2020... A year that will never be forgotten by the whole world.
Mid-February, we finally transferred to our new office, fulfilling a dream to be under one roof. This was part of a strategic move to intensify our work efficiency and to provide a workplace that facilitates creativity, teamwork, and collaboration. Only setting foot for one month, the world was struck by the COVID-19 pandemic, and like the rest of the world, we were forced into quarantine.
Nobody prepared well for what came after. In the first week of the pandemic, we expected that this would end soon, but we were wrong. The quarantine restrictions lasted for five months.
Somehow, the leadership of our firm acted fast. Work from home arrangements was inevitable and everybody needed to adjust to a virtual way of collaboration and coordination. We felt extraordinarily blessed to hear assuring words from our President/CEO that the firm will not lay off anyone during the pandemic. To reciprocate, he urged us to try our best to be as efficient as we can amidst the extraordinary situation and to make such "letup time" as a springboard to become better.
The pandemic quarantine made us appreciate the importance of constant communication. Everybody had three coordination meetings a day - way more than what we are used to in normal circumstances. The management committee virtually met every day to do strategic planning. We set new goals. This was supported by a separate systems analysis by the middle management group of the firm. We also learned new technologies for collaboration which proved to be very useful until now.
It was September when the strict quarantine restrictions were lifted. Everyone felt a deep joy when finally, we saw each other again face to face. Going back to the office seemed a dream. We put ourselves into action without delay. We filled our first few weeks iterating a new beginning for ArchiGlobal, leaving the past behind and aiming not only to fit the "new normal" but to endeavor a "better normal".
Leveling up, the management rolled out the firm's new Vision, Mission, and Corporate Values. We also revised our organization structure to fit our single office setup, which we were not able to prime up due to the pandemic. We made resolutions to improve our service to clients, the most important of which was our full commitment to transition to a more advance design and construction software.
Our clients immediately started to correspond with us. Fortunately, we received a positive outlook from them. They wanted to consider the pandemic break as a time to plan for the future. Although we had fewer new projects for 2020, we were blessed with clients who were true entrepreneurs, able to see opportunities everywhere.
Now that the year is ending, we too are full of optimism. In November, our group had simple sessions of strategic planning to put concrete details for the attainment of our new goals. Everyone committed to supporting these directions. It is our way to be in the launchpad for 2021.
We do more to give more. 2020 may have been a bad year but we learned many precious lessons. We learned how important it is to listen. We valued the good use of time. We realized that we can never be complete without others. We discovered how to be mindful of our blessings even if it seems life is becoming tough. We understood that helping others is more than worthwhile. Being for others and forgetting ourselves makes us genuinely happy.
