WHY HAS A PANDEMIC ‘FORCED’ US TO BE SO EFFICIENT WITH OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?
Yes, the title is aimed to throw you. Seriously, why has it taken a pandemic as such to be more efficient with our practices? The real question that I’m asking here: why were we not using these platforms before? They make us work much better, effectively and raise our standards of work, believe it or not. Let us highlight some of these for you.
Given the times the globe is experiencing, we live and work in a different world from the one we lived in just six short months ago. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s no secret that the way we conduct business has changed, period. Platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams are just some of many mediums in which we have become accustomed to use daily at De Marco Lawyers. Even the basic forms of communication through phone and email have improved, we need to provide even more clarity than before. Efficiency and effective business have been taken to a new level. And the beauty about the above mentioned, they are both free to use, via mobile app and your web browser.
Webinars have also become a new way to refresh your skills, again via Zoom. I’ve attended about six webinars since March, that’s about three more than what I would have in the space of twelve months! Keep your eye out for any free webinars from various organisations during your spare time.
At DML since the pandemic hit in late March, we have these services available to you. 95% of client consultations have been conducted either by phone (as conference) or Zoom. In this instance, there’s literally no excuse why the business world cannot benefit from the pandemic and the way we operate moving forward. Not to mention working with my pet dog on my lap was a new experience for me whilst working from home!
The next big step for you to consider is to eventually steer your practice to become as paperless as possible. In our industry it is virtually impossible to be 100% paperless. Although we have found that through PEXA and DocuSign, a paperless workplace may not be as difficult as we think. It is up to us to pick it up and run with it.
When hiring your staff, how often do you throw the buzz phrase to the candidate, “we have a great work/life balance in our workplace”? Organisations have finally put that buzz phrase “work/life balance” into practice. We are lucky enough to have the facilities in place for staff members to work from home. It has been a welcomed change for the mum’s in our office and those who travel longer distances. For the managers reading this, if a staff member is feeling unwell, they now have the genuine option to work from home for a day or two – as advantage for both that can be used, when and if necessary! Ultimately you would want your staff member to recover and recharge properly.
Piecing together the above, naturally it will drive a fair amount of change within your practice. Too much change can really affect a workplace if it hasn’t been implemented and educated with care.
Executive Management need to have a clear set of goals and objectives and manage our own stress load – what is the worst thing that can happen? Clear communication and a solid support structure ensure this.
Given the way all businesses have had to adjust their working practices during this pandemic, I think it’s safe to say that we have found these practices can only be beneficial to us all. Use technology& platforms to your advantage and you won’t get left behind. We are all working more efficiently.
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This article is intended only to provide a summary of the subject matter covered. It does not purport to be comprehensive or to render legal advice. No reader should act on the basis of any matter contained in this article without first obtaining specific professional advice.
DISCLAIMER: We accept no responsibility for any action taken after reading this article. It is intended as a guide only and is not a substitute for the expert legal advice you can get from De Marco Lawyers and other relevant experts.