Five Smart Strategies for Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Future

If you’re like most people, you’re loving the light that’s finally shining at the end of the pandemic tunnel and can’t wait to get back out in the world on a regular basis again. At the same time, you’ve probably already sensed that the post-COVID employment and career landscape won’t be bouncing back to the old normal. The pandemic came on hard and fast, and many women were blindsided as they suddenly had to transition to working from home while juggling their other life obligations in an atmosphere of social isolation. Some took on the role of educator to their school-age children, became the primary caregivers for elderly parents, lost jobs, and otherwise experienced significant life upheavals.

Nonetheless, it’s an exciting new world out there, and as we begin to rebuild, our definitions of normal are still shape-shifting and evolving. Following are five smart strategies for preparing for a post-pandemic future.

Set Up a Permanent Home Office

One of the major takeaways from the pandemic is that working from home works out well for both employees and companies. If you’re among those who suddenly found themselves winging it from a makeshift home office, you probably know what it’s like to work in a noisy, and perhaps even chaotic, environment. Now that the pandemic has almost run its course, it may be time to make that temporary home office into a permanent fixture. Even if you’ll be going back to the office on a full-time basis once the pandemic is clearly in the rearview mirror, having a designated home office provides both a professional and personal edge. As the new normal unfolds, chances are that even those who prefer to work in a traditional office environment will be spending some of their time working remotely, and a home office streamlines this.

Fine-Tune Your Work/Life Balance

What we learned from the pandemic is that work schedules don’t have to be written in stone. The transition period from pandemic mode back to whatever the 21st century has in store provides an ideal stage for crafting a customized work/life balance. The details will be different for everyone — for some, it may mean trading longer days for shortened work weeks. Others might take this opportunity to pursue the career of their dreams or even enter the world of entrepreneurship. Fine-tuning your work/life balance doesn’t mean simply changing professions or finding family time — it’s about including things in your life that energize and inspire you. If favorite hobbies and pastimes have fallen by the wayside in recent years, finding ways to reintegrate  them will provide the positive energy you need to make the different aspects of your life all flow together.

Ramp Up Your Leadership Vibe

Despite popular cultural myths to the contrary, effective leadership doesn’t happen because it “just comes naturally.” In fact, that kind of thinking has been instrumental in keeping women out of leadership roles in the workplace for centuries. Good leadership is built on a foundation of learned behaviors, such as how to deliver an effective presentation, how to inspire others and foster loyalty through positive leadership, how to command a room, and how to interact with others above, below, and on the same level as you in the corporate hierarchy.

Take Control of Your Career Narrative

Storytelling as a strategy is a far more effective way to communicate your unique strengths and abilities to others, particularly when the time comes for evaluations for raises and promotions. For instance, instead of presenting bare facts and data concerning workplace successes, telling a story about the process makes it more relatable, engaging, and memorable. The first step in building your own career narrative is starting a workplace journal that highlights how you’ve solved problems or otherwise benefited your company. This will also provide you with an edge during interviews if the time comes when you decide to seek a position elsewhere.

Invest in 21st Century Leadership Skills

There couldn’t be a better time to make an investment in your leadership skills — even if you aren’t yet in an executive position. As a group, women are poised to take on a significant amount of executive and managerial roles as we move forward into the 21st Century, and a women’s leadership program designed to suit your schedule can help ensure your place at the table. It will also serve you well if you choose to go the entrepreneurial route rather than hitch your star to the corporate wagon.

No matter what the post-pandemic future holds for you, being as prepared as possible will ensure that you’ll face it with strength and confidence.