Asset managers and journalists: Life in lockdown
The start of a new way of working?
By the time this piece goes live, it will have been almost exactly one month since Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave an unprecedented broadcast to the nation, announcing that UK residents must stay home to help fight the spread of coronavirus.
With a majority of the population urged to work from home, the country has had to very quickly adapt its way of working.
This of course includes the asset management and wealth management industries - a sector that relies heavily on teamwork, company or fund management meetings and movements in the value of assets.
Given the extreme volatility in markets caused by entire sectors ceasing to function almost overnight, unparalleled levels of uncertainty and swathes of extraordinary monetary policy, it seems as though the industry has a lot to cope with in the face of the pandemic.
Editor's View from the Desk: #9 - Adapting to a different way of living
Having spoken to several CEOs of asset management firms, the optimism across the industry is uplifting.
Readers can find our 'WFH' feature, where Jenna Brown discusses remote technology, maintaining relationships with colleagues and prioritising mental health with the likes of Liontrust, Rathbones and Polar Capital, among others.
At a time when social distancing is compulsory, the current situation has arguably aligned everybody's working-from-home priorities across sectors.
Our parent company Incisive Media is dealing with the same issues. It has been encouraging daily video calls across teams, created interactive competitions and maintained the editorial staff's monthly 'wine o'clock' via Zoom.
We even have access to an Incisive 'kitchen', where employees can pop in for a coffee and catch up with others.
Having spoken to colleagues, some of the positive aspects of working from home full time include spending more time with family, saving time and money on the commute and more flexible working hours.
Costs, clients and conduct in the time of the coronavirus
That is not to say it is without its difficulties though. One colleague pointed out the lack of face-to-face contact on press days is challenging - particularly keeping abreast of which pages have been signed off, and who is proofreading which part of the magazine.
They added that managing the wellbeing of their team is another difficulty, given most communication is via emails or Zoom meetings, which are "just not the same".
Another colleague said working with children in the house is "a new experience".
"My dream was that we would get on with our tasks separately, quietly, in harmony," they said. "This was shattered when I had to help make about 20 Playdough 'pancakes'. I am working on my own, upstairs, today."
Others have told me living in isolation is incredibly tough - particularly when they live alone. Not being able to switch into "home time mode" was raised as an issue when there is nowhere "different to go".
And, conversely, switching on for work time "when you are just sitting in the same room you have been all weekend".
Industries across the UK, and the globe, are adapting to a new world of remote working at a faster pace than anyone would have expected.
Once the creases have been ironed out and the lockdown is lifted, this could spell an entirely new way of working for the asset management industry, for journalists, and for almost everybody.
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