If sharing knowledge helps, then some good will have come from these times

The word unprecedented gets used a lot nowadays. For good reason. Just a few short months ago, no one could have envisaged how the world would change so much, so rapidly. Even the best prepared and most resilient organisations have felt the strain. We’ve all had to be agile and adaptable. For some businesses, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sector, the future remains very uncertain.

At Laughology, we saw all our pre-booked workshops and conferences disappear overnight. With no word yet on when larger gatherings of people will be allowed again, we’re not expecting that side of business to pick up anytime soon.

We are by no means any different from thousands of other businesses that are finding new ways of working and it’s been a challenge to adapt and change. I’ve learned important lessons in the past two months and I wanted to share some of them with you. Not because our challenges are any different to yours, or because we think we are great, but because if sharing knowledge helps, then some good will have come from these times.

So, lesson number one, and most importantly, when the whole world is changing you need to change with it. Be creative and be imaginative. Try to understand the problems and find solutions.

Lesson number two. When your organisation is forced through massive upheaval, you need to have the whole team on board. Our team here have been magnificent and have pulled together and embraced new ways of working.

Lesson number three. Allow yourself and your people to be flexible. That means in the way you work, not just in the amount of Joe Wicks workouts you do. Be good to yourself and most importantly be good to your people, care, listen and collaborate on what works.

Lesson number four. Try new things. Learn new skills. And be prepared to ditch anything that isn’t working. Don’t spend lots of time and effort on something that isn’t going to help you stay afloat.

Lesson number five. Stick to your values. Be honest and authentic with your people.

And finally. Challenge can be opportunity. People will be find new ways of working that will endure beyond the current crisis. At Laughology we needed to rethink the fundamentals of how we work and have been determined to continue supporting people and organisations. We have changed our content to ensure we can deliver online and digitally. We have embraced new technology and platforms, as well as introducing new online workshops and programmes. We’ve delivered free virtual sessions to up to 400 people at a time. All our content is available for online audiences, delivered in our unique, dynamic style. By adapting, investing and learning new skills, we’ve been able to support other organisations we work with.