4 Pandemic Skills You Need to Keep Using if You Want to Thrive

The Covid pandemic brought about a lot of changes most of us could have never anticipated.

There was a significant shift in the corporate world, with some industries getting way more attention (and becoming more profitable) than others. 

Another massive change we saw was the rise of remote work and online freelancing. How we interacted with our colleagues changed and even how we ‘work’ changed. Most companies started to focus more on the output rather than things like what time you started working or what you wore to work. 

As things are slowly shifting back to the old normal, one wonders if the workforce has gone back to the way it was before the pandemic. In my opinion, no, it changed and if we want to continue thriving, we also need to change and learn a few things from the pandemic skills we picked up. 

4 Pandemic Skills We Learned and Should Never Forget

Adaptability.

When the Covid pandemic hit, everything changed in a split second.

We had to accept change instantly and there was no time to ease ourselves into things. That superpower should never leave us. 

We need to always be ready for changes and accept them as they come. Companies, organizations and markets are always changing, so adaptability allows us to easily implement the potentially best solution to whatever problem or change we face. 

Moreover, versatility means it is easy to get out of your comfort zone, which is where most of the growth happens. 

Digital proficiency.

The Covid pandemic saw a huge spike in the use of apps.

As we started to spend less time in offices, digital technology constantly reminded us that we are part of a bigger team. We were able to maintain the flow of work thanks to those endless Zoom meetings where most of us were wearing pajamas on our lower halves. 

At the beginning, most of us had no idea how to properly navigate on platforms such as Skype, Zoom, and Teams for video conferences or apps like Asana, Airtable and Trello for task management and assigning. But we had to learn quickly.

This means companies and organizations got a chance to appreciate the smooth flow of things that is granted by digital proficiency. 

Whether you’re working alone or as part of a team, do the best you can to constantly advance your digital proficiency. Every day new apps that can make your life easier are created, hence there is always something new to learn. 

Emotional intelligence.

When organizations go through drastic changes, people’s emotional intelligence is put to test.

This type of intelligence shapes how we react and respond to others and ourselves in stressful times. 

I am sure we all want to work with colleagues who are capable of staying calm and collected when working towards getting out of an unpredictable, stressful situation.

The pandemic helped us pay closer attention to how our interactions and emotions impact us and others. Even as the pandemic has come to an end, this trait does not also have to come to an end. We need to continuously be mindful of our interactions at an emotional level. 

Strategic future planning.

I don’t know about you but for me, life was a bit more predictable before the pandemic.

I knew what I had to do when to get a particular outcome. Covid changed that and I had to put more effort into planning what I needed to do to get the desired result. From work to personal life, there was a need for more strategic planning as things were less predictable. 

This skill has helped me increase my chances of getting what I want and be more in control of how things turn out. I have learned to have more than one plan. And to plan for several possible scenarios.

Having the ability to plan strategically means when things don’t go your way, you don’t sit down and cry for days. Instead, you quickly go back to the drawing board and go ahead with option B. 

Pandemic Skills: Change is Not as Scary as We Might Think

The job world is constantly evolving, and now more than ever we need to make sure that our skills are also moving at the same pace. With the rise in AI and automation, we have to always update our skills and improve the in-demand ones.

It is never too late to learn something new and advance your skills. But the most important thing is to have a clear goal. Knowing exactly where you are and where you want to be. This will make the process of getting there smoother. 

Remember, the only person you are in competition with is the person you were yesterday. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio