My key take outs from 2020

2020 was a year like no other. We began setting goals and objectives, as we would any other year, and ended with serious concerns for our economy, and how the world can exist and continue to operate successfully with the threat of COVID-19.

For those in tune with the population, 2020 was a year of contradiction; we saw deepest despair, fear, uncertainty and anger, along with opportunity for personal growth - new starts, resilience and hope. For many, it also presented an opportunity for a much-needed pause, reassessment and reset. 

Everybody’s experience of 2020 was unique. 

In Victoria with the strict lockdown, we had to adapt quickly, find a way to be, survive and look after each other. For many, it was an opportunity to thrive. 

For dogs, an opportunity to be walked more than ever before resulting in more repetitive strain injuries diagnosed than in previous years. For those stuck overseas, concern and stress on how they would return home was paramount. 

Those who suffered through the loss of loved ones had to farewell and grieve differently, with limitations on mourners at funerals. Weddings were postponed, the Melbourne Cup was run with no people in attendance, the AFL Grand Final moved to Queensland – all things that were unimaginable at the beginning of the year.

We binged on Netflix. Friendships moved to online forums and having a drink whilst talking into a computer screen became the new social connection. Those with elderly, immune impaired and loved ones at high-risk, we were vigilance and disciplined. 

And we endured. 

As a species, we paused and recognised the care and efforts of our first responders, carers and medical teams every day, and said thank you. We stopped glorifying movie stars and celebrities for half a minute and recognised the life-changing work of everyday people, the real heroes in our societies. And we said a sincere thanks. 

Parents understood firsthand the challenges that our teachers face every day and the importance of schooling and supporting our kids. Our children learnt what it means to be resilient, when the world they knew changed overnight and they couldn’t do anything to influence it. Sport, face-to-face schooling and meeting up with friends stopped and wearing a mask was the norm. 

Teddy bears appeared in windows throughout the neighbourhood, as did positive and encouraging chalk messages written on footpaths (chalk supplies sold out). ‘Spoondale’ villages appeared overnight in parks, admired on daily walks. Shops sold out of bikes, exercise equipment and adult toys.

Family life changed radically.

Families were thrown into close proximity as parents worked from home and children turned to home schooling. Everyone fought for the same real estate around the dining table. We let our kids watch too much TV and play too many computer games - but we also did jigsaw puzzles and played games together.

We checked in on mates and worried about those in bad domestic situations, and we made it OK to say, ‘I need a mental health check, I am struggling’. At a time when we were socially isolated, we became more socially connected than ever before, demonstrating our care for each other. As other parts in the world reacted and responded differently in the face of the pandemic, in Victoria, people started saying hello as they walked past each other during daily exercise. We learnt to recognise a smile by the way that someone’s eyes wrinkled under their mask.

Leaders found ‘soft skills’ were suddenly the focus. 

In business, there was a shift from focusing on the delivery of external outcomes to focusing internally. The wellbeing, mental health and care of colleagues dominated each leaders’ attention. Leaders had to deal with their own personal situations and support their team as the reality of working remotely, home schooling and balancing work and life was thrust upon them. 

For the first time ever, employers had to deal with employees as individuals on a large-scale, addressing their personal needs and situations, treating them as people with family situations rather than simply as the employee that shows up at the office having left their life at the front door. Mental health and wellbeing were firmly on everyone’s minds.

Businesses survived, thrived and died.

We were in new terrain, and the learning curve was huge; understanding legislation, and the changes implemented by different governments meant the rules were constantly changing. Organisations pivoted and made what seemed impossible just two weeks prior the ‘standard operating procedure’. We moved online and set up desks at kitchen tables. 

Some businesses were forced to close as governments around the world strategised on how to manage the pandemic and keep people safe. Some closed never to reopen, as the financial impact was too great to overcome. For others, new revenue streams were identified and for many, weaknesses in supply and distribution chain were exposed, creating chaos. 

Our everyday lives were almost unrecognisable.

We all got comfortable with online shopping and our recycle bins overflowed with parcels and packaging. With our freedom challenged under the rules enforced to keep people alive, we reacquainted ourselves with our values and what was really important to us as individuals. We got angry when we saw suffering and the imbalance of power #blacklivesmatter and we were frustrated with what felt like incongruent rules. 

And life continued. 

People had babies, with no visits in hospital allowed. Year 12 students sat their exams having completed the majority of the most important schooling year on their own at home. Many people lost their jobs and others had their income significantly impacted. The economic fallout will be felt well into the next decade, with more pain to come. 

We looked out for others and exercised compassion.

We became more compassionate, reaching out to help the neighbour we had never spoken to before. Homes for dogs and cats were emptied as people welcomed furry friends into their hearts. Many took time out to reassess their life and goals and make changes. Others simply soldiered on, surviving as best they could. 

For those that lost loved ones to the virus, to suicide, to domestic abuse in 2020, I am sorry for your loss, and sorry that we couldn’t save everyone. To those that are carrying ongoing pain from the impact of COVID-19, please reach out and get help. You don’t need to do it on your own. You are important, and there are people out there who want to support you. To those of you who feel that you let some things go, take a breath. Let the guilt go and press restart. 

We must remember what we learned.

I think it would be a travesty if we forgot all the positives we gained from the year COVID-19 changed the world. Rather than focus on the negatives, we must start 2021 from a different position. Powerful leadership is compassion and care - something that those of us in Victoria have demonstrated throughout 2020. 

I wonder how you will remember the year 2020… as a gift to learn from, or as the year your revenue took a hit, and you were locked at home?

For me, there are so many things to take away:

·      It was the year that compassion and caring was widely discussed at all levels of business and across society.

·      It was the year we returned to caring for each other as individuals and made this a priority. 

·      It was the year we identified mental health as something that can impact anyone and recognised that support is needed – that it is not a weakness. 

With compassion and love, I wish you a 2021 full of abundance.