Birthday reflections from a year of lockdown

Last year when Lucent celebrated its first birthday - in lockdown – we cheered ourselves with thoughts of an in-person gathering for our 2nd birthday. Even though we knew we needed to pace ourselves for a marathon, not a sprint, it feels astonishing that on our 2nd birthday we are still facing a period of further adjustment and change.

So what have we learnt through this extraordinary year? We have learnt that where people and organisations have taken the opportunity to be vulnerable, open and bold, then the most enormous progress can be achieved – and at an accelerated pace that few of us could have foreseen.

The digital transformation has been profound – the pandemic has catapulted us into new ways of working as services were reconfigured and organisational processes transformed.  We have discovered that it’s been possible to deliver things online that previously would have been unimaginable. We have also learnt that to do this successfully, you have to attend to the human dimension even more and make space for conversations to check on staff health and wellbeing. It has been striking that  relationships and core values have become increasingly important in helping steer organisations through this challenging time.

We’ve also seen an enormous energy across the sector to go deeper and take the bold steps needed to take strategy to the next level. Social leaders from across the sector have been so generous in sharing their experience and insight through our monthly Campfire sessions and at our Repair, Refresh, Reboot workshop. These have demonstrated both the tremendous motivation and enthusiasm of charity leaders to tackle some of the sector’s most complex challenges, as well as their determination to help their organisations repair and thrive. 

This period has thrown into stark relief the many challenges facing the sector in addressing issues of discrimination and inequality. At Lucent, we have been encouraged by the eagerness of our clients to address these issues head-on. We have also seen in our own development this past year that there is a real benefit and strength that comes from building diverse teams who bring different experiences and backgrounds.

Looking ahead to our third birthday – I have no doubt that further transformation of organisations and working practices lies ahead. At Lucent, we have relished supporting organisations on that journey of growth. Crystal ball-gazing has become a bit of a personal hobby of late, and whilst I’m not counting on it, I am dearly hoping for a chance to gather together many of you in the not-too-distant future over a glass of something sparkly. 

As always, if you’d like to talk through any challenge that you are facing right now just drop a line to hello@lucentconsultancy.co.uk.

Katherine Rake, Lucent Consultancy