With the end of 2020 fast approaching, and in our last article for the year, here are four takeaways I had in year when we all had to navigate through a global pandemic, lockdowns and a lot of fear and uncertainty.

 

The year 2020 was a tumultuous year fraught with uncertainty. Plans that we might have had for this year were upended by the need for, and among other things, social distancing and self-quarantining, and by lockdowns, curfews and border closures. 

However, as challenging as 2020 has been, I am looking forward to 2021. Truthfully, 2020 has been a pretty decent year for me. Not how I expected my year to unfold, but all things considered, I really cannot complain. However, having the benefit of experiencing 2020, I feel a bit more equipped moving forward. In what will be our last article for the year, here are four takeaways I had – or rather were reminded of – thanks to 2020.

 

1.  Time still ticks during uncertainty

In the first quarter of the year, we really did not know what COVID-19 was, and the fact that no corner of the globe would be spared from infection. When the curfews, closures and lockdowns started to happen, and businesses, particularly small and micro enterprises, were panicking, it began a bit of a knock-on effect across many societies. 

For me, I had big plans this year. Some involved travel, which quickly had to be shelved. Others were geared around new activities I wanted to start to bring on stream; but with the uncertainty evident all around, and to some degree, no longer feeling as confident about how well those activities would be received, by default, they got shelved as well.

Although I don’t regret putting a ‘pause’ on those activities, the big takeaway for me has been even in uncertainty, time is still going. A year is ending, and a new one will soon begin. Hence in the future, when decisions need to be made about whether to or not to pursue something, I will also include in the equation the fact that time is still ticking regardless. It may not necessarily mean that I will arrive at a different decision, but rather, the implications of loss of time will also be considered.

 

2.  Things will never truly go back to the way they were… and they shouldn’t

Although humans can be creatures of habit, one of the reasons we have survived for millennia is the fact that we can adapt and evolve. It does not mean that it is easy, but if put under the gun, we can change with the times. 

From a tech perspective, one thing that 2020 ought to remembered for, is for forcing a pivot to being more digital. Businesses that insisted their employees come to the office and travel in-country or internationally for meetings, have had to embrace remote work and online meetings, for example, which to some degree, has resulted in more efficient operations. It has also fuelled innovation, with new digital or online businesses being launched, and existing businesses being more prepared to leverage digital tools than they had in the past.

Once we are better able to manage COVID-19, it would be indeed unfortunate if we completely backslid to how we lived and worked before the pandemic. Essentially, a lot of the gains we have made, would be lost. However, as creatures of habit, inherently, we are already creating a new normal, and we will be building on that as we move forward.

 

3.  Feeling connected to others is perhaps more important than ever

If there was anything that surprised me this year – especially in the Caribbean – was the uptick in digital content creation that occurred. Yes, Caribbean people do post on their private social media accounts, but there was a lot more video content: lots of live streaming of discussions, webinars, and even some new podcasts. Globally, there seemed to have been similar trends, based on my email inbox, and all the invitations I received to participate in, view or listen to some kind of online event/activity. 

Having said this, although more content than ever was being produced, it was interesting to note that some of the biggest trends in social media, or the content that went viral, was content that not only fostered engagement, but more importantly, a sense of community. Whether it was the videos or posts with George Floyd, or for the Black Lives Matter movement, or even some of the viral Tik Tok videos that became the talk of traditional media, they elicited responses from people. 

In staying closer to home this year, many of us may have had a bit more time to be aware of what has been going on around us. Further, with social events and opportunities to socialise limited in most quarters, there was still a need for connection: for a sense of community. Hence even if physical proximity was not allowed, we have still be able to forge connections online through mutual interests, or through a common value or purpose.

 

4.  2021 is likely to be more digital than 2020

Finally, and although it might go without saying, as digital as 2020 became, it is likely that in some ways, 2021 will be even more digital. The digital transitions organisations made over the course of this year should be settling into the ‘new normal’. Also, individuals who might have been feeling uncertain about how 2020 was unfolding, may have now reconciled themselves to the changes that occurred, and may be more settled (and emboldened) moving forward. As a result, individuals and organisations may now be more eager to leverage technology – that they are now more comfortable with – and perhaps more importantly, make up the ground they thought they had lost in 2020.

 

 

Image credit: Gino Crescoli (Pixabay); ICT Pulse