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The first was the centrality of embracing technological or virtual ways of working, which had affected everyone’s work to varying degrees. Even for those who were key workers and still in their place of work, the need for social distancing meant that utilising technologies and ways of working online had catapulted their organisations into the digital sphere. While for many they hoped that this transformation would be a legacy that would benefit the future workplace, others were very aware that there would need to be a curious retrofitting of culture and strategy into what had quickly become embedded digital practices. There was also an awareness that the ability to simply ‘go online’ is an uneven feast, and the digital divide was significant for those working across countries and across socioeconomic levels. Working - and living - digitally is not only about having a process to follow, it is also a privilege that cannot be assumed.

Second, was team working Those who had moved to online teams, zoom or other digital platforms felt that the experience had intensified the usual team dynamics. It might mean that existing or emerging tensions could be made far worse, but also feelings of trust between team members could increase, given there was an intimacy of being ‘in’ colleagues’ homes when they spoke. There were a number of ways to negotiate online dynamics, from making sure meetings were structured – and timed- appropriately, to thinking about how collaboration might develop as time went on and new – rather than existing – projects and people where brought together purely in a virtual space. While difficult to articulate, there was a feeling that at some points, there was something about human to human contact that was impossible to define or capture in a virtual environment.

Third was health and wellbeing. Without exception, people mentioned the mental health challenges that Covid-19 will bring, not just socially, but also due to the knock-on effects of having to work at home with either too much isolation for those living by themselves, or not enough isolation for those with families or in cramped houseshares. As time has went on, many are also starting to feel the physical stresses and strains of working on computers on sofas, kitchen tables, and worktops for more hours than usual. In many ways there was a tension between feeling that a work-life balance should be better by virtue of a lot of us being in the home, while in practice working longer hours.

Fourth was ethics and sustainability. Contrary to some research findings that suggest crisis can trigger an absolution of organizational responsibility for people and resources, Covid-19 had brought about broader questions about these issues. Some of these were pragmatic, such as how to ensure best practice governance and protection for all stakeholders as the business goes virtual. Others were more reflective, considering how a global pandemic makes us think differently about the legacy we are leaving through our business travel and supply chains. It really highlights what underpins our own commitment to to ethics and responsible management here at the Business School – sustainability is not just about resources, but also about people and the way we work.

Finally, there was speculation about the future. This is unsurprising – at a very basic level, we are meaning making creatures and are compelled to make sense of what is happening to us and those around us. What was striking was the desire to take lessons from what has happened over the past 40 days and ensure they are embedded in broader organisational strategies – once we all have time to take a step back and survey the landscape, of course – although questions over when this point in time will come, if at all. While there was widespread agreement that this signalled a ‘new normal’, it was clear that what we are living though was anything but normal, making it challenging to imagine the next organisational, economic or social chapter.