Staff Directory

Five things I have learnt

during the Coronavirus pandemic.

You need a great team around you.

The diversity of the services we offer in the Chamber has meant that some of the team have had to come into the office since the beginning of the lockdown, providing export documentation to enable businesses to continue to operate. Whilst we did everything we could to provide a safe working environment it was not an easy decision and I know the businesses we work with have also valued the commitment shown by those staff despite their own concerns.

Home working has so many advantages but face to face interaction is something you can’t replace.

The rapid rise in the use of technology has taken most people by surprise with people of all ages embracing apps like Zoom to stay in touch on a personal and professional level. I am really proud of the way my team has adapted but I know it hasn’t always been easy working in isolation or for those home schooling (including myself!). I am also concerned that we will lose the vibrancy of our commercial centres, including our cafes, restaurants and bars, if workers don’t return to the office when it is safe to do so.

The positives of course are that we are all spending less time travelling to meetings, they aren’t so London and SE centric and they tend to be much shorter than usual. Not sure everyone understands the “new etiquette” however – the mute facility seems to be the one that causes most problems!

You have to be flexible and

prepared to adapt. It might sound obvious but it isn’t always easy to achieve and often requires some tough decisions. We have heard of some great examples through our membership and we are also looking at our own business model in the Chamber to identify how we can better support businesses in a constantly changing environment. Our Business Restart and Recovery programme is just one of the ways we can provide more tailored support.

You don’t need to do it on

your own. Being part of the national British Chambers of Commerce has made me realise just how much I value being part of that wider network. It really does provide a credible voice for business across Whitehall and at the highest levels, where it has influenced policy decisions, resulting in much better outcomes for business. We have provided valuable insight and evidence to our colleagues thanks to the contribution of our members.

Sustainable recovery takes time.

Sadly some businesses don’t have the luxury of time and we will continue to lobby government to provide support. Despite the many issues we are still all facing on a daily basis however, we need to be thinking about the longer term and how we can rebuild our economy in a more sustainable and resilient way, building on the lessons learnt and not just relying on sticking plaster quick fixes. It will be challenging and there will be setbacks but it will be worth it in the end – just ask Jürgen Klopp!