#29 – Inside Our Industry – Happy New Year! Welcome 2021! Seriously, WELCOME 2021!

Happy New Year! Welcome 2021! Seriously, WELCOME 2021!

I believe it is safe to say that most of us were happy to not just turn the page but throw away the 2020 calendar and put up the 2021 calendar. There was so much uncertainty in 2020. COVID-19 hit hard in many parts of the world, some much worse than others.

It may be hard to find many positives that stemmed from the past year, but they are there. The innovations undertaken for the health care industry have been nothing short of phenomenal. Manufacturers converted manufacturing processes to make critical items for treating COVID-19 patients. Ventilators, masks, PPE, and other medical equipment were churned out in record pace.

Another key outcome of the temporary office closures that came as a result of the pandemic, is that remote working does work for many. We shared a Boston Consulting Group survey back in August (What 12,000 Employees Have to Say About the Future of Remote Work). In that study, “An impressive 79% of respondents who indicated they are satisfied or doing better on all four of these factors (social connectivity, mental health, physical health, and workplace tools) said they have been able to maintain or improve productivity on collaborative tasks.”

Remember it is not 2020-won, but 2021! We are as hopeful as ever as we enter the new year.