Lessons Learned from 2020
The series, launched in the final quarter of 2020, reflects on an extraordinary year that impacted every business around the world, exploring how its effects were so profound that the way business is done will never be the same again. Businesses of all sizes were pushed to scrutinise their models and adapt in every possible way to survive, with some pivoting entirely, while broader trends such as online sales, remote working, and video conferencing were rapidly accelerated. The series concludes that although the lessons of 2020 came at a significant cost, they are enormously valuable to carry forward, with the overarching message being that accepting risk, showing courage, and embracing change are essential qualities for any entrepreneur
As we enter the last quarter of 2020 I thought that it would be useful to take a look back at this extraordinary year and see what lessons can be learned from these truly remarkable circumstances. It has, after all, impacted on every business around the world in one way or another. Indeed, the impact has been so great that business, and the way that business is done, will never be the same again.
The first lesson to be drawn from 2020, and undoubtedly the biggest lesson, is that the future is unpredictable. All of us in our personal and business lives try to predict the future to some extent, as this is what enables us to lay plans for the future.
Communication has always been key in running a business, and indeed in most other aspects of our lives. In 2020 many lessons have been learned or reinforced and it has reminded us all how very unpredictable life can be. But one of the most obvious changes that should be apparent to all, has been in the way that companies are communicating.
In business, it is always important to react to changing circumstances and this has never been more true than in 2020. Regular readers will know that I have written a lot this year about adapting and pivoting but this week I wanted to look at something that can be an aspect of that but also has an impact on most other aspects of business – speed.
Everything in life and business is a learning opportunity. The fact that all of us learn more, and more quickly, from our mistakes and when times are difficult, rather than when all is easy and going well, has always been known, but 2020 is certainly reminding us very forcibly of that fact.
As we enter Lockdown 2.0 we are at least all much better prepared than we were in March when we entered Lockdown 1.0 and went into the total unknown. We are better prepared this time because we have all learned so much already this year about living and working during a pandemic and we take those lessons learned into the second lockdown.
For everyone around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of all of our lives. But what lessons have we learned about virtual verses reality? In many ways, it is those that work that have seen the largest changes. Before 2020, the chances are that if you asked your boss if you could work from home they would have come up with many reasons why it was not possible and, if you were allowed, it would only be very rarely, and you would be made to feel as though you had been given a great favour.
Are you working from home? Do you enjoy it? Given a totally free choice how would you like to split your time between working from home and working in the office? These are questions facing not just many millions of people in the UK, but hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
How much do you know about the Kickstart Scheme that was introduced by the Government in September 2020? If you are a startup or early stage business, my guess would probably be, not very much, but perhaps you are missing out on something that could be very good for your business.
Looking back on 2020 and learning as many lessons as possible is a very worthwhile exercise for all of us. At the beginning of this series, nearly three months ago, I paraphrased a famous quote from the Monty Python film ‘Life of Brian’, and asked “what has 2020 ever done for us?”
