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The way we live our lives and conduct our day-to-day business has been changed dramatically due to the extreme times we live in. As we all know by now, numerous challenges have risen in an extremely short period of time forcing companies to question what must be done to keep the business running smoothly. While it is crucial for businesses to be resilient and adapt to new challenges, it is equally important to take a step back, whenever possible, and look at the benefits and opportunities that have presented themselves as a result of this situation.
A thought leader in the risk management industry states, “Our day-to-day structure has not changed much, minus the adoption of Zoom meetings from home rather than a physical working environment. Ironically, working from home has also improved company connectedness in my eyes, as our team now openly shares about their family activities and new hobbies… While we are not together physically, technology allows the esprit de corps, the spirit of the group, to live on in our new normal.”
Student to Business Relationship
As offices remain closed, and the well-being of many companies remains uncertain, internships across the nation are dissolving or adapting to a virtual format. Students from the Reynolds and Reynolds Sales Leadership Institute at Texas A&M University, a program Pegasus is a proud corporate sponsor of, will be interning at various companies have given us some valuable insight into what their future holds.
Catherine, a Junior Marketing student, and incoming Dell Small Business Intern, said that they will be starting off their summer with onboarding virtually on their new laptops. Dell has been recognized for its remote workforce and is prepared to handle adapting to the uncertainty of the coming months. Catherine and her fellow interns will then be trained on how to effectively work remotely and participate in a full calendar of virtual, interactive intern events. They will use Zoom to stay productive and remain connected while working from home. All of which can be translated to how most of us are working now.
Students Adjusting to the Now
However, the challenges presented by the current situation affect more than just businesses and their employees. Students must be proactive with their learning and take advantage of the opportunities that arise to better prepare themselves for their future careers. The current situation has provided students with the opportunity to develop skills on how to effectively work with teams remotely, establish good work from home habits, discover tools that are effective for remote teamwork, and gain experience using these tools.
Several options to develop these skills are becoming widely available for students. A great example of this is the RNMKRS Virtual Sales Competition, a worldwide virtual competition that utilizes AI as the buyer. This is a great way for students to see the future of sales as they learn to use interactive AI technology to develop their communication and persuasive skills as a salesperson virtually. In addition, this sales competition is giving students the opportunity to gain experience and skills related to conducting sales through virtual channels, giving them an edge over other students and seasoned professionals when they make the move to their professional careers. For more details on how to make AI a successful part of a sales strategy, read more here: “AI-Supported Reps: How to Make it Work.”
Overall, this global pandemic that we are living through is shaping the future of business in many ways. From corporations realizing that employees working remotely may increase productivity and efficiency, to managers discovering the importance and benefits associated with boosting morale through increasing the connectedness of their teams. Nevertheless, the most important thing every company and student alike needs to keep in mind is to not lose sight of the bigger picture and use this situation as an opportunity to innovate and prepare for the future.
Authored and Edited by Daniel Calabrese ‘20, Briana Fabela ‘20, Luke Garwood ‘20 & Victoria Babin ‘21.
Pegasus Logistics Group is a proud corporate partner of the Reynolds and Reynolds Sales Leadership Institute, which serves as a platform for the collaboration of sales educators and researchers to teach career and life skills and to further knowledge creation.
