WOW! I feel a sense of uneasy freedom as more and more cities, states and countries “open up.” Do you sense a quickening of the pace of your life compared to 8 weeks ago?
Before you don your cloth face covering and head into the future STOP! Look over your shoulder. What do you see? Not literally, I mean figuratively!
What did you learn over the past 8-10 weeks that you can apply to your career and professional life moving forward?
Any lessons you can bring with you into this post-COVID-19 era?
Any habits you should (dis)continue?
What have I learned? I learned that my desk is not always the most productive place for me. If there is writing to be done, I’m more productive propped in my favorite comfy chair or in an outdoor rocking chair. Anything else? Sure. You may find this shocking. I learned that Zoom and other similar software products can be productive business tools. These lessons have literally transformed the way Arthur Alley conducts business and accomplishes tasks. In the end, they will allow me to be more productive in a shorter time period.
We want to hear what others have learned so over the coming weeks my colleagues Steve Waiksnoris, Ann Shackelford and Juli Pattison will pose the following types of questions to not-for-profit leaders, development directors and more.
1. What were some of the most obvious or surprising ways that COVID-19 has affected your work?
2. How did contributions to your organization compare March - May, 2020 to the same period in 2019?
3. How did/will you respond?
4. Did your online/email/digital engagement increase during the Pandemic?
5. How will this inform your future plans?
6. What new habits/strategies/tactics will you bring with you into the post-COVID-19 era?
7. Was your strategic plan helpful during this time? What about your Development/Fundraising plan?
We hope that the information we gather will be helpful to you, and will share our findings here. Stay tuned!