Two Years On – A Series Of Personal Reflections Into This Decade’s C-Word

In this guest post, Phillippa Netolicky (pictured below), chief growth officer at Claxon, asks industry leaders about the varying impact of COVID-19 on their career and personal growth…

Two years ago, after a decade at a network agency, I was finalising my succession planning and looking forward to travel and what I labelled temporary retirement. There are many moments in life when you consider what feels like a kaleidoscope of options. My decision was made many months before and its purpose to create change, be uncomfortable, re-evaluate my true value and without a timeframe, make my own next.

Phillippa Netolicky

Then, March hit, and COVID forced me to stop. Nowhere to go, no one to see, yet despite circumstance, there was an overwhelming sense of freedom.

Phillippa’s greatest insight

My greatest insight is led by the immense personal growth that transformed my concept of value.

Stopping work shifted my creativity and problem solving normally in my 9-5(ish) to home. Intent on discovering ‘new’ and redefining my own value, I invested more in my people and my community, as well as developed an emphasis on spontaneity. My needs for structure and process remained –

think planning, strategy, colour-coded spreadsheets and the ongoing joys of calendar jenga – however structure enabled freedom of choice and the ability pivot.

Ultimately, personal value extends beyond the metrics, it also encompasses a suite of intangibles – purpose, belonging and community.

Phillippa’s greatest reflection

My greatest reflection is that my experience over this time enabled my own evolution. One that in a way was planned, but with better outcomes. A fusion of personal and work identities and a realisation that they were more powerful together.

There’s been a key shift in people with more focus on fitting work around life, instead of what was the reverse. I just started this a little earlier than most, and for me, this is less about the typical balance and boundaries narrative and more about creating space and empowering choice.

 

Stephen Forth

Stephen Forth, CEO at Claxon

Throughout my working career when times got tough or difficult, I tended to see what other leaders were doing, globally as well within the Australian market, read and seek insights. Early on, COVID changed my thinking, as I realised it was more about what I was going to do. There was no amount of experience or guidance that preceded COVID. This was and still is to an extent uncharted territory. To me, it is not about leadership, but about simplifying what needed to be done for staff, the business, friends and family. Humanity was my focus.

Stephen’s greatest insight

Never assume that our (your) people are ok, or to that fact our friends and family. COVID impacted business and our lives and continues to do so. Changing habits, adhering to medical advice, lock downs, WFH process, all this was challenging, broad and constantly changing. As a CEO, revenue was always going to be crucial, but wellness topped my personal agenda to ensure our staff were safe at one level or another.

Stephen’s greatest reflection

Change is constant especially in this always on world we live and work in. But, the mental health of everyone surfaced as a key priority. We cannot just think about digital transformation for example that is driven by technology. Any level or form of transformation is driven, championed and delivered by people…look after them especially when unusual, difficult events such as this pandemic hits

Cheryl Jolliffe

Cheryl Jolliffe, vice president Future Students at Bond University

The past twenty years of my professional career have been spent in higher education, a sector that has long been cited as not keeping pace with the changing technological landscape, forecast for extinction as online education models were declared the way of the future.

When the pandemic hit, universities had to transform their teaching model within a few weeks to enable remote delivery. The transformation required was enormous and the impact unknown, especially for an institution like Bond University where our entire brand is built on personalised learning and face-to-face student experience.

Cheryl’s greatest insight

People and teams can achieve amazing things when they need to. Despite the uncertainty and challenging personal circumstances, our people pulled together to implement massive change – technical, administrative and cultural. And it didn’t stop there. Once the bare bones were in place

the teams continued to innovate, seeking new ways to improve learning outcomes within the new environment.

Cheryl’s greatest reflection

My greatest reflection is that people have come to truly value human connection. In education, this means the benefits of face-to-face learning, building networks and relationships and undertaking personal experiences. The challenge going forward is how we retain the flexibility that technology enables without losing the benefits of personal connection.

Karla Judge

Karla Judge, general manager – sales and marketing at Dreamworld and Skypoint

My career began in the digital marketing space, specifically in social media as it was growing into one of a marketer’s most powerful tools. I had the opportunity to work across eCommerce, entertainment, and leisure, as well as a brief stint in travel as I broadened my knowledge across various digital and traditional marketing and sales channels. The opportunity to return to what is arguably the most fun industry in existence was one I welcomed, and my development, starting in 2019 as Brand Manager and today overseeing the Marketing and Sales departments for Dreamworld and SkyPoint, has allowed me to learn more than I ever could have imagined. I look forward to the learning opportunities coming my way as I commence an MBA next month!

Karla’s greatest insight

Planning and strategy is incredibly important, but what the last two years have taught us above all else is that our ability as marketers to be flexible and (forgive the buzzword) agile is equally as important. No plan could have prepared us for the unique challenges brought to us by the pandemic, from executing rapid shifts in our demographic focuses to understanding changes in consumer behaviour and ensuring our content is consistent with them.

Karla’s greatest reflection

The challenges that came our industry’s way were relentless and varied; as I reflect on where we’ve been and how far we come, I realise that you could have all the tools under the sun to help you overcome them, but there’s nothing quite like a connected, passionate, and hardworking team to see a business succeed. My greatest reflection is just how grateful I am to work with (and for) such incredible people, and for the opportunity to learn from them and grow with them throughout my career.

Jodie Leishman

Jodie Leishman, senior communications advisor – Projects, Rio Tinto Iron Ore

A few weeks before the word ‘COVID’ was ever mentioned, my Corporate Affairs team in a financial services organisation was made redundant. After the initial shock, I was excited for the change and dreaming of a pivot into a different career. That excitement quickly turned into fear when the news of the pandemic was splashed across our screens. I knew communication was essential in any organisation, but I also knew that it was often seen as ‘nice-to-have.’

Jodie’s greatest insight

It wasn’t long before my fears were alleviated, when the same business asked me to return and manage the COVID-19 communication. I quickly changed from feeling like a ‘nice to have’ to being absolutely critical in helping navigate the pandemic. In a world of misinformation, people needed a trusted source. Often, that source was their organisation. If leaders ever doubted the value of communication, it was now abundantly clear.

Jodie’s greatest reflection

Communicators often spend months, if not years, preparing people for a major transformational change. When COVID-19 was thrust upon us, we had to help people to adapt, almost overnight, to remote working and new technologies. As we navigate through the post-pandemic world, I know one thing is for certain – the role of communications has never been more vital.

In summary…

After a challenging two years, it’s vital to stop and reflect on where each of us has been, how far we’ve come and what this means for growth, including our own…