Nick Boulton: What I'm optimistic about right nowPosted almost 4 years ago by Nick Boulton

As our sixth week in lockdown draws to a close, I thought it would be a good time to look back, ponder and reflect on what has been an extraordinary few months.

The speed at which most of our lives normally move, means you rarely get time to sit back and take it all in.

Day’s roll into weeks, weeks roll into months, and BAM, suddenly another year has gone by.

Daily commutes with the same trains, tubes, buses, cars, bikes and nameless faces, day after day, sun, wind, rain or snow -  Like groundhog day, we have had our lives on rinse and repeat for God knows how many years, and for what?

Fighting to pay bills, go on another holiday, buy the latest iPhone, the newest car, a bigger house or latest fashion accessory; usually materialistic things, that right now don’t mean a great deal.

Having worked pretty much 24/7 over the last two months has meant scaling back and focusing on the important things, in both business and our personal lives.

As the pace of life slows, you begin to see the things you missed or took for granted on a daily basis, when life was ‘normal’:

• The little nuances and idiosyncrasies of colleagues that actually makes them who they are.
• The unsung heroes. We’re a sales company, but without Advertising, Marketing, Finance, Internal Recruitment or the Admin team, we would be nowhere near as successful.
• A sense of company community. The Client Server “Citizenship” that I bang on about has really come to the fore, with people looking out for each other.
• The struggles of clients and candidates, the life blood of our industry. Seeing the fragility of some businesses and ultimately the vulnerability of people made, jobless, redundant or furloughed with bills to pay, has been shocking.

What this time working from home has made me feel is grateful and lucky. Lucky for the company I work in and the colleagues I have. It’s made me optimistic about our future, in whatever shape or form that my take. But what has really made me optimistic about our future is the character shown by everyone in the face of such adversity.

• Bravery – They wear their heart on their sleeve, take risks, calculated risks and are not afraid to speak their mind and do what is right, even if it is the tougher option.
• Great communicators – They listen, they respond (not react) and they are clear. They encourage others and are crystal clear in their explanations and communication. They don’t waste other people’s time.
• Company smarts – Effective employees learn as much about the business as they can, quickly.  They don’t complain, are selfless and are business savvy. They get smart right from the start. They work out what the company mission and vision is and get behind it.
• Passion – They are visibly passionate, they exude positivity and a can do attitude, they genuinely look and act like they enjoy their job.
• They do what they say they will - If they say it’s going to be done you can rely on them to do it – or at least try to complete it to the best of their ability and to not make excuses, NO exceptions.

I'm optimistic about who we are and where we are. That's why it's Client Server's for the taking.