What has humanity learnt from the Corona Virus?

16 Jul, 2020

About 4 months ago, the UK was struck with the consequences of the Coronavirus. Everything went into lockdown. For a few weeks, the streets that used to be bustling with shoppers and site seers were like a ghost town. We, as a nation, had to change. It’s not over yet, but as we’re starting to see some life after isolation, perhaps it’s time to ask the question; have we learnt anything from the experience?

Back in May, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson told us that ‘the UK will be changed’. If there’s one thing we all have in common at the moment, it’s the shared experienced of change. It seems fitting that the first thing we’ve learnt from the pandemic is; adaptability.

The Art of Adaptability

Both businesses and individuals have endured major changes throughout the past few months. The UK has adapted well to the guidelines from the World Health Organisation, and is continuing to do so.  At ISO Quality Services, we’ve learnt that the key to being dynamic and adaptable is to see change as opportunity. We haven’t just accepted change, we’ve embraced it.

The services that we offer are generally delivered in a face-to-face environment, which is also true of many businesses. Since this isn’t possible anymore, we’ve brainstormed the ways in which we can continue to trade. We’ve adapted our service delivery so that it can be done completely remote now, using different digital tools and creativity.

From a personal perspective, adapting to the isolation and social distancing aspect has been difficult for everyone. To embrace the change, we’ve been utilising social networks and other online communication methods to stay in touch with our friends and family. There has been tremendous growth in online communities and people have been sharing tips and advice regarding physical activity, healthy eating, learning of new skills and more. In one sense, this has been an opportunity to personally develop.

The Creativity of Communication

Another lesson we’ve all learnt fairly quickly is that communication being key is a cliché, but undoubtedly a great one. Have you ever realised how much you take for granted being able to speak face to face with someone without wearing a mask or being two metres apart? If lockdown didn’t bring that to light for you, I don’t think anything will!

Arguably, communication became a lot harder when people started isolating from their friends and family and working from home, but it’s become a lot more regular as well. Businesses have had to delve into new ways of collaborating remotely with their team, and us as individuals have had to optimise the technology we are blessed with in order to stay sane and supported.

At ISO QSL, we began regular catch up calls with our team on working days to boost productivity and efficiency of working. Combining both communication and adaptability, when our team became accustomed to working in the remote environment, we found it necessary to reduce these meetings so that they’d remain useful to the team.

The Secret of Sensitivity and Optimism

The third and final lesson we’ve learnt is that certain qualities in daily life, without question, are essential. Two of which are; sensitivity and optimism. We’ve learnt that these two qualities need to shine through everything we do as a business and as individuals. For example, contacting existing and potential clients, posting on social media, sharing information through writing blogs and communicating with the internal team all require compassion and positivity. We’ve seen an influx of uplifting and inspiring content on social networks and websites due to the unforeseen circumstances. What’s more, a survey of 80,000 adults in the UK told us that they are more worried about their mental health than their physical health being affected by the virus. This indicates that most people weren’t emotionally prepared for this, so it is evident that the support we’re seeing online is useful and necessary.

To conclude, the lesson that encompasses all of the above is that community is everything. Whether for you that means family, friends, neighbours, work, online… the definitions are interchangeable and they’re all important. So yes, the UK will be changed by this experience, but hopefully we’ll come out of the other side feeling more grateful, more generous, more connected with each other, and feeling confident that if this ever happens again, we know what we have to do.

ISO Quality Services Ltd are proud to specialise in the implementation and certification of the Internationally recognised ISO and BS EN Management Standards.

Do you want to get ahead of your competition? Win more tenders or save time and money on reoccurring issues? Contact us today on 0330 058 5551 or email info@isoqsltd.com.

Alternatively, you can request a quote by filling out our enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Related Posts

The BS EN 15713:2023 Update

9 Feb, 2024

The new BS EN 15713:2023 has been published.  Here’s everything you need to know about the changes and how to transition from BS EN 15713:2009.

Good Egg Awards return for the 7th year

31 Jan, 2024

It’s that time of the year again – an opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of your colleagues through our Good Egg Awards.

Keyboard with a padlock and data privacy printed across the top

Data Privacy and the Role of ISO 27001

22 Jan, 2024

Adopting ISO 27001 demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding stakeholders’ information and enhancing data privacy, here’s how:

Bingo Box Campaign Delivers 345kg of Hope for the Holidays

20 Dec, 2023

The surge in energy prices, inflation, and a challenging cost of living situation is making it increasingly difficult for people to provide meals for their families. In light of this, we have once again initiated a campaign to assist in feeding more families this Christmas. And with the generous support of local businesses, our Bingo Box campaign has garnered an overwhelming response!