I’m sure you’re all well versed in trying to face ‘the new normal’ in these ‘unprecedented times’ – yes these two phrases seem to be in our daily news bulletins, both at work and socially. 

 

Adapting to new situations is part of life, but when such drastic changes are thrust upon you in a short space of time what then? 

 

Working as the communications lead for a wholly owned subsidiary of an NHS Trust I’ve found everything has been very fast paced over the last month. With new information from the Government, Public Health England and also all of those fake news stories, it is critical to get the right information to the right people at the right time. 

 

Working well has become a bit of a challenge and being able to switch off when the company you work for provides a 24-7 service to hospitals is hard. I have a work smartphone that pings with emails and reminders at evenings and weekends, I feel like I need to be ‘on alert’ as there are daily conference calls to dial into, even at weekends (should an escalation arise). 

 

But I’m lucky. I can do 95% of my job from home, a lot of our employees can’t as they deliver vital frontline services in a hospital environment. I want to make sure they have all the information they need to be able to work well. Everything from making sure the latest personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance is correct, to getting the information out about the newly implemented employee assistance programme. 

 

It can be a lonely job when you are a comms team of one and so it is always good to find a ‘band of brothers’ where you can share your anxieties in a safe space. For me this has been in the form of a WhatsApp chat with other comms professionals. It is strictly Chatham House rules so you feel safe to vent and support each other. I met a lot of these amazing people on the chat group in a field in Dorset at an event called Comms Unplugged – a kind of conference meets camping retreat held annually. 

 

Working well is about being able to talk about your experiences, because you will not be alone, others will undoubtedly be having similar anxieties and issues. Sometimes just knowing there are those out there that understand can be a huge relief. This can also lead to some lighter moments, we can always find a glimmer of light-heartedness. Have you ever noticed how people in really serious jobs have a great sense of humour together? At the moment we are seeing medical staff on social media doing dance routines at work in their PPE – even in very testing situations, we must remember to find the lighter moments.