Four Tips For When A Pandemic Makes You Pivot

(5 min read)

From the desk (couch) of Nathan Honoré, Marketing & Idea Execution for The License Lab

How has your role changed during the pandemic? Have you had to take on new responsibilities, old tasks, adding more to an already full plate?

I know I’m not unique when I tell you that my role within The License Lab has drastically shifted since March of 2020. Being with the company a little over a year at that point, my position had been regularly evolving and growing, but this was different. The effects of the pandemic led me to help out with parts of the business that I had some fringe knowledge, but certainly did not feel equipped to handle myself, and that scared the daylights out of me.

But when we do things that scare us, we grow, we learn. I won’t say that every transition or task has been easy, but there are a few things that I observed that I want to share in hopes that they can help you, or at least give you a sense of solidarity.

Everybody Is Making It Up As They Go

It sounds cliché and maybe it’s more general life advice than anything, but it has become abundantly clear to me that it’s true, especially in our industry. Time crunches, budgetary restraints, changes in the brief; all recipes for oh-shit moments. My advice for when these moments hit? Take a moment to step back and breathe. It’s ok to ask questions. Do your best and trust everyone else is doing the same. Simple stuff, but in those moments it helps to take inventory.

Clarity Is Crucial

The lack of standardized terms can be staggering, especially true when it comes to clearances. In a single day, I’ll get three completely different terms that all mean the same thing to three different clients. If someone out there has a secret decoder ring, let me know. But if you see a term you don’t understand, it’s ok to ask. Alternatively, if you find that you are constantly having to clarify something, you’re not being clear. We all want to get it right, we’re all on a deadline, so let’s get on the same page and do it right the first time, yeah?

Trust Your Team

This has been key, even before lockdown. Maintaining a connection with your team is crucial to a successful pivot into new roles and challenges. The License Lab has always had a large remote component, but to remove the last bits of in-person communication was still a change. You have to be clearer in your written correspondence, learn to be ok when you don’t get a response right away (asynchronous tools like Basecamp really help), intentionally schedule meetings and regularly connect with each other. I’ll also add that even though we’re all sick of virtual meetings at this point, it’s vital to see each others’ faces, smiles, and those oh-so-important non-verbal cues. Even the most concise email can carry unintentional messages, especially in a time like this. Seeing a colleague smile can remind you of how they really feel.

Know Your Company’s Direction

The License Lab has undergone several big changes since I started (what feels like a decade ago) in 2019, but our values and goals have remained the same. There has always been a bigger picture in play that was clearly communicated to me back during my first interview. When you know these things and the company stays on course, it becomes easier to roll with the punches, to stay focused when the world is burning around you.

All of this is to say that if you take a moment to breathe, accept you don’t know everything, and trust in your team, you’ll be ok. Furthermore, engaging in new tasks has given me a broader, more complete perspective of our industry. It’s knowledge that may have taken me years to accumulate from the comfort of my regular chair. So hang in there, fellow industry professionals, and know you’re not alone.

If you’d like to share your pivot stories and challenges, send me an email at nathan@licenselab.com.