My Lessons From The Pandemic and What It Means For My Business

Here we are, peeps. More than one year into the pandemic, and, while there are signs of hope, we are not out of it yet. If you’re like me, you have been reading the many heartbreaking stories in varied shapes and forms. To be there for others when they need us most, we must stay grounded and avoid being swept away by the devastation. I find it’s helpful to favor a balanced view, one that seeks to identify positive outcomes as well. The following quote from Nelson Mandela has been swirling in my head:

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

I have been keeping my head pointed towards the sun and my feet moving forward, even if that can feel hard some days. What has that brought me in return?

One of the nuggets that bring me joy is how many people are giving themselves an opportunity to step back and take a good look at their lives without being afraid to ask themselves hard questions. In fact, all my coaching clients over the last year have enlisted my help on their journey to find or redefine their purpose. These coaching engagements feel like an incredible privilege. Witnessing clarity emerging and the renewed energy that comes with it puts a bounce in my step every time. These experiences have helped me to develop a model to frame this journey and make it feel achievable and not intimidating. The introspective nature of the past months fueled that process for me, and the idea that I can now offer this to my clients makes me smile. If you would like to know more, I’d be happy to talk to you! (Christine’s Calendly)

Let me be clear that this is not about me. It is about you and the possibility to help you create your best life, find your people, be clear about where you belong, and how your contributions can be of best service. Indeed, we all have a purpose and a place where we belong—a space where we get to show up wholeheartedly, with no pretense: a place that celebrates us. When we all find our dwelling, the world will simply be humming along. There is no better time than now to take such a journey.

This brings me to coaching online, which has been my delivery method over the past year. I discovered that meeting my clients “in their space of choice,” a meeting place that does not require a commute, one without undesired background noise (most of the time anyway) has been an incredible plus. I am supporting clients in Vancouver, Whistler, Toronto, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Florida … just to name a few locations. The greater adoption of online tools is, as far as my coaching practice is concerned, a wonderful progression. It is clear to me that moving forward, I will meet my coaching clients online while meeting face to face will likely be a rare and special exception. This means that as long as I can figure out the time zones (I may have experienced a few challenges), the only limitation for my reach is language. For now, I will stick with English and French.

Let’s stay on the topic of the virtual world for a while longer. I have been keen to understand if and how we can make meaningful connections in a virtual setting. Several courses, webinars, books, and podcasts later, I am adamant that yes, we can have meaningful experiences that feel genuinely connected in a virtual setting.

To begin, the content needs to be organized with virtual engagement in mind. Simply copying materials used in prior face-to-face meetings won’t cut it. As far as the facilitation is concerned, special attention needs to be given to staying connected with attendees frequently. If this is planned carefully, virtual gatherings can have amazing outcomes. Been there, done that, and our clients loved the T-Shirt!

The sessions we worked on with our client tackled a strategic discussion on a topic long overdue for discussion, and the client was surprised by how well it worked. I’m thrilled to say we exceeded expectations. We struck upon a key outcome that was outside of the original scope—the connection between key members of the operations team and board members!

I truly believe that online gatherings will have a place in the corporate world moving forward, more so than it did before. While there is still room for face-to-face interactions, there will be instances when a properly planned and facilitated virtual meeting will be a valuable, cost-effective alternative, one that might alleviate stressful, expensive travel requirements while also reducing our carbon footprint.

With this in mind, moving forward, content creation, planning, and facilitation of virtual gatherings will be a service I offer to my clients.

Like you, I can’t wait for this pandemic to be over. Until then, keep your head pointed to the sun and your feet moving.

If you would like to find out more about my Finding Purpose methodology, coaching, or online facilitation, feel free to book a complimentary call via my Calendly link.