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There’s no minimising the effect COVID-19 has had on businesses. Blindsided by the unpredictability of the pandemic, many companies across industries have become concerned about business sustainability while personnel have grown anxious over job security and financial stability.

Between disrupted supply chains, plummeting revenues, sudden unemployment and the need for alternative modes of working, the unprecedented crisis has left many of us scratching our heads, thinking beyond merely “coping for now” but devising measures that are viable in the long term. What, then, is the way forward?

The switch to remote operations during the pandemic has highlighted the importance of enhanced collaboration between co-workers. After all, a company’s objectives and To-Do list do not change because of the outbreak—it is how the team achieves these that is crucial. Many companies are realising that shorter or limited engagement times do not necessarily translate to decreased productivity. Indeed, the “new normal” presents an opportunity to cut down redundancies in the work processes.

A post-COVID-19 collaboration paradigm would also have businesses take a more serious look at working with freelance specialists. As companies struggle to recruit talent and conserve resources, tapping into the expertise of freelance professionals to complement a lean team is ideal for securing and completing individual projects that require specific skills.

Evolution scientists* have found out that our prehistoric ancestors had to rely on collaboration to increase their chances of survival, and that this trait has been passed on to the following generations. The need to share and protect each other in order to weather challenges is natural and deep within us. The pandemic, for all its unwelcome impact on our work lives, is a good reminder to build on this instinct.

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