Well, that was a year, wasn’t it!? Although I won’t be sorry to see the end of 2020, it’s brought what’s important into sharper focus.
COVID was immensely challenging, and continues to be. Brexit is distressing, but I have come to terms with it and hope we can start to move on from the sniping. Plate-spinning was relentless and exhausting. I’ve missed people. I can’t wait to see family, friends, colleagues and clients again. And I feel encouraged by a growing willingness to rethink how we live, work, travel and consume stuff.
I’ve written more regularly on this blog and for other titles in 2020, after a couple of years when I wrote very little. Along with daily exercise and music, it’s kept me clear headed and in reasonably good spirits. I will hold onto those habits in 2021.
I’m pleased by the level of engagement in the blogs and am grateful to everyone who’s taken the time to read them this year. I hope you’ve found them useful if you have. Below are the three most read posts from the last year. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read, share or comment on these and other posts. It means a lot.
The three most read blogs
#1 Why government press conferences should change after COVID-19: This was published as the government’s daily COVID press conferences were in full swing. Set against a backdrop of anonymous media briefings and a public increasingly yearning for a more adult conversation, these set piece events look more dated now than ever.
#2 Cities need more than a ‘back to work’ campaign: I wrote this moody response to the media’s exhortations to get people ‘back to work’ on the way back from Cornwall. Because working from anywhere is what we’ve been doing, right? The mooted ‘back to work’ campaign never happened. Many businesses and office workers are looking at different ways of working in 2021. Cities and employers need to adapt in response to these changes in behaviour.
#3 Culture and comms matter now, more than ever: This was written in March as lockdown started. It’s pleasing to look back and see many examples of organisations supporting their teams and communicating well with the public and stakeholders. Good comms people have earned their corn this year.
Thanks for stopping by!
Despite the challenges, next year presents opportunities for those who want to do things differently. Collaboration must be more than a buzzword that’s thrown about at virtual conferences but sidelined when it doesn’t fit with an organisational standpoint. I’ve been inspired by how Bristol’s businesses and public relations communities came together and supported each other this year. It gives me hope that a better future is possible if we take collaboration seriously.
The post-COVID recovery, when it comes, will be led by organisations who innovate and aggitate for change. Environment, social value and good governance will be at the forefront of this. We may not see it in the day-to-day, but those who don’t adapt to what’s happening around them will look increasingly out-of-step. I’m looking forward to working with those who want to change things next year.
Before then, have a restful end to 2020. If you work in comms, you’ll be needed in 2021.