After more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, it can be hard to quantify the ways in which we have changed. Our pandemic coverage helps us understand the industry impact, and it seems unlikely that any of our content has been untouched by the unique circumstances that have taken root since the start of 2020.

But so much of that change has occurred at a human level, where many of the lessons emerge from the various conversations and anecdotes that underpin our stories and events. To better showcase these learnings, and provide a measure of insight into how the global PR industry is responding to such a transformative era, this series asks people what they have learned, according to three specific areas.

In the latest installment in our series, we hear from Hope&Glory co-founder and chief client officer Jo Carr, who shares her lessons on 

Three things I've learned... 

Career
A lasting lesson from the pandemic and beyond is that you can never over-communicate.  We tell our clients that a message needs to be heard multiple times before it will land, yet still fail to heed that advice when leading our own agencies and teams. At the start of the pandemic, I penned an email to the team each morning; 18 months later, I was still sending that morning missive. The lesson: don’t underestimate the need for reassurance in tough times and remember to make what’s implicit, explicit.

PR
What’s been interesting about the past two years is the rise in power of the corporate affairs team in-house. The pandemic hit and the juggernaut that is the marketing department couldn’t turn around fast enough. It was the communications experts who could react quickly, spot opportunities and help their businesses tell compelling stories that resonated. I love that. It’s now our job as agencies to help our clients retain that seat at the top table through a steady flow of inspiring and impactful ideas that help them continue to cut through.

Personal
It’s no secret that I struggle with ambiguity. I’m always happier when things are clear-cut.  This extends into my personal life – a desire for order over chaos and wanting a high degree of control. So, I’m especially proud that in the past two years we’ve managed to travel to several interesting places as a family despite uncertain times. I parked the nagging doubts about what could derail our travel plans, leant into the uncomfortable and hoped that fortune would favour the brave. It did. And as a result, we pulled off some brilliant and memorable family adventures.

If you'd like to share your three lessons, please let us know.