“Without an existential shock like the COVID-19 pandemic, you would have needed change management programs to convince and motivate people to make the desired changes. In this case, there is no time to consider any alternatives; no time to resist. You  wake up and the new way of working simply exists – there is no alternative and there is no option to return to how things were. This amount of change – had it been gradual – would have taken decades.”– Professor Benjamin Laker, Professor of Leadership, Henley Business School, University of Reading. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a watershed event in the history of the world – a major healthcare crisis that has challenged society in new ways. It has also signalled a majorshift for businesses as lockdowns were imposed around the world and organizations were pushed, almost overnight, into an enforced experiment in remote working. In industries where all-out virtual working is nearly impossible – such as manufacturing, power generation, mining, construction, etc.1 – many operations simply ceased, with devastating  consequences for economies and jobs.