more can be accomplished at home than in the office. People learned to understand one another a bit more. They understood the challenges of managing a family and work all at once. They understood the tech hiccups, interruptions, back-to-back calls. People no longer thought these things were made up, but now understood and have more empathy. ~Erinn Groh
Focused fridays. Flexibility. Mini remote conferences, gifts, etc. Although we were great at remote work before, we got even better at it and I see no need to backtrack. ~Tom Rathbone
What one word or phrase would you use to describe the last 12 months?
Draining, Metamorphic, Holy Mother!, Unbelievable, Turbulent, A Bump in the Road, You’re On Mute, challenging, adaptation, transitory.
Our reward for completing this project as a team was an “anniversary day” — our team collectively chose one day (Friday April 2nd) to take off as a company one-time “holiday” to celebrate life and to celebrate not only surviving but thriving in the year that was. May the next year bring more peace, more prosperity and may we all realize, once and for all, when we’re on mute.