I have been thinking lately about how much we have learned from the experience of having been thrust into the future. Pre-COVID, remote work was taking hold in some industries but largely, there was not yet a groundswell of support for a complete transition to remote across industries.

Fast forward and here we are.

Let me start by saying I miss my office. I miss being together in one space. I miss being able to stand up and walk into someone’s office to kick around a theory or just shoot the breeze. I don’t think there is a substitute for the in-person connection and this experience has not changed my mind.

That said, I am seeing great efficiencies popping up in remote work. By necessity, we created a regular attorney Zoom meeting three times a week. As a team, we go over pending projects, brainstorm issues and new rules any of us has just read or learned about, problem-solve for clients – and of course, just shoot the breeze. This new process that was forced upon us adds a layer of efficiency to the operation of the firm. Looking into the future, I suspect we will continue these meetings as part of our new process.

Recently, a colleague was telling me that the sales team at his company had become so successful at remote sales, that the company was projecting a permanent move towards limiting (but not eliminating) in person selling even post COVID. Think about just the cost savings associated with that change.

And, of course with apologies to our friends in commercial real estate, there is a constant buzz of conversation now about how much footprint a business really needs to pay for going forward.

While I am hoping that we can all be back together again in a room soon, I do see on the horizon some permanent changes for the better to the ways that many of us do business.

What are you seeing?