Austria
What changes you implemented due to Corona do you think will stay beyond the pandemic? Will it have a long-term impact for you?
I have always said that many of us, who have worked within the travel business for years, live in a world that many people do not fully understand. We have a work hard, play hard, and stay strong kind of mentality that really worked for us.
The resilience and flexibility we have developed, has helped us through many hard times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, my focus shifted towards my family and friends more than ever before. I tried supporting them in the best way that I could, through a time of change. It was a rewarding process and I believe that it brought us closer. I firmly believe that we need to move on now and set new priorities for the future.
The experiences that I will treasure most are not necessarily work related. Helping the elderly neighbors with shopping was personally, a very rewarding experience. Most of all I really treasure the time I spent with my niece. She was in her first year at school and I was very involved in her home schooling for months. Helping her learn to read and write, and work on different school projects was quite difficult at times, but also something I thoroughly enjoyed. I was able to inspire her to learn more about science and foreign languages.
Do you have an example for creative solutions to new problems?
Most creative solutions were in the topic of communication and trying to support each other whilst keeping high spirits. It was a fairly smooth transition for most of the office-based staff to move to work from home, but it was important to keep the team spirit and motivation high.
In the office we have followed all the correct procedures for colleagues, ensuring that the desks are 1.5 meters apart, hand sanitizer and protective equipment is available, as well as plenty of signage. This means that colleagues who prefer to work from the office have a safe and comfortable environment. We followed the “Triple D” rule: Discipline, Distance and Disinfection – for everyone’s safety.
Is there anything/anyone you are currently extra grateful for?
I am very grateful to my family and friends, but in particular, I would like to mention some of my close friends who are medical doctors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they all worked very hard and still continue to do so. At the same time, they also immediately provided help and good medical advice when we had a couple of medical emergencies at home.
