By | Chris Freeland | www.thedrum.com
What a year. Like pretty much everyone on the planet, March 2020 turned our lives upside down. At Rapp, not only did we have to navigate the impact of Covid-19 on our business, our clients and our people, but we were also going through a merger which saw Proximity become part of Rapp.
Anyone who has been through the M&A process will tell you that even in normal circumstances the year would have been challenging. But then we had the added uncertainty and the start of 12 months of living hand to mouth. However over the past year, I’ve learned a great deal about myself, my priorities, what makes me do my best work.
I can’t wait to get back in the workplace
In my view, reports of the death of the office have been greatly exaggerated. Sure, there have been advantages of being forced to work from home five days a week for 12 months. I’m probably far more productive and effective now than I ever was in the office environment. However, work is about human beings and I miss being with people: debating stuff, throwing ideas around and just simply catching up in the moment.
Of course, most people will continue to want, or will expect, greater flexibility to work from home. But for me, it’s about having the option to plan my week around the ability to collaborate face to face with clients and colleagues when needed. I have always been and will continue to be a people person, they give me energy and I work better as part of a well-functioning team.