Some of my CEO clients and their managers are more committed to making sure that their teams understand their importance, and how they fit into the big picture of the company. By reassuring their employees that they are valuable assets in the company’s unifying vision, they are instilling in their employees with greater empowerment and trust, and it is working.

In a short time, there has been a forced shift in the dynamics of how people do business. There has also been a shift in how management is supervising and empowering employees.

We are starting to realize that nobody is missing the in-person meetings that were once mandatory.

People are working from home and achieving high productivity, when only a few weeks ago, their bosses thought that would never happen.

These changes have come about because employers have been forced to trust their employees to fulfill their commitments and be productive. Those who used to micromanage are finding out now that they don’t necessarily have to.

When the pandemic ends, many employers are going to realize that times have changed and their employees will be able to work from home, possibly embrace a four-day workweek, and the companies will experience a significant cut in overhead costs. Since they have now been forced to cut costs – to the surprise of many – they may find that the costs can remain lower forever.

An added social result of this pandemic is restaurant take-out. Higher restaurants have been forced to accommodate people with takeout, and we are already getting used to the idea of eating good food at home. These restaurants are going to have to be prepared to continue with takeout to survive in the future.